A novel finite-element formulation applied to wave propagation in optically large structures

Abstract

This paper shows how a novel Finite-Element based approach, the Ultra-Weak Variational Formulation, can be applied to model the light propagation inside optically large structures such as LEDs or solar cells. On a two-dimensional domain we investigate the field generated by a macroscopic source corresponding to a bulk active region, with a domain size up to 1000 lambda times 1000 lambda. A comparison with various reference solutions shows the validity of the approach. Special focus is put on computational issues such as memory consumption and parallelization.