Abstract: | A double‐channel lossy‐dielectric waveguide, having its propagation characteristics controlled by the action of light, is analyzed here. The light is incident on a semiconductor material that constitutes the inner channel of the waveguide structure, generating a plasma. The analysis of the problem is done by using the finite difference in the frequency domain method which was found to be efficient for this analysis. The results presented here were confirmed with those obtained using the finite element method. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 10: 127–131, 2000. |