WIAS Preprint No. 2653, (2019)

Multi-dimensional modeling and simulation of semiconductor nanophotonic devices



Authors

  • Kantner, Markus
    ORCID: 0000-0003-4576-3135
  • Höhne, Theresa
  • Koprucki, Thomas
    ORCID: 0000-0001-6235-9412
  • Burger, Sven
  • Wünsche, Hans-Jürgen
  • Schmidt, Frank
  • Mielke, Alexander
    ORCID: 0000-0002-4583-3888
  • Bandelow, Uwe
    ORCID: 0000-0003-3677-2347

2010 Physics and Astronomy Classification Scheme

  • 02.70.Dh, 03.50.De, 42.50.-p, 42.55.Px, 47.11.Df, 81.07.Ta, 85.60.-q

Keywords

  • Nanophotonic devices, device simulation, multi-physics models, VCSELs, single-photon sources, waveguides, quantum dots, van Roosbroeck system, drift-diffusion equations, Maxwell equations, Lindblad master equation, GENERIC, optical resonance modes, degenerate semiconductors, finite volume method, finite element method

DOI

10.20347/WIAS.PREPRINT.2653

Abstract

Self-consistent modeling and multi-dimensional simulation of semiconductor nanophotonic devices is an important tool in the development of future integrated light sources and quantum devices. Simulations can guide important technological decisions by revealing performance bottlenecks in new device concepts, contribute to their understanding and help to theoretically explore their optimization potential. The efficient implementation of multi-dimensional numerical simulations for computer-aided design tasks requires sophisticated numerical methods and modeling techniques. We review recent advances in device-scale modeling of quantum dot based single-photon sources and laser diodes by self-consistently coupling the optical Maxwell equations with semiclassical carrier transport models using semi-classical and fully quantum mechanical descriptions of the optically active region, respectively. For the simulation of realistic devices with complex, multi-dimensional geometries, we have developed a novel hp-adaptive finite element approach for the optical Maxwell equations, using mixed meshes adapted to the multi-scale properties of the photonic structures. For electrically driven devices, we introduced novel discretization and parameter-embedding techniques to solve the drift-diffusion system for strongly degenerate semiconductors at cryogenic temperature. Our methodical advances are demonstrated on various applications, including vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, grating couplers and single-photon sources.

Appeared in

  • M. Kantner, Th. Höhne, Th. Koprucki, S. Burger, H.-J. Wünsche, F. Schmidt, A. Mielke, U. Bandelow, Multi-dimensional modeling and simulation of semiconductor nanophotonic devices, M. Kneissl, A. Knorr, S. Reitzenstein, A. Hoffmann, eds., Semiconductor Nanophotonics, Springer, Heidelberg, 2020, pp. 241--283.

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