Abstract

A newly introduced term, "figure of merit" is designed, cast, and employed to both qualititively and quantititively investigate the propagation problems in nonlinear optical waveguides made of either AlGaAs or SiO₂+GeO₂. Three basic parameters are handled in such a design, namely, the optical confinement factor, the maximum bit rate, and the power-pulse-width square product.¹,² Dimensionless analysis is applied and the problem is investigated under wide ranges of sources, detectors, and waveguides. The dispersion characteristics of the guide are evaluated based on Sellmeier equations, which are employed along with the spectral loss characteristics to calculate the system bit-rate. The figure of merit and each controlling parameter possess monotonic correlations with either positive or negative correlation coefficients. Four dimensionless ratios affect the figure of merit: (1) the bit-rate and the bandwidth, (2) the bit-rate and its ultimate value, (3) the confinement factor, and (4) the power–pulse-width square product and Planck's constant.

© 1990 Optical Society of America