Alcyon Photonics develops photonic integrated circuit (PIC) building blocks and reusable IP for applications such as telecommunications and advanced computing, where optical performance and reliability are critical. Designing these systems is complex, as small variations in geometry or materials can significantly affect light propagation.
To manage this complexity, the company uses simulation to evaluate design performance under real-world conditions, aiming to reduce reliance on costly physical prototyping and improve confidence before fabrication.
Alcyon leverages the Ansys Optics suite, particularly Ansys Lumerical tools such as FDTD, MODE, and INTERCONNECT, across different stages of development. FDTD is used for detailed electromagnetic simulations of components like grating couplers and sub-wavelength structures, while MODE supports waveguide and mode analysis to study propagation characteristics. INTERCONNECT enables system-level simulation, allowing Alcyon to assess how individual components interact within a full photonic circuit. GPU-accelerated computing is applied to handle computationally intensive workflows such as sub-wavelength grating (SWG) design and particle swarm optimization, which require large numbers of simulation iterations. This combined approach aims to support the development of reliable, fabrication-ready photonic IP.
Image generated by: Gemini