Lodz University of Technology, Photonics Group

Lodz University of Technology’s Photonics Group is an academic research team that has turned decades of semiconductor-laser and wave-optics studies into PLaSK, an open-source framework used by engineers who need to predict how light behaves inside real-world photonic devices. The code couples multi-layer electromagnetic solvers with thermo-electronic and gain models, so a single simulation can reveal optical modes, carrier transport, heat diffusion and nonlinear interactions in ridge lasers, VCSELs, silicon photonics resonators, solar cells or LED stacks. Built-in Python and Matlab scripting, a parametric geometry builder and cluster-ready batch engine let designers sweep wavelengths, bias points or nano-scale trench widths overnight, then export field maps, far-field patterns or small-signal modulation curves for comparison with lab data. Because the solver kernel is vectorized and supports GPU acceleration, desktop workstations can handle 3-D cavities or multi-core fibers that once demanded super-computer time. Typical users range from graduate students prototyping grating couplers to fabless start-ups optimizing epitaxial structures before costly mask sets, and the open codebase encourages plug-ins for material databases, foundry PDKs or co-simulation with circuit-level tools. The Photonics Group maintains a public repository, publishes validation benchmarks in peer-reviewed journals and hosts annual workshops where industrial partners share process-specific extensions. PLaSK is offered free of charge on get.nero.com; the site provides a ready-to-install Windows package sourced from winget that always delivers the latest stable build and can be pulled in batch alongside other scientific utilities.