Periodic stratified structure in a multilayer planar optical waveguide

The contribution of a periodic stratified structure to the optical guiding properties of a multilayer planar waveguide is analyzed. We present an equivalent-layer method for the periodic stratified structure in a multiplayer waveguide that not only allows the whole periodic stratified structure to be treated as a single layer but offers exact solutions for the propagation constant of the waveguide and the power-confinement factor within the periodic stratified structure in a multilayer waveguide. This method is applied to study the optical guiding characteristics of multiquantum-well waveguides, such as the propagation constant, the field distribution, the power-confinement factor, and the group refractive index. The effective indices and the confinement factors of several practical GaInAsP/InP multiquantum-well lasers are calculated and analyzed.