VCSEL Design Tool - User Manual

The VCSEL Design Tool is currently in an early adopter stage. For more information, please contact us via the contact form, or via the Ansys Innovation Space.

This user manual provides detailed descriptions of the VCSEL Design Tool for the simulation and analysis of Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers. The VCSEL Design Tool is available with the Ansys Lumerical Multiphysics™ product and require the Ansys Lumerical Enterprise license.

Related Resources

Resources to get started on VCSEL Design Tool.

• VCSEL Examples: Two application gallery examples with instructions and project files to get started with the VCSEL Design Tool.
  • VCSEL cold cavity example – build structure, simulate and analyse reflectivity, modes and frequencies.
• Lumerical CHARGE - Innovation Course: A self-paced course about the electrical charge carrier transport solver CHARGE intended for beginner and intermediate users – an essential component to understand the fully coupled VCSEL simulations.
• Lumerical HEAT- Innovation Course: A self-paced course about the heat transport solver HEAT intended for beginner and intermediate users – an essential component understand the to fully coupled VCSEL simulations.
• Ansys Learning Forum (Photonics category): A forum to discuss the use of Lumerical software and learn something new by engaging with our large global Ansys user community - in English, Chinese and Korean languages.
• Applications Gallery: Find example files, simulation methodologies, and tips to help you get started quickly and easily. You can also browse the application gallery directly from within our products.

VCSEL Solver

Learn about the core solver in the VCSEL Design Tool and related topics.

• VCSEL Solver Introduction
• Units and normalization

Using Ansys Lumerical Multiphysics and its solvers

• Simulation Workflow: Simulation Workflow Overview in Ansys Lumerical Multiphysics (CHARGE, HEAT, DGTD, FEEM solvers).
• Workflows for VCSEL Devices: VCSEL Design Tool specific workflows.
• Viewport: Understanding the view ports in Ansys Lumerical Multiphysics (CHARGE, HEAT, DGTD, FEEM solvers)

Material Properties

Learn how to define the properties of materials that will be used in your simulations.

• Material Database
• Material Explorer
• Optical materials
  • Optical Material Models
  • Scripting Optical Materials
  • Graded Optical Alloys
  • Optical Alloys – III-V Material Data Tool
• Electrical and thermal materials
  • Electrical/Thermal Material Database
  • Electrical/Thermal Material Models
  • Semiconductor Material Model
    • Creating a New Semiconductor Material
  • Alloys
    • Alloy Mole Fraction
    • Creating a New Alloy
  • Understanding band offsets in heterostructures
  • Scripting Electrical Materials
  • Scripting Thermal Materials
• Understanding Mesh Order for Overlapping Objects

Simulation Objects

Learn how to configure objects that define the overall simulation setup, including geometric objects, solver regions, and boundary conditions. These pages provide detailed description of each object. You can click an icon on the toolbar to add the corresponding object.

To quickly build a VCSEL model for simulation, it is recommended to use the automatic layer import process linked in the “Import” section below.

Structures

• Primitives : Triangle, Rectangle, Polygon, Circle, Ring, Waveguide, Sphere, Pyramid, Planar solid, 2D rectangle, 2D polygon
• Layer Builder
• Dataset Builder
• Equation Interpreter

Groups

• Structure Groups

Simulation

• Simulation Region
• Partitioned volume
• VCSEL Solver

Monitors

• Optical Field

Boundary Conditions

• PML

Import

• Automatic Layer Import
• GDSII files
• STL import
• STEP import

Optimizations and Sweeps

Learn how to run parameter sweep, optimization, and yield analysis tasks.

• Parameter Sweeps
  • Sweep Scripting Commands
  • Nested Sweeps
  • Running Parameter Sweeps Without the CAD
• Optimization
  • Optimization Scripting Commands
• Monte Carlo analysis
  • Monte Carlo Scripting Commands
  • Monte Carlo Analysis with Spatial Correlations
• Workflow management

Results Analysis

Learn how to access and visualize results from simulation data.

• Visualizer and figure settings
• Coordinate Mapping
• Troubleshooting Convergence Errors in VCSEL