Extending the effective index method for arbitrarily shaped inhomogeneous optical waveguides

A procedure for computing the propagation constant and field distribution for modes of dielectric waveguides with arbitrary cross-sectional shape and refractive index profile is described. This procedure, based on the effective index method, can be applied to a wide range of problems. The authors compare their results with those obtained by other methods for a circular dielectric waveguide with parabolic index profile.<>