Photon Design Elevates PIC Simulation with Intuitive Interface

According to Semiconductor Today, photonic simulation CAD software developer Photon Design Ltd of Oxford, UK has updated its PICWave photonic integrated circuit design and simulation tool with an intuitive new graphic user interface and enhanced feature set. The update includes a bend simulation tool, notes section for tracking changes, and improved integration with the company’s active component simulators like HAROLD and passive component simulators like FIMMPROP. CEO Dr Dominic Gallagher highlighted the software’s capabilities in high-power applications like LiDAR, where it can simulate thermal rollover effects as laser output power increases. The software also models carrier diffusion, current spreading, and hole burning for complex devices including hybrid silicon lasers and distributed feedback lasers.

The Growing Complexity of Photonic Simulation

The photonic design automation market faces increasing pressure as photonic integrated circuits become more complex and approach the sophistication of their electronic counterparts. Unlike traditional electronic simulation tools, photonic simulation must account for wave phenomena, interference effects, and quantum mechanical behaviors that don’t exist in purely electronic systems. What makes Photon Design’s approach particularly interesting is their focus on simulating extended devices that can be meters in length – a capability that traditional finite-difference time-domain or finite-element method Maxwell solvers struggle with. This represents a fundamental shift from component-level simulation to system-level photonic circuit analysis.

Strategic Positioning in Emerging Markets

Photon Design’s emphasis on LiDAR applications reveals a savvy market strategy. The automotive and robotics sectors are driving massive demand for reliable, high-performance LiDAR systems, and accurate simulation of thermal effects in high-power laser components is critical for commercial viability. Thermal rollover – where increasing power actually reduces output due to heating effects – has been a persistent challenge in high-power laser design. By specifically addressing this through simulation, Photon Design positions PICWave as an essential tool for companies racing to develop next-generation sensing technologies. The company’s decision to add application engineers suggests they’re anticipating increased adoption beyond their traditional academic and research customer base.

The Unmentioned Simulation Challenges

While the update addresses important usability and functionality improvements, several significant challenges remain unaddressed in photonic simulation. The interaction between electronic and photonic components in increasingly common optoelectronic systems creates simulation complexities that require multi-physics approaches. Additionally, as circuits shrink to nanoscale dimensions, quantum effects become more pronounced, potentially limiting the accuracy of classical simulation methods. The company’s approach to modeling passive components alongside active elements is commendable, but real-world photonic circuits often include non-ideal effects like manufacturing variations and material imperfections that are difficult to capture in simulation.

Photonic EDA’s Evolving Battlefield

Photon Design operates in a competitive space dominated by larger electronic design automation companies expanding into photonics, as well as specialized startups focusing on specific simulation challenges. The emphasis on an intuitive GUI suggests they’re targeting design engineers who may not have deep expertise in photonic physics but need to incorporate photonic elements into their systems. This democratization of photonic design could accelerate adoption across multiple industries. However, the real test will be how well PICWave integrates with broader electronic design workflows and whether it can scale to handle the increasingly complex photonic circuits required for quantum computing and advanced communications applications.

Where Photonic Simulation is Headed

The trajectory suggested by this update points toward several emerging trends in photonic design. We’re likely to see increased emphasis on cloud-based simulation platforms that can handle the computational intensity of full-system photonic analysis. There’s also growing need for simulation tools that can accurately model the behavior of individual photons for quantum information applications. As photonic circuits become more integrated with electronic control systems, the boundary between electronic and photonic simulation will continue to blur, potentially driving consolidation in the EDA market. Photon Design’s focus on practical engineering applications rather than purely academic research positions them well for this transition, provided they can continue evolving their tools to meet industry demands.