Applications
BPM is a quick and easy method of solving for fields in integrated optical devices. It is typically used only in solving for intensity and modes within shaped (bent, tapered, terminated) waveguide structures, as opposed to scattering problems. These structures typically consist of isotropic optical materials, but the BPM has also been extended to be applicable to simulate the propagation of light in general anisotropic materials such as liquid crystals. This allows to analyze e.g. the polarization rotation of light in anisotropic materials, the tunability of a directional coupler based on liquid crystals or the light diffraction in LCD pixels.
Read more about this topic: Beam Propagation Method