Modified Airy Function Method Applied to Optical Waveguides and Quantum Tunneling: A Critical Analysis

The validity of applying the Modified Airy Function (MAF) method to the problems of graded-index optical waveguides and graded potential barrier analysis was critically examined. In the former case, the method yielded very accurate results from the derived eigenvalue equations. In the latter case, however, the same method produced results that deviated significantly from exact numerical results for barriers with a smooth peak. The causes of the discrepancies were investigated in detail.