Simulation Tools for Ultra-Short Electromagnetic Transients in Optoelectronic Structures

Principal Investigator: Professor T M Benson

Other Investigators: Dr P D Sewell

Starts: 1 September 2001
Ends: 31 August 2003

Value: £101,884

The next generation of high speed optoelectronic devices requires new time-domain simulation tools whose performance exceeds that offered by present general FD-TD and approximate slowly varying envelope approaches. The proposed project will develop new tools for investigations of short infrared optical pulses propagating in semiconductor waveguides and micro-caviies. The new modelling methods and models will be used to describe transients on nano- and pico- second time-scales, including those cases where material properties are changing with time. Both analytical and numerical techniques will be developed to enable a clear interpretation of the results. Realistic models of ultra-fast effects will assist cutting-edge research in the design of practical ultra-fast optoelectronic devices. Application studies will be undertaken, focused on all-optical wavelength conversion at high bit-rates.