Technical Papers and Presentations

Here we present and discuss numerical solutions to the paraxial wave equation using COMSOL (2D, PDE, General Form, time-dependent analysis). Ultimately, the goal is to extend this treatment of free-space beam propagation to the case of propagation through a medium that is non-uniform and subject to non-linear effects where the beam itself is modifying the properties of the medium in which it is propagating.

Our goal here is simply to develop a foundational understanding of the strengths and limitations of using COMSOL to describe beam propagation. Results for a variety of initial conditions and propagation lengths are compared against analytic solutions and a number of features are highlighted.