General finite-element modeling of 2-D magnetophotonic crystal waveguides

A new finite-element method for characterizing magnetophotonic crystal (MPC) waveguides with polarization conversion properties is proposed. To treat arbitrarily anisotropic magnetophotonic materials, a vector Helmholtz equation in terms of three components of electric or magnetic fields is discretized with the so-called edge/nodal hybrid elements. Nonreciprocal lightwave propagation properties are obtained by using an asymmetrical input condition. This method is validated by simulation of an optical isolator based on an MPC waveguide with a compensation wall exhibiting inclined magnetization.