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RETHINKING PHOTONIC DESIGN: TOWARD A UNIFIED WORKFLOW

Designing photonic integrated circuits (PICs) has long been a fragmented process. Engineers and researchers often use separate tools for layout, electromagnetic simulation, circuit analysis, and foundry PDKs, each with its own interface and learning curve.

PhotonForge is built to change that. It brings the entire photonic design workflow into a single, unified environment connecting layout, simulation, and fabrication in a seamless, end-to-end platform.

The Next Evolution: Physics-Aware AI

With the introduction of FlexAgent MCP, this workflow becomes even more powerful. More than a chatbot, FlexAgent is a physics-aware AI assistant designed specifically for photonic design, helping users navigate complex tasks, automate workflows, and accelerate iteration with intelligent, context-aware guidance.

 

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

  • Photonic Engineers ā€“ Stay current with advanced design tools and achieve better performance, faster.

  • Students ā€“ Build simulation and automation skills to accelerate learning and stand out in your career.

  • Faculty ā€“ Empower students with modern tools while streamlining research and collaboration.

REWARDS FOR ATTENDING

  • Attending a seminar or hackathon gains šŸ’° 50 FlexCredits

  • Submit a result in hackthon gains šŸ’° 100 FlexCredits

  • Run your first simulation (get inspiration from PhotonForge example library) to earn šŸ’° 50 FlexCredits

  • For new users, install PhotonForge on either Python Client or the GUI to earn šŸ’° 15 FlexCredits
SESSION I

Fabrication-Aware Photonic Design With PDK Support In PhotonForge

Introduction

In this seminar, we introduce the fundamentals of PhotonForge and walk through how to get started with photonic integrated circuit (PIC) design,  from layout creation to component- and circuit-level simulation. The session demos a complete workflow, illustrating how designs evolve from basic geometries into fully simulated photonic systems.

The seminar also covers how foundry Process Design Kits (PDKs) are integrated within PhotonForge to enable accurate, fabrication-aware modeling, ensuring alignment with real manufacturing constraints. It further demonstrates how to create and customize photonic components, organize them into reusable design libraries, and efficiently reuse them across projects.

In addition, the session showcases the approaches for analyzing and optimizing device performance through parametric design and by studying the impact of fabrication variations.

What youā€™ll learn

  • Core PIC concepts, including layout, layer stack, and technology setup

  • Create geometries (e.g., Y-splitters) and define simulation ports

  • Designing parametric components like waveguides

  • Building and simulating a full interferometer at the circuit level

  • Using parameterization to model physical effects (e.g., thermal tuning)

  • Load foundry-provided PDKs into PhotonForge

  • Inspect and customize your technology stack for multiple material platforms, Si, SiN, III-V, and TFLN.

  • Build accurate simulation models for PDK components.

  • Develop and optimize custom components compatible with existing fabrication processes.

  • Assess how fabrication variations impact system-level PIC performance. 

Speaker

Prashanta 2

Prashanta Kharel, PhD

Bio: Prash earned his Ph.D. in Physics from Yale University, focusing on nonlinear optics and quantum photonics. He has authored over 20 publications and holds multiple patents. His work bridges photonic device research with scalable chip design and manufacturing. He is currently the Technology Strategist at Flexcompute, where he leads photonic design automation and industry collaborations.

Bohan 1

Bohan Zhang, PhD

Bio: Bohan earned his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Boston University. His work focuses on inverse design and automation for photonic integrated circuits. He has contributed to advanced design verification, optimization, and simulation tools for photonics, enabling faster and more reliable device development. Bohan is currently a Senior Research Scientist at Flexcompute, where he develops photonic design automation.

SESSION II

Photonics Design Hackathon

Introduction

Turning a photonic idea into a fabrication-ready chip usually means endless iterations and jumping between tools. In this hackathon, we remove that friction so you can focus on what really matters -  innovation.

Take on a real-world photonic design challenge using state-of-the-art simulation and design tools. Whether you're optimizing a single component or building a full integrated system, youā€™ll be working with the same platform driving the future of photonics.

This is your chance to build something exciting with Tidy3D, PhotonForge, or FlexAgent MCP, and compete for prizes along the way.

How to Participate

  • Attend the Kickoff Meeting

    The kickoff meeting will last one hour on Friday morning. During the meeting, we will share the policy, show the Tidy3D/PhotonForge/FlexAgent MCP installation, and Tidy3D/PhotonForgeGUI, and run demo simulations for 30 minutes. Attendees then have the remaining 30 minutes to start trying things out and ask questions.

    Every attendee receives

    • šŸ’°100 FlexCredits (valid for 72 hours) for Hackathon use, plus another

    • šŸ’° 100 FlexCredits (valid for 180 days) as a token of appreciation for attendance.

  • Finish Your Submission in 72 Hours

    Either teamwork or solo work is acceptable.

  • Turn in Your Result to Win a Prize

    • The submission should include a Python notebook and a written report that explains the concept, outlines the primary steps, includes supporting tables or screenshots, and presents the results. Any format, such as Markdown, Word file, or PDF, is acceptable. For teamwork, please note all the contributors on the report.

    • We will judge and announce the top three winners (individual or team), and send the rewards.

      1st Prize: šŸ’µ $1,000 Amazon gift card

      2nd Prize: šŸ’µ $300 Amazon gift card

      3rd Prize: šŸ’µ $100 Amazon gift card

    • All submissions that meet the quality criterion can be published in the Tidy3D Community Library with the authors' agreement.