Harold Modulator Module

This additional expansion to Harold solves a variety of physical effects to simulate the absorption spectrum and refractive index spectrum under bias voltages, critical in defining a range of different modulators.

• Silicon modulators are governed by the simulated Plasma Diffusion Effect which can be implemented into Mach Zehnder modulators or tunable filter circuits
   
• The Quantum Confined Stark Effect  is simulated for MQW structures used in Electro-Absorption Modulators (EAM), Electro Refractive Modulators (ERM), and saturable absorbers in mode-locked lasers.

The modulator module is fully integrated into the Harold’s UI environment and command line structure for example, using the same layers editor (where MQW epitaxial structures can be defined).

Harold’s Silicon modulator module has been validated for a variety of 2D waveguide geometries under forward and reverse bias.

Finding the results of effective index varying with voltage is the start of a design flow with further Photon Design tools for simulating rigorous component models, 3D dynamic simulations including travelling wave modulators, and layout.

Read more on Si modulator validation and design flow:

Harold’s QCSE simulations is a rigorous first-principle physical model which relies on a rigorous modelling of the physics at a fundamental level.

The results of these 1D reverse bias simulations can be integrated with full 3D time evolving PIC simulations using software PICWave. This can be done simply through a purpose built UI or automated with scripting languages like python.

Read more on QCSE simulations and their validation: