Toward Topology-Optimized Foundry PDKs: A Seeded Design Framework for Multimode Interferometers
Abstract
We present an end-to-end design methodology for multimode interferometer (MMI)-based photonic devices that combines parameter optimization (PO) on analytical models with seeded topology optimization (TO) to maximize performance while preserving foundry design-rule compliance. A PO seed device is further refined via seeded TO, accessing a larger design space than analytical or parameterized methods alone can reach. We validate this pipeline on a 1x2 splitter, a TE modal multiplexer, and a polarization splitter, with the first two fabricated on a commercial foundry process and measured. Seeded TO reduces the measured insertion loss of the 1x2 splitter from 0.20 to 0.14 dB and improves the back-to-back TE00 transmission of the modal multiplexer from -2.38 to -0.99 dB over 1274-1326 nm. Applying this pipeline to a commercial foundry process design kit (PDK)-provided 1x2 and 2x2 splitters improve measured transmission and bring the measured 2x2 splitting ratio from 0.520 to 0.499, along with improved simulated fabrication robustness, offering a practical, foundry-validated route toward incorporating TO-designed components into commercial PDKs.
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BibTeX
@misc{hiesener2026toward,
title = {{Toward Topology-Optimized Foundry PDKs: A Seeded Design Framework for Multimode Interferometers}},
author = {Jacob M. Hiesener and Archana Kaushalram and Joshua J. Wong and Robert P. Pesch and Stephen E. Ralph},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2608.18308},
eprint = {2608.18308},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.18308},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Toward Topology-Optimized Foundry PDKs: A Seeded Design Framework for Multimode Interferometers
AU - Jacob M. Hiesener
AU - Archana Kaushalram
AU - Joshua J. Wong
AU - Robert P. Pesch
AU - Stephen E. Ralph
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2608.18308
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.18308
AB - We present an end-to-end design methodology for multimode interferometer (MMI)-based photonic devices that combines parameter optimization (PO) on analytical models with seeded topology optimization (TO) to maximize performance while preserving foundry design-rule compliance. A PO seed device is further refined via seeded TO, accessing a larger design space than analytical or parameterized methods alone can reach. We validate this pipeline on a 1x2 splitter, a TE modal multiplexer, and a polarization splitter, with the first two fabricated on a commercial foundry process and measured. Seeded TO reduces the measured insertion loss of the 1x2 splitter from 0.20 to 0.14 dB and improves the back-to-back TE00 transmission of the modal multiplexer from -2.38 to -0.99 dB over 1274-1326 nm. Applying this pipeline to a commercial foundry process design kit (PDK)-provided 1x2 and 2x2 splitters improve measured transmission and bring the measured 2x2 splitting ratio from 0.520 to 0.499, along with improved simulated fabrication robustness, offering a practical, foundry-validated route toward incorporating TO-designed components into commercial PDKs.
ER -