FDTD product reference manual
The FDTD reference manual provides detailed descriptions of product features.
Related resources
- FDTD 100: A self paced course intended for beginner to intermediate users with a focus on providing an understanding of the solver physics, simulation workflow and data analysis. The "My first simulation" section is a great getting started tutorial.
- FDTD in the KX: A large repository of Q&A content from the Lumerical community.
- Application gallery: Find example files, simulation methodologies and tips to help you get started quickly and easily. You can also browse the application gallery directly from within our products.
Solver
Learn about the FDTD solver and related topics
- Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) solver introduction
- Understanding ray vs wave optics with a simple example
- Units and normalization
- Frequency domain normalization
- Spectral averaging
- Parseval's theorem - Energy conservation
- Far field projections
- Grating projections
Layout editor
Learn how to use the 3D graphical CAD layout editor.
- Layout Editor
- Main Title Bar
- New Project
- Toolbars
- Objects Tree
- Object Library
- Script Prompt and Script Editor
- Changing the CAD layout
Material properties
Learn how to define the material properties that will be used in your simulations.
- Material Database
- Material Explorer
- Material Permittivity Models
- Anisotropic Materials
- Advanced Material Models
- Flexible Material Plugin Framework
- Mesh Order
Simulation objects
These objects are used to model the physical structure, define the solver region, any sources of light or doping/generation regions as well as monitors to collect data. The pages provide detailed descriptions of each simulation object. Simulation object can be added by clicking on the corresponding icon in the GUI.
Structures
- Primitives: Triangle, Rectangle, Polygon, Circle, Ring, Custom, Surface, Waveguide, Sphere, Pyramid, Planar solid, 2D rectangle, 2D polygon
- Complex structures: Arrays of objects, Rounded corners, Waveguide bends, Sidewall angle, Spiral and helix, Surface roughness, 3D contour
- Layer builder
- Dataset builder
- Extending structures through PML
Groups
Attributes
Simulation
Simulation objects are used to define simulation parameters like boundary conditions and mesh size. More information about the solver algorithms can be found in the Solvers section.
- FDTD solver
- Ports
- Mesh override
- Getting the mesh size
- Using the mesh settings tab
- Using the boundary conditions tab
Import
The import button includes options to import from a variety of formats:
Sources
- Dipoles
- Plane wave and Beam
- TFSF
- Integrated mode source
- Import
- BFAST
- Coherence
- Temporal incoherence
- Changing the source bandwidth
Monitors
- Refractive index
- Field time
- Movie
- Frequency-domain (profile /power)
- Mode expansion
- Global properties
- Apodization
- Spectral averaging
Optimizations and sweeps
Learn how to run parameter sweep, optimization, yield analysis and s-parameter analysis tasks.
Result analysis
Learn how to access and analyze simulation data.
Working with the graphical layout environment:
- The Analysis mode
- Results Manager
- Visualizer and figure windows
- Visualizer and figure settings
- Visualizer attributes and parameters
Analysis groups
- Charge and current measurements
- Bandstructure
- Data representation
- Far field
- Optical power
- Optoelectronics
- Resonators and modal analysis
Other analysis