Accelerating PIC Design with Automated Workflow Using Electromagnetic Solvers

The increasing demand for high-performance photonic integrated circuits (PICs) has associated challenges such as high computational cost, tedious and time-consuming simulations, and high fabrication cost due to multiple iterations.

Bonfil will address these challenges with modelling tools that can accurately simulate and optimize photonic devices at super-fast speeds. With the aid of GPUs, 3D-FDTD simulations of the complex structures can now be achieved within minutes, thereby minimizing the computational resources.

The Python language-based automated workflow of these simulation solvers allows photonic design engineers to build their own set of compact model libraries. Also, the fabrication iterations can be drastically brought down by designing & optimizing PICs performance before fabrication with the aid of this simulation suite, providing high confidence in the first-pass success for advanced photonic systems.

About the presenter
Cem Bonfil is a product manager at Optiwave Systems in Ottawa, leading the development of advanced photonic integrated circuit (PIC) simulation software. Cem holds an M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering (2014) and a B.Eng. in engineering physics from Carleton University (2010) and has published research in peer-reviewed venues including the Journal of the Optical Society of America.

Bonfil led a team of engineers developing independent opto-electronic simulation tools as well as enhancing electrical circuit solvers with optical simulation capabilities. In addition, he worked on automating workflows for physical simulation of PIC components while collaborating with five major photonic foundries on compact model development. With over ten years of experience designing optoelectronic systems at Optiwave, Bonfil is currently involved in building software for integrated circuit device characterization, cross-platform photonics tools and Python-based design frameworks.