We present a novel approach to study transmission through waveguides in terms of optical streamlines. This theoretical framework combines the computational performance of beam propagation methods with the possibility to monitor the passage of light through the guiding medium by means of these sampler paths. In this way, not only can the optical flow along the waveguide be followed in detail, but also a fair estimate of the transmitted light (intensity) can be accounted for by counting streamline arrivals with starting points statistically distributed according to the input pulse. Furthermore, this approach allows elucidation of the mechanism leading to energy losses, namely, a vortical dynamics, which can be advantageously exploited in optimal waveguide design.
© 2012 Optical Society of America