• OlympIOs 5.2

• OlympIOs 5.1

• OlympIOs 5.0

OlympIOs 5.2

Apart from several fixes of small bugs the 5.2 version encompasses the following features:

• New Yield module to support Design For Manufacturing (DFM).
• Simplified installation procedure
• Support of Windows XP (SP2)

OlympIOs 5.1

The following information is a brief introduction to the new features, improvements, and general extensions incorporated as part of the complete, design, simulation and mask layout platform OlympIOs including descriptions of the new:

• Simulation Zones
• Bidirectional Eigenmode Propagator (BEP)
• Distributed Computing (Cluster)

For a detailed description please refer to the .PDF manual(s) included on the C2V Software CD.

Simulation Zones
It is very common for a structure to have a combination of areas that are 'difficult' to simulate, and others that are relatively easy. Previously, the same simulation method, discretization, and window size had to be used in the whole simulation window. The 5.1 version of OlympIOs supports the use of simulation zones. With some restrictions, simulation parameters can be adjusted from one zone to the next. The calculation window can be enlarged or shrunk, and moved in the x-direction; the number of discretization points in x and the stepsize in z can be changed; and the BPM method can be changed. If you have the BEP module, it is also possible to include one or more BEP zones. "What's New", page 13 of the OlympIOs (.PDF) manual included on the C2V Software CD.

Bidirectional Eigenmode Propagator (BEP)
The Bidirectional Eigenmode Propagator (BEP) is a fundamentally different algorithm to the BPM used in OlympIOs. No grid is used in the x-direction (perpendicular to the propagation direction); the field is instead approximated by both the forward and backward traveling modes of the structure. Allowing for bi-directional propagation; reflections are thus taken into account properly. These modes are guided modes, radiation modes, and evanescent modes. In order to allow radiation to leave the window, a so-called Perfectly Matched Layer (PML) may be added to the sides of the structure, absorbing light impinging on the boundary.

Distributed Computing (Cluster)
The main objective of cluster computing is to use existing resources in a more optimal way and reduce simulation time as far as possible.

 

• OlympIOs Modules
• Material Database
• Area Calculation
• New BPM's Five Point BPM (2D)
• Simple element, in Script (SPT)

OlympIOs Modules
The newly adapted modular approach allows OlympIOs the flexibility to offer customers virtually any combination of software tools and modular extensions to meet their specific requirements including:

a natural way to divide functionality between applications

customer selected modules on a need-to-have basis

Of course Prometheus, TempSelene, and StressSelene are still available as typical module combinations.

OlympIOs can currently be combined to feature the following modules (see OlympIOs module descriptions). The availability of some modules is dependant on the interface chosen:

• Complete
• Topview
• Cross-section
• Command line (Kernal) interface

• Prometheus Graphic User Interface (GUI)
• Basic Mode Solver
• BPM Module - simulation software that applies the Beam Propagation Method (BPM) to calculate the propagation of the electromagnetic field through optical structures.
• Mask layout module - a mask viewer (and converter)

Analysis of the field in the structure enables the user to obtain data on device performance and to optimize design. Structures that can be analyzed this way are for instance couplers, splitters, modulators, switches, phased arrays and (planar) lenses.

OlympIOs (Topview) is the ideal tool for researchers and developers who require fast and accurate calculations of their waveguiding structures.

• Selene Graphic User Interface (GUI)
• Basic Mode Solver
• Advanced Mode Solver
• Electro optics
• Thermo optics

OlympIOs (Cross-section) is particularly useful for optimizing channel geometries in integrated optic devices; accurately determining coupling losses within fibers; and analyzing the optimization of dynamic switches and modulators, using the electro or thermo-optic effect.

Ideal for detailed modeling of materials, cross-sections and the optical behavior of fields through the cross-section the OlympIOs (Cross-section) also offers two-dimensional mode solving for the temperature or static electric field distributions caused by heaters and electrodes respectively. OlympIOs calculates the field distributions and propagation constants of the guided (vectorial) modes for (possible thermal or electrical influences in) channel waveguides or fibers.

Generic modules

Generic modules are generally applicable to all versions of the software irrespective of the interface or modular combination used.

• Basic Mode Solver
• Advanced Mode Solver
• BPM
• Electro Optic
• Thermo Optic
• Stress Modeling

The Basic Mode Solver module includes all 1D mode solvers in OlympIOs , and the basic 2D mode solvers.

• The Multigrid Finite Difference method (MG FD) Real and Complex
• FD Generic
• Bend 2D
• Film Mode Matching method (FMM)

Electro Optic
The Electro-optic module is essential to the design of electro-optic components. It provides FD-based static electric field solving and automatic calculation of the refractive index perturbation due to the electro-optic effect. Perturbation is easily taken into account in subsequent modal calculations using either of the mode solver modules.

Thermo Optic
Design and optimization of thermo-optic components such as Thermo Optical Switches and Variable Optical Attenuators can be realized with the Thermo-optic module. It provides for static as well as transient modeling and automatic calculation of the refractive perturbation taking into account the thermo-optic properties specified by the user or retrieved from the material database.

Stress modeling
The polarization dependence of devices is in many cases related to stress in the thin layers of the device. To predict and minimize these effects, the Stress Modeling module allows process and thermally induced stress to be modeled. Combining this module with either the Basic (Finite Difference method) or Advanced mode solver modules allows for convenient calculation of the stress-induced birefringence.

Mask Layout
The Mask Layout module is only available in the Topview interface and the Command line / kernel version: Mask layout Optics Elements The Mask layout module focuses mainly on the design of complex structures, in optics, high speed electronics, and MEMs masks.

Material Database
The new Material Library database, now available with OlympIOs , simplifies the task of using and creating materials for design. The database can consist of libraries of frequently used materials which, in turn, can be accessed via the Define Material edit dialog(s) in OlympIOs.

Area Calculation
Available only in the OlympIOs Topview (based on the former Prometheus interface) the Area Calculation dialog offers three methods of calculating the area in the viewer.

• Sum of Polygon
• Array Fill
• Polygon Scanline

New BPM's Five Point BPM (2D)
Two-dimensional (2D) BPM calculations previously implemented in OlympIOs were second order in the lateral stepsize, so accuracy quadrupled as stepsize halved. New methods implemented are fourth order in the lateral stepsize, so that. the accuracy increases by a factor 16 when the stepsize is halved. now fourth order in the lateral stepsize, this means the accuracy of calculations increases by a factor of 16 when the stepsize is halved. This can have significant implications for the total simulation time. For example, far fewer calculation points are now necessary for a given accuracy a reduction of the number of points by 5 is generally recommended. The calculation time, for a given amount of points, is now longer, but the total calculation time, with the same accuracy, can still typically represent 30% (for TE) or 60% (for TM) of the previous calculation time needed.

Simple element, in Script (SPT)
A small script, which is not very complex to implement, but can have considerable impact on the use of external elements. An alternative to C code or shell scripts is the usage of the SPT language, as described in the Script Editor module . The advantage of using the SPT language over using a C(++), or shell script is the access to other DEV variables. The variables of the element itself are declared (implicitly) at the top of the SPT file, which also opens a DEV file (named devfile) which should contain the DEV output.

A simple example is shown below. The DEV variable `multiply' is used in SPT to show that you can access the variables:

DEV Editor
variable(Name="multiply",Value=2,Comment="");
simpleSptDemo(wxLen=1000,wxWidth=200);

SPT:
fprintf(devfile," block(pin=1,pout=100,Width=%e,Length=%e);\n",wxWidth*multiply,wxLen*multiply); extern.REG:
simpleSptDemo(connect(out=1,in=1),use_spt("~/bbv/simpleSPT.spt"),
int wxLen=100,wxWidth=20
);

Fourth Order Padé (2D)
The 2D BPM is extended with a fourth order Padé approximation algorithm offering improved phase accuracy particularly where simulation requires medium to high index contrast interferometric devices, such as Multi Mode Interference couplers.

Improved 3D BPM accuracy
The 3D BPM algorithm is modified making it less sensitive to discretization in the latter direction. The improvement is particularly noticeable when simulating structures such as 3D waveguide tapers.

For specific questions about our software, please contact us at . If you want to try out the software, you are welcome to fill out our online request form.