Can I use HFSS 9.1 for optics simulations?

Hello,

I want to simulate the passage of Infrared light (~10^14Hz) via a fiber optic wave guide (0.8mm in diameter).

I was woundering if HFSS can give me an accurate solution for such parameters.

Thank you.

There is no fundamental reason why it can not be done, but it will take extemely long time to do so, just imagine how huge the mesh will become considering the optical wavelength.

At 10^14 Hz, 0.8mm is about 270 wavelengths. Any full-wave solver will choke. You will run out of memory in the 10-20 wavelength range.

Hmmm...

Thats what I need to do. I left it all night and it wasn't enogh.
Are there any other programs especially for optics that I can use?

Could I arrange a "Super Computer" with enogh RAM and enough CPU power.

Can you approximate how much RAM I need, considering that I can leave the computer on for a weak or so :) ?

Thanks

"field" solvers are used for light when the size of the structure is comparable to the wavelegnth of the light. Examples are single mode fibres and laser diodes. In the optics domain, these are called BPM (Beam Propagation Method), in combination with mode solvers.

The structure you describe is much larger than the wavelength (800um). Then you can use point and shoot method (= ray tracing). This is a different categroy of software. See, for example, ASAP and Tracepro.

What exactly do you want to calculate ? Just the propagation of a single light ray in a waveguide structure ?

Hi,

I have an optic fiber (something a little different in shape, but the same for the sake of discussion).

Basically I want to know the energy at one end of the fiber as a function of the energy I put in at the other end. I want to know this as a function of the wavelength that I put in.

Thanks.

For the best optics simulations use VPI Transmition Maker
http://www.vpiphotonics.com

i think that even if the ratio length (0.8mm) by wavelength is huge (for hfss) that, under some conditions, the optic-EM simulation (by using HFSS) could be performed...

if the structure shows some symetrical building axe (around x and y - z being the propagating dispersion), the ratio could be decreased significantly...

to be study if allowed... what do u think about it ?

Well,
Specifically, my simulation has a cylindrical symmetry, but not a 'z' symmetry. I guess I can take only one quarter of the fiber and simulate it, but I'm not shure how to do that, and I didn't find an option like that in HFSS.