Guided modes of helical waveguides

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Gopalakrishnan, Jay, Neunteufel, Michael
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866909795638837248
author Gopalakrishnan, Jay
Neunteufel, Michael
author_facet Gopalakrishnan, Jay
Neunteufel, Michael
contents This paper studies guided transverse scalar modes propagating through helically coiled waveguides. Modeling the modes as solutions of the Helmholtz equation within the three-dimensional (3D) waveguide geometry, a propagation ansatz transforms the mode-finding problem into a 3D quadratic eigenproblem. Through an untwisting map, the problem is shown to be equivalent to a 3D quadratic eigenproblem on a straightened configuration. Next, exploiting the constant torsion and curvature of the Frenet frame of a circular helix, the 3D eigenproblem is further reduced to a two-dimensional (2D) eigenproblem on the waveguide cross section. All three eigenproblems are numerically treated. As expected, significant computational savings are realized in the 2D model. A few nontrivial numerical techniques are needed to make the computation of modes within the 3D geometry feasible. They are presented along with a procedure to effectively filter out unwanted non-propagating eigenfunctions. Computational results show that the geometric effect of coiling is to shift the localization of guided modes away from the coiling center. The variations in modes as coiling pitch is changed are reported considering the example of a coiled optical fiber.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_03276
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Guided modes of helical waveguides
Gopalakrishnan, Jay
Neunteufel, Michael
Optics
Numerical Analysis
78M10 (Primary) 65F15 (Secondary)
This paper studies guided transverse scalar modes propagating through helically coiled waveguides. Modeling the modes as solutions of the Helmholtz equation within the three-dimensional (3D) waveguide geometry, a propagation ansatz transforms the mode-finding problem into a 3D quadratic eigenproblem. Through an untwisting map, the problem is shown to be equivalent to a 3D quadratic eigenproblem on a straightened configuration. Next, exploiting the constant torsion and curvature of the Frenet frame of a circular helix, the 3D eigenproblem is further reduced to a two-dimensional (2D) eigenproblem on the waveguide cross section. All three eigenproblems are numerically treated. As expected, significant computational savings are realized in the 2D model. A few nontrivial numerical techniques are needed to make the computation of modes within the 3D geometry feasible. They are presented along with a procedure to effectively filter out unwanted non-propagating eigenfunctions. Computational results show that the geometric effect of coiling is to shift the localization of guided modes away from the coiling center. The variations in modes as coiling pitch is changed are reported considering the example of a coiled optical fiber.
title Guided modes of helical waveguides
topic Optics
Numerical Analysis
78M10 (Primary) 65F15 (Secondary)
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.03276