Iterative and efficient Bloch mode calculations for integrated photonics applications

Design of novel integrated photonic components often benefits from periodic geometries (either fully periodic or apodized) along the direction of light propagation, offering a wide range of capabilities including mode matching and optical rerouting. Here, we show how existing iterative methods that were originally developed for resonant nanophotonic systems in the frequency domain can be reliably used for calculation of optical Bloch modes in periodic systems in the complex wavevector domain. This method can be used for arbitrary shaped geometries and even when open boundary conditions are applied, therefore heavily impacting the fast-paced design of integrated photonic devices.