Electromagnetic-wave propagation along radially inhomogeneous dielectric cylinders

The results of a computational method for determining the propagation characteristics of a radially inhomogeneous dielectric cylinder are presented. A continuous variation in permittivity is represented by means of a staircase function, and the corresponding propagation problem for a cylindrically stratified dielectric is solved using a digital computer. For refractive-index profiles commonly used in optical waveguides, the propagation coefficient differs negligibly from the asymptotic value when the number of layers is equal to five.