Bound states in coupled guides . I . Two dimensions

Bound states that can occur in coupled quantum wires are investigated. We consider a two-dimensional configuration in which two parallel waveguides (of different widths) are coupled laterally through a finite length window and construct modes which exist local to the window connecting the two guides. We study both modes above and below the first cut-off for energy propagation down the coupled guide. The main tool used in the analysis is the so-called residue calculus technique in which complex variable theory is used to solve a system of equations which is derived from a mode-matching approach. For bound states below the first cut-off a single existence condition is derived, but for modes above this cut-off (but below the second cut-off), two conditions must be satisfied simultaneously. A number of results have been presented which show how the bound-state energies vary with the other parameters in the problem. Department of Mathematical Sciences, Loughborough University, LE11 3TU, UK ([email protected]).