Sculpting Light-Matter Interaction at the Nanoscale: Evelyn Hu Research Group Accelerates Nanophotonic Research with Tidy3D
Professor Evelyn Hu’s research group from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University is at the forefront of nanoscale optical and electronic research. The group is pushing the boundaries of light-matter interaction through innovative designs and nanofabrication techniques in 4H-silicon carbide and silicon. Their groundbreaking works in cavity-defect interactions and electrical control of defects have opened new avenues for probing fundamental material physics and developing high-performance devices for both classical and quantum applications.
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| Prof Evelyn Hu’s researches on Silicon Color Centers (top left), Silicon Carbide and Diamond (top right), GaN (bottom left), and Two-Dimensional Materials (bottom right){: .align-center} |
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| Prof Evelyn Hu’s group at a dinner gathering |
The Hu group is an early adopter of Tidy3D. “Tidy3D’s integration with Python made learning much easier for me!” says Amberly, a graduate student in the group. “The documentation was clear, and the library of examples allowed me to learn at my own pace.” This accessibility has been particularly valuable for team members new to FDTD simulations, lowering the entry barrier to advanced nanophotonic design.
The group has leveraged Tidy3D for various projects, including the simulation of a novel photonic crystal cavity design in 4H-SiC. This new design promises more reliable and facile fabrication, potentially advancing the field of nanophotonics.
Chaoshen, another member of the research team, highlights the software’s versatility: “The Python API and the fast computation speed enabled by the Tidy3D server makes it easier for me to run parameter sweeping and start simulating ideas without the constraint of server time.” This capability has significantly enhanced the group’s ability to explore and optimize complex designs.
The batch sweep feature has proven particularly valuable in the optimization of photonic structures. Chang, a graduate student focusing on structure optimization, notes, “The batch sweep feature is very helpful in optimizing our photonic structures.”
Beyond the software’s technical capabilities, the Hu research group found the support from the Flexcompute team to be exceptional. “The team at Flexcompute was super helpful and very responsive to any questions I had,” Amberly shares. “I was even able to send them snippets of my code for them to look through, and they were fast at helping me debug and better understand what was going on.”
As the Hu research group continues to push the boundaries of nanoscale light-matter interaction, Tidy3D remains an invaluable tool in their research arsenal. The combination of computational power, user-friendly interface, and responsive support has enabled the team to accelerate their simulations, explore more complex designs, and ultimately, advance the field of nanophotonics. The group’s experience with Tidy3D exemplifies how advanced simulation tools can drive innovation in cutting-edge research, helping translate visionary ideas into groundbreaking discoveries.
