Photonic integrated circuit simulations that incorporate physical device effects

We will demonstrate the simulation of photonic integrated circuits, both in the time and frequency domains, initially using idealized models for each element of the circuit. The results of physical electromagnetic and electrical solvers will then be incorporated to simulate physically realistic photonic integrated circuits. The performance of an electro-optical Mach-Zehnder modulator will be considered and we will show how the simulated electrical and optical properties of each element affect the performance of the entire circuit. The elements considered include input/output couplers, tapers, waveguides, bends, waveguide couplers, and a voltage dependent phase delayed waveguide. The physical effects considered include waveguide dispersion, multi-mode and multi-polarization effects, modal mismatch, reflections, and losses as well as charge accumulation and its impact on waveguide properties. The impact of non-ideal properties for each element, calculated by physics based solvers, will be assessed through its effect on relevant photonic circuit performance measurements such as the eye diagram.