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Photonic Solutions Enewsletter
RSoft Component Design Suite 9.0-16 Now Available
The RSoft Component Design Suite 9.0 Service Release 16 (9.0-16), now available, fixes a critical issue introduced in FullWAVE 9.0-15. The issue affects only FullWAVE simulations in which the non-uniform grid is enabled. Please refer to the version 9.0-16 readme file, which is available on SolvNet, for more details on this bug fix.
All FullWAVE users who are using 9.0-15 should update to 9.0-16. There are no changes in the other tools since the previous release.
Software Download and License File Instructions
Customers in the U.S. and Canada Only:
RSoft product downloads for customers in the U.S. and Canada are available on the Synopsys SolvNet website. If you have already registered for a SolvNet account, you can download RSoft products at: http://solvnet.synopsys.com/DownloadCenter.
If you do not already have a SolvNet account, you can learn how to sign up for one in the document, Obtaining RSoft Software and License Keys.
RSoft Component Design Suite 9.0-16 will continue to use version 9.0 license codes. If you have not previously installed RSoft Component Design Suite 9.0, you will need to procure a new license file by emailing rsoft_license@synopsys.com.
For installation and additional support, email us at rsoft_support@synopsys.com.
International Customers:
For customers outside the U.S. and Canada, please contact your local RSoft software distributor to obtain your software and license files. See the Synopsys Optical Solutions Group Global Contacts page for contact information. If your country is not listed on the Distributors page referenced above, please contact us at rsoft_support@synopsys.com for instructions.
Quick Tip: Use a Data File to Define Refractive Index in the RSoft CAD
It is important to use refractive index data that corresponds to the actual materials being simulated to ensure meaningful simulation results. Refractive index data, which can be found in reference materials, on the Internet, or from experiment, can be used to create a new material in the RSoft CAD’s Material Library. This new material can then be used with any of RSoft’s passive device simulation tools.
1. The refractive index data should be in a simple text format: the first column contains the wavelength, the second column contains the real index, and the third optional column contains the imaginary index. It is important that the file contains data for the entire wavelength range to be simulated. The data can be at non-uniformly spaced wavelengths and no header is required, though a simple text header as shown below can be used.
2. For this example, the data file (water.dat in this case) will be put in the same directory as the .ind design file in which the material will be used. If needed, you can create a centrally stored Group Library of materials which can be shared among design files; see Section 8.A in the CAD manual for details.
3. Open the Material Editor with the left CAD toolbar, create a new material, and give the material a descriptive name.
4. The functions userreal() and userimag() are used to link the data files with the material. The real and imaginary parts of the refractive index can be accessed, as a function of the wavelength, with the expressions ‘userreal(“water.dat”,free_space_wavelength)’ and ‘userimag(“water.dat”,free_space_wavelength)’ respectively. Note that these expressions assume that the wavelength is defined in microns in the file. If this is not the case, modify the second argument to be in the desired unit. For example, if the wavelength is defined in nanometers, replace ‘free_space_wavelength’ with ‘free_space_wavelength*1000’. See Appendix C in the CAD manual for a complete description of these functions.
5. Use these expressions to define the Index (real) and Index (Imag) options for the material. Changing the wavelength, either directly in the RSoft CAD or via a MOST parameter scan, will now change the refractive index of the material.
6. You can use the CTRL-DoubleClick feature of the RSoft CAD to see the current value of the index. Hold the CTRL key and double-click the mouse on the Index (real) text field to see the value which should correspond to the value in the data file at the current wavelength.
7. You can also use the Display button to view the material dispersion curves.
8. FullWAVE simulations with a Pulsed or Impulse launch should note that this method sets the refractive index of the material to a single value corresponding to the wavelength defined in the Global Settings dialog box. See Tutorial 5 in the FullWAVE manual for information about defining a dispersive material where every wavelength in a single simulation ‘sees’ the appropriate refractive index. This is not necessary for other RSoft simulation tools such as BeamPROP, DiffractMOD, or FemSIM that are monochromatic.