Photon Design creates the world's first 3D quantum dot laser simulation platform

Photon Design Ltd, a photonics simulation CAD software developer based in Oxford, UK, announced that they have successfully achieved the industry's first 3D quantum dot laser simulation by combining their HAROLD QD quantum dot laser simulation tool with their own PICWave laser diode, SOA, and photonics integrated circuit (PIC) simulators.

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.”

Source: semiconductor