NEW FEATURES IN OPTIFDTD
The latest version of OptiFDTD delivers the power of 64-bit computing to desktops supporting Windows XP 64-bit and Windows Vista 64-bit operating systems with muticore/mutiprocessor support..

Exclusive Feature - Lorentz-Drude Model for Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR)
Optiwave is the exclusive provider of the most reliable simulation algorithm used to simulate the charateristics of surface plasmon and plasma materials, including nano-metallic structures.

Surface plasmons have the unique capacity to confine light to very small dimensions which has created a new research trend in the photonics and bio-photonics industry.

Scattering Form Nano Particles (illustrated to the left)
3D simulation of 39nm spherical nano-particle. Illustrated is a dielectric and gold material with a refractive index of 1.47.
The excitation is a Y-polarized plane wave propagating in the Z direction. Figure illustrates y-z and x-y plane field patterns.

NEW - Initial Phase of the Plane Input Wave
A new feature enabling users to select the initial phase offset of a launched input wave. A practical application when analyzing combined signals from multiple input planes.

Extensive Material Choices

Lossless and lossy materials
Isotropic and anisotropic materials
Multiple resonance dispersive materials

Lorentz-Drude materials
(Noble metals and surface plasma materials)
2nd-Order and 3rd-Order nonlinear materials
Kerr effect materials

Raman effect materials
Perfect conductor materials

Various Excitation Sources

Waveguide mode excitation
Gaussian beam excitation
Plane wave excitation

Point source and Dipole Source
Single wavelength excitation
TF/SF excitation

Spectral excitation
Power and amplitude
Linear or circular polarization

Multiple beam excitations

Comprehensive Feature Set

Advanced Boundary Conditions

OptiFDTD includes an advanced boundary condition simulation feature which optimizes memory usage and provides more accurate results. Using the Uniaxial Perfectly Matched Layer (UPML) method to calculate the absorbing boundary condition in comparison with conventional PML. The periodic boundary condition, Perfect Electric Conductor (PEC) and Perfect Magnetic Conductor (PMC) boundary conditions can be used with UPML to realize more advanced simulations for periodic and symmetric layouts.

Robust Photonic Crystal Editor

Included with OptiFDTD is a robust photonic crystal editor allowing users to edit any lattice structure and periodic layout with a number of template shapes (i.e. Atom Waveguides). Editing features have also been improved, including user-defined shape creation and structure rotation.

Simulation Automation through Scripting
A powerful feature empowers users with full simulation engine automation through Visual Basic scripting.Completely integrated with the graphical user interface, the flexible scripting tools allow for a streamlined automation process:

• Quickly and easily convert any layout design or its parts into the script.
• Create custom libraries of scripts that represent particular components, which can be added to any new layout design.
• Easily create the most complex design without manual graphical user interface operations.
• Optimize your simulation with comprehensive post-processing tools.

FDTD Band solver
A fully integrated 2D band solver is based on the FDTD method with Bloch’s periodic boundary condition, and can generate the band diagram based on the reduced simulation domain of single or multiple cells from a square or hexagonal lattice.

Waveguide thickness tapering options
Waveguides can now be tapered in thickness in addition to width. Channel waveguides can be tapered linearly, and fibers can be tapered linearly and proportionately. With 3D fiber profiles, the width of the 2D waveguide in the x-z plane is also applied to the height, in order to model fiber tapering. As the dimensions change in y, the position of the center line of the fiber in 3D space is maintained.

Post Data Analysis
OptiFDTD has the strongest post-data analysis tools available. Options include, Discrete Fourier Transform Field Distribution in Domain, Poynting Vector in Domain, Polarized Power calculation, and Overlap Integral calculation.

PWE band solver
A new band solver based on plane wave expansion (PWE) method will enable customers to analyze properties of photonic crystal materials and devices in all three dimensions.

“We are using OptiFDTD to perform 2D and 3D simulations of CMOS image sensor pixels to evaluate their optical efficiency. OptiFDTD is a very versatile simulation tool and we have been very impressed with the technical support we have received from Optiwave.”
Dr. Peter Catrysse
Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University