Optical Waveguides describes waveguide phenomena in classical optical terms. This book discusses mode propagation by using equivalent plane waves, polarization, rays, and intensity distributions. Comprised of seven chapters, this book starts with an overview of the history of optical waveguides with emphasis on the earliest studies of dielectric guides. This text then explores the theoretical treatment of guided waves in planar dielectric waveguides in terms of the characteristic modes of these structures. Other chapters consider the interferometric description of the coupling of a uniform beam of light into a thin film through the mechanism of frustrated total reflection. This book discusses as well the properties of the modes of fiber optical waveguides. The final chapter deals with the general properties of the characteristic TE wave (modes) of a symmetric slab guide by direct solution of the homogeneous Maxwell equations. Students of optics and physics, as well as electronic, optical, and communications engineers, will find this book useful.