Mach-Zehnder Interferometer with Ansys Lumerical Software
This lab exercise guides the design and performance analysis of a Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI) using Ansys Lumerical MODE™ optical waveguide design tool. It covers the principles of phase-to-intensity conversion and free-spectral range. Through MODE and scripting-based simulations, you will calculate effective index, group index, and mode confinement for MZI arms, and study how waveguide geometry affects these parameters. You will then simulate transmission spectra for various path length differences, extinction ratios, and losses, exploring their impact on MZI performance. Exercises include parameter sweeps, loss modeling, and the effect of unbalanced arms and non-ideal Y-branch splitting. Developed at the University of California San Diego for the ECE 184, Optical Information Processing and Holography course, the material combines theoretical background with detailed simulation steps to investigate interferometer behavior.
Learning Outcomes
- Calculate effective index, group index, and mode confinement for MZI waveguide arms.
- Simulate transmission spectra and analyze free-spectral range, extinction ratio, and loss effects.
- Investigate how geometry and splitting ratios influence interferometer performance.
Downloadable Content
- Exercise prompt
- One Lumerical MODE project file: CalculatingEffectiveIndexGroupIndex
- Two script files: ECE184_MZI_Transmission and ECE184_MZI_Transmission_WithLoss
Related Resource(s)
- Ring Resonator Design with Ansys Lumerical | Education Resource
- Waveguides with Ansys Lumerical | Education Resources
- Waveguide Couplers in Ansys Lumerical | Education Resources
Applicable Courses for Use
- Optical Information Processing and Holography