Multiple-scales analysis of photonic crystal waveguides

The multiple-scales method is used to derive a scalar differential equation that describes the envelopes of photonic crystal waveguide modes. For a photonic crystal heterostructure waveguide and an air core photonic crystal waveguide, the mode frequencies calculated from the envelope approximation and full numerical simulations agree to 9% in the worst case when compared to the frequency difference of the band edges. The single-mode and cutoff width conditions for a photonic crystal waveguide are predicted and verified.