SOFTWARE → LORD PICS™ (ASTERIA© PACKAGE)
SCREENSHOTS
Lord PICS™ v4.70 software screenshots. The software is available for Windows 64 bit and supports 4K resolution.
2. Ring resonator (Notch) spectrum
3. Ring resonator (ADF & Double Injection) spectrum
4. MZI spectrum & phase (profiles: neff(ν))
5. Fabry-Pérot spectrum & temperature (profiles: neff(λ,T))
1. Coupler E1,1 & E2,1 gap & length (profiles: τ(Gap,λ))
2. Coupler E1,1 & E2,1 dispersion & gap (profiles: τ(Gap,λ))
3. Coupler E1,1 & E2,1 parallel, curved parts (profiles: τ(Gap,λ))
Circuit Screenshots
7. MZI modulator QAM 64 & basic voltage (profiles: neff(ν))
8. Ring modulator spectrum & voltage (profiles: neff(ΔN,λ), τ(Gap,λ))
9. Ring (ADF) modulator loss & voltage (profiles: neff(ΔN,λ), τ(Gap,λ))
10. Measurement data analysis by filter (profiles: neff(λ,T))
11. Chained circuits & voltage (profiles: neff(λ,nGuide))
4. Active Coupler E3,1 & E4,1 gap & temperature (profiles: τ(Gap,T))
5. Active Coupler H1,1 & H2,1 gap & voltage (profiles: 3D τ(Gap,ΔN,λ))
1. Start-up screen.
Start-up screen. Choose circuit, analysis-type and press "RUN" to simulate.
No complex editor! → No training needed!
2. Ring resonator in a Notch configuration, basic spectrum simulations.
Simulated a ring resonator with 6µm radius. The waveguide and coupler are constant (no dispersion). The spectrum of the circuit transmission is plotted for 100nm span together with a close-up on one of the notches (intensity and phase).
3. Ring resonator in Add-Drop (ADF) and Double Injection configurations. Spectrum simulations.
Simulated a ring resonator in Add-Drop Configuration.
Upper Graph:
Spectrum of the circuit's transmission ports: throughput (blue) and drop (green).
Lower graph:
Throughput port plot, where light with the same wavelength and power enters at both inputs, Ein-1 and Ein-2 ("Double Injection" method [1,2]).
4. MZI circuit: spectrum and phase simulations. Profiles: Frequency (RIB waveguide).
Simulated a Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) in Cross-Bar Configuration.
The waveguide's characteristic was analyzed by Doctor Modesâ„¢ and the profile was integrated in the simulation (in blue, next to neff text-box).
A delay line is created by increasing one of the arms to obtain a 50GHz spacing.
The bottom graph plots the transmission as a function of the phase accumulated in arm-1, while keeping the phase of arm-2 at zero.
5. Fabry-Pérot: spectrum and temperature simulations. Profiles: Dispersions (Trapeze Waveguide).
Simulated a Fabry-Pérot resonator with two types of circuit dispersion.
The waveguide's characteristic was analyzed by Doctor Modes™ and the 2D profile was integrated in the simulation (in blue, next to neff text-box).
Upper Graph:
Spectrum plot of the throughput port, Et-1, for temperatures of 25°C (blue) and 30°C (green).
Bottom Graph:
An extension of the upper graph but for both type of dispersion, i.e. wavelength and temperature.
6. General Settings dialog box | Graph-Enlarge window.
Apply new setting to inspect the results.
​Enlarge graph and fonts to suit your documents. Add tags, perform data analysis and inspect fits. The graph can be printed, saved or copied to clipboard.
7. MZI modulator: IQ (QAM 64) and basic voltage simulations. Profiles: Frequency.
Simulated a Cross-Bar MZI with 1,400µm delay line (50GHz BW) and frequency dispersion included.
Upper Graph:
Circuit IQ plain for QAM-64 application as a function of the arm's phases (0≤θ1,θ2≤360°, steps: 360°/64).
Bottom Graph:
Transmission as a function of the voltage applied in Push-Pull configuration on both arms. Here, the electrical electrode influences linearly on neff and
generates no losses.
8. Ring modulator: spectrum and voltage simulations. Profiles: Wavelength, Dopant, and Coupler.
Simulated a racetrack modulator in Silicon Photonics with a physical directional coupler and an electrical electrode over the resonator. The coupler comprises a parallel section of 4µm long with a separation gap of 260nm, and a curved section of a radius equal to that of the racetrack. Due to the large curvature radius, the curved section contributes significantly to the coupling (net length 2x3.6µm).
The circuit and couplers drawings are scaled manually x5.
The electrode, part of a typical PN diode, induces a depletion in carriers concentration of 5e17cmˉ³ at reverse bias of 2V over 988µm length. Carriers (holes+electrons) are present only in the slab region which takes 32% of the entire waveguide surface (Hslab/H).
The waveguide and coupler characteristic were analyzed by Doctor Modes™ and the 2D profiles were integrated in the simulation (in blue).
Upper Graph:
Spectrum of the throughput port, Et-1, for a 20nm span. Notice the difference in ER between the notches which occur due to the couplers' dispersion.
Lower Graph:
Close-up on one of the notches for three various applied reverse voltages, -2V (blue), -1V (green) and 0V (red). As the reverse voltage decreases, i.e. less carriers are depleted, the losses increases, causing a smaller and wider notch.
9. Ring (ADF) modulator: loss and voltage simulations. Profiles: Wavelength, Dopant, and Couplers.
Simulated an add-drop (ADF) racetrack modulator in Silicon Photonics with two directional couplers and an electrical electrode over the resonator. The couplers are identical except for their separation gaps, 190nm and 230nm.
The electrode, part of a typical forward biased PIN diode and covering the straight parts of the racetrack (600µm), induces a high carrier concentration of 3e18cmˉ³ at 1.5V.
The waveguide and coupler characteristic were analyzed by Doctor Modes™ and the 2D profiles were integrated in the simulation (in blue). Here, a logarithmic scale has been applied on the ∆N[1/cm³] axis in neff via the Analysis-Tool Linkage (Linkage Tool).
Upper Graph:
Produced by the Analysis-Tool and shows the total loss of the circuit occurring due to waveguide loss and induced carriers loss. Left plot shows the total loss amplitude; right plot shows the total loss in dB/cm units.
Bottom Graph:
Output transmission, Et-1, as a function of an applied voltage. Notice that as the voltage increases, the total loss is dramatically increases as well, causing the loss coefficient to recede from critical coupling condition, consequently, causing a smaller and wider notches.
10. Measurement data analysis by direct inspection or imposed filter. Profiles: Wavelength, Temp'.
Analyzing measurement data and obtaining information about the device under test by either manually or automatically via the software.
Upper Graph:
Spectrum measurement of a racetrack Add-Drop Filter fabricated in SOI platform. In the graph, some details about the circuit, such as FSR, FWHM and ER, are obtained manually by a direct inspection.
Lower Graph:
Same spectrum measurement but with a filter plot superimposed (see General Settings window about the filter properties).
The Simulation Results box (bottom of the image) presents the analysis made by the software for the filtered graph. The FSR, FWHM, ER and n(Group) matches the values obtained manually or theoretically (for nGroup).
In addition, the Analysis-Tool can be applied on the filtered graph to further extend the analysis.
11. Chained circuits (1-2-3 rings) and voltage simulations. Profiles: Wavelength, Refractive Index.
Simulated a ring resonator in chained/single Configuration.
The waveguide's characteristic was analyzed by Doctor Modes™ to support both the dispersion and an applied voltage (via nGuide). The profile was integrated in the simulation of the circuit (in blue, next to nGuide text-box).
Upper Graph:
Transfer function of a single ring (blue), 2 identical rings serially connected and sharing the same bus (green), and lastly, 3 rings (red).
Bottom Graph:
Transmission of a single ring as a function of the voltage applied on an electrode over the ring. The voltage acts on nGuide which sets neff through the profile.
Coupler Screenshots
1. Directional Coupler analysis, E1,1 & E2,1: gap and length simulations. Profiles: Gap, Wavelength.
Directional Coupler analysis. The coupler is comprised by the Supermodes E1,1 (symmetric) and E2,1 (anti-symmetric) while their profiles were obtained by Doctor Modes™ (in blue). The profiles define the coupler behavior with respect to its separation gap in the parallel section, WGap, and its dispersion, λ.
Note that basic info about the profile can be displayed instead of the mode's profile text (in blue, "→WGap[nm]..."). Since the profile supports the separation gap, the curved (bent) section of the coupler, with respect to the curvature radius (RCurved=5µm), is calculated by the software for every chosen gap.
Upper Graph:
Coupling powers between the bus waveguide and the ring waveguide as a function of the gap.
Bottom Graph:
Same coupling powers but as a function of the parallel section length, i.e. the parallel section of a directional coupler.
2. Coupler E1,1 & E2,1: dispersion and gap simulations. Profiles: Gap, Wavelength.
Coupler dispersion analysis, E1,1 and E2,1.
Notice that the coupler's curvature radius is that of the racetrack radius, i.e. 10µm.
Upper Graph:
Transmitted coupling amplitude as a function of the spectrum. Also shown is the phase accumulated during the coupling length, Φτ1, which is included in circuits simulation.
Bottom Graph:
Average coupling amplitude as a function of the gap. The averaging is done over the spectrum 1,520..1,580nm defined by the user.
3. Coupler E1,1 & E2,1: parallel section and curved section behavior. Profiles: Gap, Wavelength.
Coupler components analysis, E1,1 and E2,1.
Upper Graph:
Deflected (bus→ring) coupling amplitude of the parallel section as a function of the spectrum. Notice that the profiles of the curved (bent) section of the upper coupler, τ1, are grayed, i.e. not active.
Bottom Graph:
Deflected coupling amplitude of the curved section as a function of the spectrum. Notice that the profiles of the parallel (straight) section of the lower coupler, τ2, are grayed, i.e. not active.
Note that the lower and upper couplers are identical.
4. Coupler E3,1 & E4,1: thermo-optical configurable coupler. Profiles: Gap, Temperature.
Thermo-Optic coupler analysis. The coupler is comprised by high-order
Supermodes, E3,1 (symmetric) and E4,1 (anti-symmetric). The modes profiles were obtained by Doctor Modes™ (in blue). The profiles define the coupling's behavior to changes in temperature which may occur due to a thermal electrode activity.
The electrode covers the coupler region and influences both waveguides equally. Changes in temperature causes changes in coupling power, thus allowing to dynamically configure the coupler. For a coupler gap of 250nm with small curvature radius, about 930µm of parallel-section may be required in order to fully control the coupler in 20°C range. Note that the peak coupling power is at only 90% due to passive waveguide loss of 5 dB/cm.
Upper Graph:
Transmitted coupling power and amplitude as a function of the temperature.
Bottom Graph:
Same coupling power but as a function of both parallel-section length and temperature effect.
5. Coupler H1,1 & H2,1: electro-optical configurable coupler. Profiles: Gap, Dopant, Wavelength.
Electro-Optic coupler analysis. The coupler is comprised by the Supermodes, H1,1 (symmetric) and H2,1 (anti-symmetric). The modes profiles were obtained by Doctor Modes™ (in blue). The profiles define the coupling behavior to changes in the presence of charged carriers which may occur due to an electrical electrode activity. Here, a logarithmic scale has been applied on the ∆N[1/cm³] axis in neff via the Analysis-Tool Linkage.
The electrode, part of a typical MOS capacitor in depletion mode, induces a change in carrier concentration of 2e17cmˉ³ at 10V. The electrode covers the coupler region and influences both waveguides equally. Changes in voltage causes changes in coupling power, thus allowing to dynamically configure the coupler. For a coupler gap of 150nm with a small curvature radius, about 3,400µm of parallel-section may be required in order to fully control the coupler in 10V range (λ0=1547nm).
Upper Graph:
Deflected (bus→ring) coupling power as a function of the parallel-section length and applied voltage with losses (passive + active losses).
Bottom Graph:
Same coupling power but as a function of the applied voltage for a specific parallel-section length (3,400µm), with all losses, without losses induced by the charged carriers, and without losses at all (in blue, green and red plots respectively).
[1] R. A. Cohen, O. Amrani, and S. Ruschin, "Response shaping with a silicon ring resonator via double injection",
Nature Photonics 12, 706–712 (2018). [Link]
[2] R. A. Cohen, O. Amrani, and S. Ruschin, "Linearized electro-optic racetrack modulator based on double injection method in silicon," Optics Express 23, 2252 (2015). [Link]