Rigorous analysis of 3D optical and optoelectronic devices by the compact-2D-FDTD method

Continous advances in material technology, in the field of integrated optics and optoelectronics, allow the realization of devices with geometries more and more compact and complex. Because of this trend, there is a parallel need for accurate fully numerical CAD tools. Among new ones, the FDTD method, already widely and successfully used for the characterization of microwave and millimeter-wave devices, is emerging in optics community because of its accuracy and versatility. However, in spite of the tremendous increase in computing power, the applicability of the method is still limited by the typical dimensions of optical structures. To overcome these limitations a specialized version of the FDTD algorithm for the rigorous analysis of 3D optical and optoelectronic devices is proposed and validated. This new technique is then used to characterize the optical behaviour of a MQW waveguide electroabsorption modulator.