laserLEDmodeller

laserLEDmodeller is a cross-platform simulation tool designed to model the optical behavior of laser diodes and light-emitting diodes. It provides capabilities to analyze emission spectra, spatial emission patterns, and coupling to optical components such as waveguides and fibers. The software combines physics-based models for laser dynamics with optical propagation models appropriate for LEDs, including rate equations and ray tracing.

The project is open-source and community-driven, with source code and documentation hosted on a public repository. It supports scripting in Python for automation and batch simulations and offers a graphical user interface for parameter setup and results visualization.

Key features include temperature-dependent refractive index, carrier density, spontaneous and stimulated emission, spectral output, and near- and far-field patterns. The tool also provides material and device databases, configurable geometries, and options to model coupling efficiency to external optics.

Typical applications include educational demonstrations of laser threshold behavior, LED optical coupling design studies, and research into device performance under varying drive currents and temperatures.

Limitations include dependence on chosen models and input data, potential discrepancies with real devices, and computational costs for large-scale or highly detailed simulations.

Overall, laserLEDmodeller aims to support accessible photonics modeling and collaboration among researchers, educators, and students, with ongoing development and community governance under an open-source license.