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Ansys Lumerical MODE
Optical Waveguide & Coupler Solver

Whether you are working on fiber optics or integrated photonics, MODE has everything you need to get the most out of your waveguide and coupler designs.

SOLVE THE UNSOLVABLE

Comprehensive Optical Waveguide Design Environment

MODE enables you to accurately model waveguide and coupler performance. Combining bidirectional Eigenmode expansion, varFDTD, and finite difference eigenmode solvers, MODE can easily handle both large planar structures and long propagation lengths, providing accurate spatial field, modal frequency, and overlap analysis.

  • Accurately Simulate Planar Waveguides
    Accurately Simulate Planar Waveguides
  • Compatible With Dispersive Materials
    Compatible With Dispersive Materials
  • High Accuracy With Advanced Conformal Mesh Solver
    High Accuracy With Advanced Conformal Mesh Solver
  • Compatible With High-Index Contrast Materials
    Compatible With High-Index Contrast Materials
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Quick Specs

Lumerical MODE puts high-accuracy waveguide simulation at the forefront with a Finite Difference Eigenmode (FDE) solver, a  variational FDTD (varFDTD) solver, and a Bidirectional Eigenmode Expansion (EME) solver.

  • 2.5D varFDTD Solver
  • Bend Loss Analysis
  • Anisotropic Materials
  • Finite Difference Eigenmode Solver
  • Helical Waveguides
  • Eigenmode Expansion Solver
  • Advanced Conformal Mesh
  • Overlap Analysis
  • Magneto-optical Waveguide Analysis
  • Spatially Varying Temperature and Charge Density Profile Import

JANUARY 2024

What's New

The 2024 R1 release enables streamlined convergence studies by autoscaling of PMLs in Finite-Difference Eigensolver (FDE) and new visualization capability for bend waveguides in EME solver.

2024 R1 Lumerical
New MODE Enhancements
  • New automatic scaling of the thickness and absorption of PML boundaries according to mesh step and wavelength in the FDE solver
  • New option in EME solver to visualize waveguide bends

Resources

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Webinar

Ansys Lumerical’s Component Level Tools

This webinar will start with an overview of the broad set of component level solvers it offers with an emphasis on FDTD and MODE. It will then show how these solvers can be used to simulate and optimize novel designs in a wide range of applications including micro-LEDs, augmented reality, magneto-optics and lasers.

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White Paper

Optical Solvers for Integrated Optical Components

Lumerical provides a versatile and comprehensive design environment suitable for all passive components, enabling photonic component and system designers to implement an efficient workflow for accurate designs.

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Application

Waveguide (FDE)

The Finite Difference Eigenmode (FDE) solver in MODE is used to characterize straight and bent waveguides. These parameters are then used to create a waveguide element in INTERCONNECT. It is also shown how to extract these parameters for compact model generation using the CML Compiler.

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White Paper

Lumerical’s 2.5D FDTD Propagation Method

MODE Solutions’ varFDTD solver is a versatile solver for simulating broadband, omni-directional light propagation in waveguide components. 

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Case Study

Xanadu

Xanadu builds X8 quantum computing chip with unprecedented low-loss performance while significantly accelerating their design schedule.

CAPABILITIES

Lumerical MODE is a comprehensive optical waveguide design environment

Create your model faster — and with accuracy — by employing Lumerical MODE. Lumerical MODE lets you focus on ideas and product, instead of worrying about how the software can get you there. The Bidirectional Eigenmode expansion and varFDTD engines easily handle both large planar structures and long propagation lengths, providing accurate spatial field, modal frequency, and overlap analysis.

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Key Features

  • Bend Loss Analysis
  • Overlap Calculation/Analysis
  • Modal Area Analysis
  • Variational FDTD Solver
  • Bidirectional Eigenmode Expansion

Lumerical MODE provides advanced bend loss analysis.

Easily perform overlap calculation/analysis with Lumerical MODE.

Creating a reliable final design requires multiple levels of analysis throughout the simulation process. Lumerical MODE does just that with modal area analysis. 

Enjoy the accuracy of 3D FDTD, but at 2D simulation speeds. You can simulate large planar waveguides with accuracy and speed by using Lumerical MODE’s 2.5D varFDTD solver. 

Use Lumerical MODE to simulate electromagnetic propagation for large propagation lengths in waveguide or fiber devices. The software automatically sweeps device length and periodicity. 

White Papers

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White Paper

Optical Solvers for Integrated Optical Components

Integrated optical components can take on a large variety of geometries and sizes, and it is unlikely that a single solver will be able to treat all integrated optical components optimally. In order to achieve reliable and efficient virtual prototyping, a combination of solvers can be employed in the design process from initial concept, to prototyping, to final verification prior to fabrication.

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White Paper

Lumerical’s 2.5D FDTD Propagation Method

MODE Solutions’ varFDTD solver is a versatile solver for simulating broadband, omni-directional light propagation in waveguide components. 



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MODE Product Reference Manual

The MODE reference manual provides detailed descriptions of product and solver (FDE, EME, varFDTD) features.


Application Gallery

View all Photonics Applications

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Application

Waveguide (FDE)

The Finite Difference Eigenmode (FDE) solver in MODE is used to characterize straight and bent waveguides. These parameters are then used to create a waveguide element in INTERCONNECT. It is also shown how to extract these parameters for compact model generation using the CML Compiler.

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Application

Multimode interference (MMI) coupler

Calculate the broadband transmission and optical loss through a 1×2 port multi-mode interference (MMI) coupler. Use the device S-parameters to create a compact model of the MMI in INTERCONNECT.

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Application

Thermally tuned waveguide (FDE)

In this example, we will characterize the optical response of a thermally tuned waveguide. 

Ansys software is accessible

It's vital to Ansys that all users, including those with disabilities, can access our products. As such, we endeavor to follow accessibility requirements based on the US Access Board (Section 508), Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and the current format of the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT).

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