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Unifying Electronic and Photonic Circuit Simulation

Mar. 17, 2026


The Need For Photonics

The proliferation of artificial intelligence, the rollout of faster mobile networks, and the corresponding demand for vast data storage all require unprecedented processing power and data transfer capacity. To meet these bandwidth requirements, designers are pushing hardware to its absolute limits. However, electrical-only solutions are hitting a physical wall. Power consumption and heat generation pose critical constraints on system performance and operating costs, and the industry needs innovative ways to move data faster without exceeding power budgets.

Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) provide a path forward. By using photons with electrons, PICs offer high-bandwidth, high-energy efficiency, and low cost by leveraging CMOS-compatible manufacturing processes. Designing these complex systems, however, requires advanced tools that can handle both the electrical integrated circuits (EICs) and PICs without creating bottlenecks in your workflow.

Merging Two Worlds into One Engine

Spectre Photonics extends the trusted Spectre Simulation platform into photonic circuit simulation. It directly addresses the increasing complexity of electronic-photonic co-design by merging electrical and photonic simulation into a single, cohesive engine.

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