A novel approach to study transmission through waveguides in terms of optical streamlines is presented. This theoretical framework combines the computational performance of beam propagation methods with the possibility to monitor the passage of light through the guiding medium by means of these sampler paths. In this way, not only the optical flow along the waveguide can be followed in detail, but also a fair estimate of the transmitted light (intensity) can be accounted for by counting streamline arrivals with starting points statistically distributed according to the input pulse. Furthermore, this approach allows to elucidate the mechanism leading to energy losses, namely a vortical dynamics, which can be advantageously exploited in optimal waveguide design.
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