The Laser Diode, SOA, and Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) Simulator

Circuit Capabilities
Creating and Importing PICWave Circuit Capabilities
The simulation of a photonic circuit includes two stages:
- Creating models of the individual circuit components
- Importing the individual component models into a standard circuit model format, connecting the components together and simulating the resulting circuit.
PICWave is primarily focussed on Stage 2, but also has the capability of modelling many components itself; in particular it has an extensive modelling capability of semiconductor gain sections (SOAs).
PICWave has a building block system allowing you to create your own libraries of pre-made components, or use design kits provided by a third party; we currently supply InP-based design kit libraries for Smart Photonics and FhG Heinrich Hertz Institut fabs. Others coming soon. Please ask.
The table below describes PICWave's capabilities in terms of circuit, component and material modelling, and its reliance on external models (such as FIMMPROP and Harold).
Component | Comments | Base Module | Active Module | Component Model | Material Model |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Passive Waveguides |
|
PICWave Mode Solver |
See (1) |
||
DBR Gratings |
Low delta-n gratings |
PICWave Kappa Calculator |
See (1) |
||
Other Passive Components |
Anything with an S-matrix (with optional wavelength dependence) |
FIMMPROPor any EM solver |
See (1) |
||
Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers (SOAs) |
Building block for any laser diode |
PICWave |
Harold,gain tableor built-in examples(2) |
||
Modulators / QCSE |
Electro-refractive and absorptive |
Harold |
Haroldor lab data |
||
Modulators / Silicon |
Bulk free-carrier interactions |
External model or lab data |
|
||
Other modulators |
Simple modulator, electro-refractive and absorptive modulators |
External model or lab data |
|
||
Photodiodes |
Waveguide QW photodiode |
PICWave |
Haroldor gain table |
||
Electric R, L, C |
|
PICWave |
N/A |
||
Non-linear waveguides including periodic |
Model effects due to χ(2) nonlinearities in dielectric media, including SHG in periodically poled crystalline materials |
PICWave |
Lab datafor χ(3) |
1 Dispersion data for common materials supplied – Si, SiGe, SiO2, GaAs, AlGaAs, InGaAsP, InGaAlAs, LiNbO3, BCB, Al, Au, Ag, Ni, W.
2 Examples relying on material/gain data from Harold are supplied for typical InGaAsP, InGaAlAs and AlGaAs epi’s.
3 Component dynamics, e.g. escape time effects, available only with Active Module.