Po.Li.Te started as a VCSEL simulator. Today every module is ready and validated: drift-diffusion transport, optical solvers (coupled mode theory, FEM modes, FDTD and ray tracing) and thermal. The piece that ties them together is Flow, the new graphical environment we introduce in this post.
Why the physics need to talk to each other
In a semiconductor device the physics are never alone. Current heats the structure, temperature shifts the optical response and the carrier behavior, and the optical field acts back on the carriers. Running each solver in a separate tool and copying results by hand is slow, and it hides the question that matters most: which of these couplings does my device really need?
One canvas, two kinds of arrow
In Flow every solver is a node, and you connect nodes on a canvas. A single arrow passes results in one direction. A double arrow closes a self-consistent loop between two solvers. That is the whole vocabulary, and it lets you decide where your computation is spent. For a VCSEL, for example, you can choose between:
- Optical and thermal, coupled.
- Optical, thermal and transport in series, one after the other.
- All three self-consistent, with double arrows between them.
The same study can start simple and become more rigorous by changing arrows, without rebuilding the setup.
An AI agent that stays on your machine
Flow includes an agentic mode. The agent suggests how to set up the simulations, writes the connections, the simulation flow and the input files, launches the runs and keeps track of what is happening. It works with a small language model that performs well on a standard consumer graphics card. On a local installation, prompts, structures and results are not sent to any external AI service.
Your IP stays with you
Semiconductor designs are your most valuable asset, so Po.Li.Te runs locally by default. If you would rather not install anything, we also host a cloud solution for you in the European Union, available today. The details are on the Local and Cloud page.
From VCSELs to almost any semiconductor device
The transport and thermal physics we built for VCSELs now covers photodetectors, CMOS and diodes, with optical solvers for modes, full-wave and ray propagation. Flow can also include external tools as nodes in the same graph, so it fits the workflow you already have. See the applications and the solvers, and the research they descend from.
Try Flow on your own device
We are happy to walk through Flow with your team on your own structures. Request a demo and we will set you up with a 14-day free trial.
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