SUMMARY Recent progress in research on the finite element method (FEM) for optical waveguide design and analysis is reviewed, focusing on the author's works. After briefly reviewing fundamentals of FEM such as a theoretical framework, a conventional nodal element, a newly developed edge element to eliminate nonphysical, spurious solutions, and a perfectly matched layer to avoid undesirable reflections from computational window edges, various FEM techniques for a guided-mode analysis, a beam propagation analysis, and a waveguide discontinuity analysis are described. Some design examples are introduced, including current research activities on multi-core fibers. key words: finite element method, beam propagation method, spurious solutions, fiber optics, nanophotonics

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We theoretically investigate the intense nano-focusing of light through a novel family of metallo-dielectric nano-particles mediated by thermo-plasmonic resonances. The results show a significant sensitivity of the plasmonic resonance to temperature and environmental fluctuations.

A combination of the beam propagation method (BPM) and the bidirectional eigenmode propagation method (BEP) is proposed for the analysis of reflections in waveguide structures containing longitudinal discontinuities. The BPM based on the finite element method (FEM) is applied to slowly varying regions and the BEP is applied only to regions that include abrupt discontinuities. The FEM is also utilized for evaluating the eigenmodes necessary in the BEP analysis. To show the validity and usefulness of the approach proposed here, numerical examples for a semiconductor laser facet, an optical waveguide connection, and an optical directional coupler are presented. © 1998 Scripta Technica. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 80(6): 10–18, 1997