News: Suppliers
11 May 2026
Photon Design enables industry-first 3D quantum dot laser simulation
Photonic simulation CAD software developer Photon Design Ltd of Oxford, UK says that it has enabled the industry-first 3D quantum dot laser simulation, by integrating its HAROLD QD quantum dot laser simulation tool with its PICWave laser diode, SOA and photonic integrated circuit (PIC) simulator.
This was completed ahead of the 2026 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO) at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC, USA (17–20 May), where it will be officially launched in booth #703.
“HAROLD QD lets engineers model quantum dot laser structures, including dot size and distribution, with an eight-band K.P-based energy-level modeller,” says CEO Dr Dominic Gallagher. “Building on decades of advanced, engineering development, the QD simulations it produces include 3D stress and strain models for quantum dot shapes, accurately producing laser gain and absorption spectra which match real-world tests. Quantum dot lasers are vital for next-generation, data centers, AI, and HPC applications, due to their high-temperature performance, efficient data transmission, and power savings. They also bring practical silicon-based manufacturing benefits, enabling quantum dots to be grown directly on silicon waveguides.
“HAROLD QD’s integration with PICWave for powerful PIC design, adds three-dimensional, time-evolving, quantum dot laser modelling into a unified design environment, optimizing an engineer’s design flow. Once in PICWave, engineers benefit from access to Photon Design’s other design tools, importing rigorous simulation models of gratings for DFBs [distributed feedback lasers] and ring resonators for tunable laser designs; as well as building larger PICs by importing advanced lossless bends, tapers and directional coupler components. Simulation effects include thermal rollover, carrier diffusion, current spreading, and hole burning. Its Wide-Band Gain Fitting algorithm ensures accurate results across a broad range of wavelengths.”
Photon Design releases HAROLD QD quantum dot laser simulator tool for launch at OFC
Photon Design updates PICWave simulator
