Laser design in Welsh University.

Photon Design has partnered with Cardiff University to deliver a two-day, laser design course, as part of its physics curriculum. Students begin the course with laser theory and end by producing practical laser designs and models. The students gain hands-on experience of Photon Design’s CAD software, using its FIMMPROP simulation tool to create laser component designs, circuit simulations, and layouts. Students then progress to Photon Design’s PICWave to produce a complete design workflow with three-dimensional, time evolving, laser modelling. The course provides hands-on experience of how advanced simulation tools can simplify and accelerate the laser design process, producing functional laser designs within just two days.

Alex Edwards, Scientific Advisor at Photon Design, who delivers the course, said, “The unique partnership with Cardiff University gives students valuable, real-world, industrial laser design experience, modelling physics in action. Within two days, students produce manufacturable laser designs, clearly demonstrating the simplicity, speed, and efficiency of the simulation tools and connecting academic theory to practical industry skills.

“The course includes simulating photonic components like MMIs, rings, and tapered waveguides with FIMMPROP. Introducing this EigenMode Expansion (EME)-based simulation tool is often pivotal for students, as they experience its impressive speed compared to the more familiar FDTD method. With EME, we conduct equally thorough simulations in seconds, not the hours required by FDTD, making it possible to iterate laser designs efficiently and an essential part of the process.

“PICWave offers students many advanced physics effects, essential for modelling cutting-edge lasers. This covers optical mode propagation, thermal effects, carrier diffusion, and how their combined coupling will impact laser gain, ensuring the laser design meets individual application requirements.

“Our partnership with Cardiff University provides valuable feedback that helps to enhance our laser simulation products, informing and improving our next-generation of laser simulation tools.”

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@photond @prifysgolCdydd #Photonics #Education #Wales

Acquisition aids non linear network analysis

National Instruments has announced a joint initiative with Cardiff University to develop advanced nonlinear network analysis systems. These systems combine NI PXI RF instruments and NI LabVIEW software along with waveform engineering tools from Mesuro for dramatic improvements in measurement time compared to previous systems. NI hosted a live technology demonstration of Cardiff’s nonlinear network analysis demonstration at European Microwave Week.

“We used NI system design tools to build a research testbed taking non-linear microwave waveforms in less than four months,” said Professor Johannes Benedikt, Research Director for Cardiff University. “Early results show orders of magnitude test time improvements, enabling researchers to create non-linear circuit models in a fraction of the time than previously required.”

Acquisition
National Instruments also announced the acquisition of NMDG, a company with more than 20 years of experience and technology in high-frequency stimulus-response and large-scale network analysis measurements. Located at the NI facility in Brussels (B), this group will actively support NI partners and leading research groups, such as Cardiff University, who use the NI platform for non-linear network analysis and behavioural modeling. The NMDG acquisition is part of a continued NI vision to provide RF and microwave design engineers with access to NI technology from initial design through production test.