News: Suppliers
12 June 2026
Photon Design adds silicon modulator design capability to its HAROLD laser simulation tool
Photonic simulation CAD software developer Photon Design Ltd of Oxford, UK has added a silicon modulator design capability to its HAROLD semiconductor and laser simulation tool, across a range of geometries.
Through seamless integration with Photon Design’s MT-FIMMPROP and PICWave tools, HAROLD also enables 3D optical simulation and time-evolving, dynamic modelling of effects such as electrical travelling-wave behaviour. Applications include rigorous 3D simulation of Mach–Zehnder modulators, tunable filters and ring resonators for tunable laser design, and beam-steering devices for LiDAR.
Picture: Charge distribution at pn junction in silicon modulator – HAROLD.
“HAROLD is a well-established and proven semiconductor laser simulation tool that models carrier diffusion and accumulation resulting from forward or reverse bias in the modulator material,” says CEO Dr Dominic Gallagher. “HAROLD captures the resulting refractive-index changes caused by plasma dispersion, allowing users to analyse voltage-driven mode or phase switching,” he adds. In this release, HAROLD’s simulations include multiple validation reports demonstrating agreement across a range of waveguide geometries under forward- and reverse-bias voltages. “Comprehensive optoelectronic modelling is provided through seamless integration with MT-FIMMPROP for rigorous 3D optical simulation, including splitter and bend design and optimization,” says Gallagher. “Integration with PICWave adds dynamic, 3D, time-evolving circuit simulation, including travelling-wave effects.”
Photon Design customers can now design silicon modulators using a new module, based on the long-established and proven HAROLD semiconductor laser simulation tool.
Photon Design enables industry-first 3D quantum dot laser simulation
Photon Design releases HAROLD QD quantum dot laser simulator tool for launch at OFC
Photon Design updates PICWave simulator
