Path and CrossSection

Path and CrossSection#

You can create a Path in gdsfactory and extrude it with an arbitrary CrossSection.

Lets create a path:

Create a blank Path.
Append points to the Path either using the built-in functions (arc(), straight(), euler() …) or by providing your own lists of points
Specify CrossSection with layers and offsets.
Extrude Path with a CrossSection to create a Component with the path polygons in it.

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np

import gdsfactory as gf

Path#

The first step is to generate the list of points we want the path to follow. Let’s start out by creating a blank Path and using the built-in functions to make a few smooth turns.

p1 = gf.path.straight(length=5)
p2 = gf.path.euler(radius=5, angle=45, p=0.5, use_eff=False)
p = p1 + p2
f = p.plot()

../_images/9add1f630d60544a362906f582d56aae634d5a4e2b7eaba3bada8dcb70b4c861.png

p1 = gf.path.straight(length=5)
p2 = gf.path.euler(radius=5, angle=45, p=0.5, use_eff=False)
p = p2 + p1
f = p.plot()

../_images/df8c80fc25627d3fbabaa08903400f8b8a420f786fd2c963bcd24e5366e22ad5.png

P = gf.Path()
P += gf.path.arc(radius=10, angle=90)  # Circular arc
P += gf.path.straight(length=10)  # Straight section
P += gf.path.euler(radius=3, angle=-90)  # Euler bend (aka "racetrack" curve)
P += gf.path.straight(length=40)
P += gf.path.arc(radius=8, angle=-45)
P += gf.path.straight(length=10)
P += gf.path.arc(radius=8, angle=45)
P += gf.path.straight(length=10)

f = P.plot()

../_images/a67066d907289a9fb38bacb182079ee7617c0031625773eae1ed26a9c8d430cb.png

p2 = P.copy().rotate(45)
f = p2.plot()

../_images/f3bd1332c548c44569b9b66e1aca226de7db54c9b5391f2855ea9faafc68395b.png

P.points - p2.points

array([[  0.        ,   0.        ],
       [  0.07775818,  -0.18109421],
       [  0.16015338,  -0.36012627],
       [  0.24713097,  -0.53697746],
       [  0.33863327,  -0.71153054],
       [  0.43459961,  -0.88366975],
       [  0.53496636,  -1.05328096],
       [  0.63966697,  -1.2202517 ],
       [  0.74863202,  -1.38447127],
       [  0.86178925,  -1.54583076],
       [  0.97906364,  -1.7042232 ],
       [  1.10037742,  -1.85954356],
       [  1.22565016,  -2.01168884],
       [  1.35479879,  -2.16055818],
       [  1.48773767,  -2.30605285],
       [  1.62437867,  -2.44807638],
       [  1.76463118,  -2.58653461],
       [  1.9084022 ,  -2.72133573],
       [  2.0555964 ,  -2.85239035],
       [  2.20611618,  -2.97961158],
       [  2.35986175,  -3.10291506],
       [  2.51673115,  -3.22221903],
       [  2.67662037,  -3.33744439],
       [  2.83942339,  -3.44851474],
       [  3.00503227,  -3.55535642],
       [  3.1733372 ,  -3.6578986 ],
       [  3.34422657,  -3.75607328],
       [  3.51758709,  -3.84981537],
       [  3.69330379,  -3.93906271],
       [  3.87126017,  -4.02375613],
       [  4.05133823,  -4.10383946],
       [  4.23341856,  -4.1792596 ],
       [  4.41738044,  -4.24996655],
       [  4.60310189,  -4.31591343],
       [  4.79045976,  -4.3770565 ],
       [  4.97932982,  -4.43335522],
       [  5.16958684,  -4.48477228],
       [  5.36110467,  -4.53127356],
       [  5.55375631,  -4.57282824],
       [  5.74741403,  -4.60940877],
       [  5.94194941,  -4.64099089],
       [  6.13723348,  -4.66755366],
       [  6.33313674,  -4.68907946],
       [  6.52952929,  -4.70555403],
       [  6.72628092,  -4.71696644],
       [  6.92326117,  -4.72330911],
       [  7.12033942,  -4.72457786],
       [  7.317385  ,  -4.72077183],
       [  7.51426725,  -4.71189355],
       [  7.71085564,  -4.69794891],
       [  7.90701981,  -4.67894715],
       [  8.10262968,  -4.65490087],
       [  8.29755556,  -4.62582602],
       [  8.4916682 ,  -4.59174187],
       [  8.6848389 ,  -4.55267103],
       [  8.87693955,  -4.50863939],
       [  9.0678428 ,  -4.45967617],
       [  9.25742205,  -4.40581381],
       [  9.44555161,  -4.34708805],
       [  9.63210673,  -4.28353781],
       [  9.81696372,  -4.21520523],
       [ 10.        ,  -4.14213562],
       [ 17.07106781,  -1.21320344],
       [ 17.22259744,  -1.15062977],
       [ 17.3745295 ,  -1.0890412 ],
       [ 17.52724719,  -1.02943054],
       [ 17.68109502,  -0.9728054 ],
       [ 17.83635884,  -0.92019408],
       [ 17.99324531,  -0.87264941],
       [ 18.15186066,  -0.83125013],
       [ 18.31218874,  -0.79709882],
       [ 18.47406876,  -0.77131591],
       [ 18.63717281,  -0.75502883],
       [ 18.80098407,  -0.74935572],
       [ 18.98113405,  -0.75643383],
       [ 19.16017334,  -0.77762453],
       [ 19.33699811,  -0.81279716],
       [ 19.51051817,  -0.86173488],
       [ 19.67966373,  -0.92413597],
       [ 19.84339193,  -0.9996157 ],
       [ 20.00069333,  -1.08770872],
       [ 20.15059814,  -1.18787191],
       [ 20.29218212,  -1.29948772],
       [ 20.42457237,  -1.42186801],
       [ 20.53639293,  -1.54171156],
       [ 20.6402082 ,  -1.66856024],
       [ 20.73644339,  -1.80125797],
       [ 20.82566384,  -1.93877567],
       [ 20.90854811,  -2.08020737],
       [ 20.98586445,  -2.22476202],
       [ 21.05845073,  -2.37175194],
       [ 21.12719755,  -2.5205788 ],
       [ 21.19303416,  -2.67071762],
       [ 21.25691665,  -2.82169951],
       [ 21.31981802,  -2.97309339],
       [ 33.03554677, -31.25736464],
       [ 33.1091836 , -31.44370627],
       [ 33.17668408, -31.63235747],
       [ 33.23797592, -31.82311621],
       [ 33.29299349, -32.01577822],
       [ 33.34167789, -32.21013721],
       [ 33.38397696, -32.40598505],
       [ 33.41984543, -32.60311201],
       [ 33.44924488, -32.80130701],
       [ 33.47214384, -33.00035782],
       [ 33.48851777, -33.20005129],
       [ 33.49834914, -33.40017358],
       [ 33.50162744, -33.60051039],
       [ 33.49834914, -33.80084721],
       [ 33.48851777, -34.0009695 ],
       [ 33.47214384, -34.20066296],
       [ 33.44924488, -34.39971377],
       [ 33.41984543, -34.59790877],
       [ 33.38397696, -34.79503574],
       [ 33.34167789, -34.99088357],
       [ 33.29299349, -35.18524256],
       [ 33.23797592, -35.37790458],
       [ 33.17668408, -35.56866332],
       [ 33.1091836 , -35.75731451],
       [ 33.03554677, -35.94365614],
       [ 30.10661458, -43.01472396],
       [ 30.03297776, -43.20106559],
       [ 29.96547728, -43.38971678],
       [ 29.90418544, -43.58047552],
       [ 29.84916786, -43.77313754],
       [ 29.80048347, -43.96749653],
       [ 29.75818439, -44.16334436],
       [ 29.72231592, -44.36047132],
       [ 29.69291647, -44.55866633],
       [ 29.67001752, -44.75771713],
       [ 29.65364359, -44.9574106 ],
       [ 29.64381221, -45.15753289],
       [ 29.64053392, -45.35786971],
       [ 29.64381221, -45.55820652],
       [ 29.65364359, -45.75832881],
       [ 29.67001752, -45.95802228],
       [ 29.69291647, -46.15707309],
       [ 29.72231592, -46.35526809],
       [ 29.75818439, -46.55239505],
       [ 29.80048347, -46.74824289],
       [ 29.84916786, -46.94260187],
       [ 29.90418544, -47.13526389],
       [ 29.96547728, -47.32602263],
       [ 30.03297776, -47.51467382],
       [ 30.10661458, -47.70101546],
       [ 33.03554677, -54.77208327]])

You can also modify our Path in the same ways as any other gdsfactory object:

Manipulation with move(), rotate(), mirror(), etc
Accessing properties like xmin, y, center, bbox, etc

P.movey(10)
P.xmin = 20
f = P.plot()

../_images/c6a343f7372646283ae58343233055e330e5dcbf95979d3f296a4d66f2a2d61a.png

You can also check the length of the curve with the length() method:

P.length()

105.341

CrossSection#

Now that you’ve got your path defined, the next step is to define the cross-section of the path. To do this, you can create a blank CrossSection and add whatever cross-sections you want to it. You can then combine the Path and the CrossSection using the gf.path.extrude() function to generate a Component:

Option 1: Single layer and width cross-section#

The simplest option is to just set the cross-section to be a constant width by passing a number to extrude() like so:

# Extrude the Path and the CrossSection
c = gf.path.extrude(P, layer=(1, 0), width=1.5)
c.plot()

../_images/dbf7b265d993322e56a2ab56189be0338240b5d3355bda8adddca6e44628d224.png

Option 2: Arbitrary Cross-section#

You can also extrude an arbitrary cross_section

Now, what if we want a more complicated straight? For instance, in some photonic applications it’s helpful to have a shallow etch that appears on either side of the straight (often called a trench or sleeve). Additionally, it might be nice to have a Port on either end of the center section so we can snap other geometries to it. Let’s try adding something like that in:

p = gf.path.straight()

# Add a few "sections" to the cross-section
s0 = gf.Section(width=1, offset=0, layer=(1, 0), port_names=("in", "out"))
s1 = gf.Section(width=2, offset=2, layer=(2, 0))
s2 = gf.Section(width=2, offset=-2, layer=(2, 0))
x = gf.CrossSection(sections=(s0, s1, s2))

c = gf.path.extrude(p, cross_section=x)
c.plot()

../_images/a075014dc93cfe2d3c707ac10dee50f6de761f0a6f1f42cdf037214f7ea80b46.png

p = gf.path.arc()

# Combine the Path and the CrossSection
b = gf.path.extrude(p, cross_section=x)
b.plot()

../_images/6ff495c35ea4cd8143e73c528893e9bcdd909b61cc0c19dc7a677bbd7b74b79a.png

Option 3: CrossSection with ComponentAlongPath#

You can also place components along a path, which is useful for wiring vias.

import gdsfactory as gf
from gdsfactory.cross_section import ComponentAlongPath

# Create the path
p = gf.path.straight()
p += gf.path.arc(10)
p += gf.path.straight()

# Define a cross-section with a via
via = ComponentAlongPath(
    component=gf.c.rectangle(size=(1, 1), centered=True), spacing=5, padding=2
)
s = gf.Section(width=0.5, offset=0, layer=(1, 0), port_names=("in", "out"))
x = gf.CrossSection(sections=(s,), components_along_path=(via,))

# Combine the path with the cross-section
c = gf.path.extrude(p, cross_section=x)
c.plot()

../_images/b39516f9a018fd825ffa6b7d561b0f3f406dfd69b3355302965f9cc798ad673a.png

import gdsfactory as gf
from gdsfactory.cross_section import ComponentAlongPath

# Create the path
p = gf.path.straight()
p += gf.path.arc(10)
p += gf.path.straight()

# Define a cross-section with a via
via0 = ComponentAlongPath(component=gf.c.via1(), spacing=5, padding=2, offset=0)
viap = ComponentAlongPath(component=gf.c.via1(), spacing=5, padding=2, offset=+2)
vian = ComponentAlongPath(component=gf.c.via1(), spacing=5, padding=2, offset=-2)
x = gf.CrossSection(sections=[s], components_along_path=(via0, viap, vian))

# Combine the path with the cross-section
c = gf.path.extrude(p, cross_section=x)
c.plot()

../_images/3e475707ade92d573d2a62668f4d27662bd3863a5d1c1bba94cb2a216da15c00.png

Path#

You can pass append() lists of path segments. This makes it easy to combine paths very quickly. Below we show 3 examples using this functionality:

Example 1: Assemble a complex path by making a list of Paths and passing it to append()

import gdsfactory as gf

P = gf.Path()

# Create the basic Path components
left_turn = gf.path.euler(radius=4, angle=90)
right_turn = gf.path.euler(radius=4, angle=-90)
straight = gf.path.straight(length=10)

# Assemble a complex path by making list of Paths and passing it to `append()`
P.append(
    [
        straight,
        left_turn,
        straight,
        right_turn,
        straight,
        straight,
        right_turn,
        left_turn,
        straight,
    ]
)

f = P.plot()

../_images/cb147558e5d89a5cb2b5e831baa398b91d65e4ba6850edf2ded773b8011d71bb.png

P = (
    straight
    + left_turn
    + straight
    + right_turn
    + straight
    + straight
    + right_turn
    + left_turn
    + straight
)
f = P.plot()

../_images/e39d2e7a6532b450f38ffb9125e17a01cee06d55caf9441ca223aeb43d08c3d8.png

Example 2: Create an “S-turn” just by making a list of [left_turn, right_turn]

P = gf.Path()

# Create an "S-turn" just by making a list
s_turn = [left_turn, right_turn]

P.append(s_turn)
f = P.plot()

../_images/84504d920259117a1f694dfd2b21fda667e7c489cfe63b94b44e68fbebda9616.png

Example 3: Repeat the S-turn 3 times by nesting our S-turn list in another list

P = gf.Path()

# Create an "S-turn" using a list
s_turn = [left_turn, right_turn]

# Repeat the S-turn 3 times by nesting our S-turn list 3x times in another list
triple_s_turn = [s_turn, s_turn, s_turn]

P.append(triple_s_turn)
f = P.plot()

../_images/a7b881e6a03dd9684d78c10cabaf4776337e4596bb30d5b518af29f9113ae949.png

Note you can also use the Path() constructor to immediately construct your Path:

P = gf.Path([straight, left_turn, straight, right_turn, straight])
f = P.plot()

../_images/c626f3480bd01b956a5784504060d831bc29d0946e13f8989d56c41ff15180b2.png

Waypoint smooth paths#

You can also build smooth paths between waypoints with the smooth() function

points = np.array([(20, 10), (40, 10), (20, 40), (50, 40), (50, 20), (70, 20)])
plt.plot(points[:, 0], points[:, 1], ".-")
plt.axis("equal")

(np.float64(17.5), np.float64(72.5), np.float64(8.5), np.float64(41.5))

../_images/3f0172d425ded7609cb6b63a9eab7505855d234e3acc93a1340ffcf08b1b213f.png

points = np.array([(20, 10), (40, 10), (20, 40), (50, 40), (50, 20), (70, 20)])

P = gf.path.smooth(
    points=points,
    radius=2,
    bend=gf.path.euler,  # Alternatively, use pp.arc
    use_eff=False,
)
f = P.plot()

../_images/8a6f79dc4ed53cef8d078fc6f9d011efcc16c850c2e2e91b40628cc8ff9c376f.png

Waypoint sharp paths#

It’s also possible to make more traditional angular paths (e.g. electrical wires) in a few different ways.

Example 1: Using a simple list of points

P = gf.Path([(20, 10), (30, 10), (40, 30), (50, 30), (50, 20), (70, 20)])
f = P.plot()

../_images/119a21f075afc2cb046cb23146af85c2603c5420a68d5454d4f4b747801ac93f.png

Example 2: Using the “turn and move” method, where you manipulate the end angle of the Path so that when you append points to it, they’re in the correct direction. Note: It is crucial that the number of points per straight section is set to 2 (gf.path.straight(length, num_pts = 2)) otherwise the extrusion algorithm will show defects.

P = gf.Path()
P += gf.path.straight(length=10, npoints=2)
P.end_angle += 90  # "Turn" 90 deg (left)
P += gf.path.straight(length=10, npoints=2)  # "Walk" length of 10
P.end_angle += -135  # "Turn" -135 degrees (right)
P += gf.path.straight(length=15, npoints=2)  # "Walk" length of 10
P.end_angle = 0  # Force the direction to be 0 degrees
P += gf.path.straight(length=10, npoints=2)  # "Walk" length of 10
f = P.plot()

../_images/f6bbf0e3618b6917c39d0e04247d329b43451b736dcb24015454990a37995040.png

s0 = gf.Section(width=1, offset=0, layer=(1, 0))
s1 = gf.Section(width=1.5, offset=2.5, layer=(2, 0))
s2 = gf.Section(width=1.5, offset=-2.5, layer=(3, 0))
X = gf.CrossSection(sections=[s0, s1, s2])
c = gf.path.extrude(P, X)
c.plot()

../_images/968fb6d9f78de9f80f606ff68e9a06a9b539d4c3efc951d06222176f5dc39f42.png

Custom curves#

Now let’s have some fun and try to make a loop-de-loop structure with parallel straights and several Ports.

To create a new type of curve we simply make a function that produces an array of points. The best way to do that is to create a function which allows you to specify a large number of points along that curve – in the case below, the looploop() function outputs 1000 points along a looping path. Later, if we want reduce the number of points in our geometry we can trivially simplify the path.

def looploop(num_pts=1000):
    """Simple limacon looping curve."""
    t = np.linspace(-np.pi, 0, num_pts)
    r = 20 + 25 * np.sin(t)
    x = r * np.cos(t)
    y = r * np.sin(t)
    return np.array((x, y)).T


# Create the path points
P = gf.Path()
P.append(gf.path.arc(radius=10, angle=90))
P.append(gf.path.straight())
P.append(gf.path.arc(radius=5, angle=-90))
P.append(looploop(num_pts=1000))
P.rotate(-45)

# Create the crosssection
s0 = gf.Section(width=1, offset=0, layer=(1, 0), port_names=("in", "out"))
s1 = gf.Section(width=0.5, offset=2, layer=(2, 0))
s2 = gf.Section(width=0.5, offset=4, layer=(3, 0))
s3 = gf.Section(width=1, offset=0, layer=(4, 0))
X = gf.CrossSection(sections=(s0, s1, s2, s3))

c = gf.path.extrude(P, X)
c.plot()

../_images/cead18a4d810ac837ccf7ae9f8ed19a93b0d56d8066c4d3c7ef81227e6b7fa05.png

You can create Paths from any array of points – just be sure that they form smooth curves! If we examine our path P we can see that all we’ve simply created a long list of points:

path_points = P.points  # Curve points are stored as a numpy array in P.points
print(np.shape(path_points))  # The shape of the array is Nx2
print(len(P))  # Equivalently, use len(P) to see how many points are inside

(1092, 2)
1092

Simplifying / reducing point usage#

One of the chief concerns of generating smooth curves is that too many points are generated, inflating file sizes and making boolean operations computationally expensive. Fortunately, PHIDL has a fast implementation of the Ramer-Douglas–Peucker algorithm that lets you reduce the number of points in a curve without changing its shape. All that needs to be done is when you made a component component() extruding the path with a cross_section, you specify the simplify argument.

If we specify simplify = 1e-3, the number of points in the line drops from 12,000 to 4,000, and the remaining points form a line that is identical to within 1e-3 distance from the original (for the default 1 micron unit size, this corresponds to 1 nanometer resolution):

# The remaining points form a identical line to within `1e-3` from the original
c = gf.path.extrude(p=P, cross_section=X, simplify=1e-3)
c.plot()

../_images/29b1d5109ba7cbc097892382ee3112c3cb114426db3b00393e71e0b5effcf1e6.png

Let’s say we need fewer points. We can increase the simplify tolerance by specifying simplify = 1e-1. This drops the number of points to ~400 points form a line that is identical to within 1e-1 distance from the original:

c = gf.path.extrude(P, cross_section=X, simplify=1e-1)
c.plot()

../_images/4966ceb8562972513bb0100f89695c5005a4ec8f648f0ddd1f4416dfb974de91.png

Taken to absurdity, what happens if we set simplify = 0.3? Once again, the ~200 remaining points form a line that is within 0.3 units from the original – but that line looks pretty bad.

c = gf.path.extrude(P, cross_section=X, simplify=0.3)
c.plot()

../_images/c48fd6517765505ba6df58dc07af9d8fff0f25294266613ab8d25e2ba85e84eb.png

Curvature calculation#

The Path class has a curvature() method that computes the curvature K of your smooth path (K = 1/(radius of curvature)). This can be helpful for verifying that your curves transition smoothly such as in track-transition curves (also known as “Euler” bends in the photonics world). Euler bends have lower mode-mismatch loss as explained in this paper

Note this curvature is numerically computed so areas where the curvature jumps instantaneously (such as between an arc and a straight segment) will be slightly interpolated, and sudden changes in point density along the curve can cause discontinuities.

straight_points = 100

P = gf.Path()
P.append(
    [
        gf.path.straight(
            length=10, npoints=straight_points
        ),  # Should have a curvature of 0
        gf.path.euler(
            radius=3, angle=90, p=0.5, use_eff=False
        ),  # Euler straight-to-bend transition with min. bend radius of 3 (max curvature of 1/3)
        gf.path.straight(
            length=10, npoints=straight_points
        ),  # Should have a curvature of 0
        gf.path.arc(radius=10, angle=90),  # Should have a curvature of 1/10
        gf.path.arc(radius=5, angle=-90),  # Should have a curvature of -1/5
        gf.path.straight(
            length=2, npoints=straight_points
        ),  # Should have a curvature of 0
    ]
)

f = P.plot()

../_images/6c19ac64a6c087a985e5f3111503ef406901b0597076ad372a49df4af3adf4f3.png

Arc paths are equivalent to bend_circular and euler paths are equivalent to bend_euler

s, K = P.curvature()
plt.plot(s, K, ".-")
plt.xlabel("Position along curve (arc length)")
plt.ylabel("Curvature")

Text(0, 0.5, 'Curvature')

../_images/3af8caedee84b1894573213803b0dd1f33e96765e0b6bb9d8f87207a45facfbd.png

P = gf.path.euler(radius=3, angle=90, p=1.0, use_eff=False)
P.append(gf.path.euler(radius=3, angle=90, p=0.2, use_eff=False))
P.append(gf.path.euler(radius=3, angle=90, p=0.0, use_eff=False))
P.plot()

../_images/0ca874c7421b6bacdebe513c9dfe0be2bf151c9702ab0fca19e72c4c62aa38e3.png

s, K = P.curvature()
plt.plot(s, K, ".-")
plt.xlabel("Position along curve (arc length)")
plt.ylabel("Curvature")

Text(0, 0.5, 'Curvature')

../_images/a2d26dbdc075e1126c0ccadacc94de15ee7f96960a44d280373d6de3d5732ad5.png

You can compare two 90 degrees euler bend with 180 euler bend.

A 180 euler bend is shorter, and has less loss than two 90 degrees euler bend.

straight_points = 100

P = gf.Path()
P.append(
    [
        gf.path.euler(radius=3, angle=90, p=1, use_eff=False),
        gf.path.euler(radius=3, angle=90, p=1, use_eff=False),
        gf.path.straight(length=6, npoints=100),
        gf.path.euler(radius=3, angle=180, p=1, use_eff=False),
    ]
)

f = P.plot()

../_images/ce75a373d29b8054d23753281cf06a9d4b732f0dad1fbc5412fe27a363da6a90.png

s, K = P.curvature()
plt.plot(s, K, ".-")
plt.xlabel("Position along curve (arc length)")
plt.ylabel("Curvature")

Text(0, 0.5, 'Curvature')

../_images/ea40679d46d5802fb0bae8f221ced8c4a9872341e63b29f586d9c115f89b0cf6.png

Transitioning between cross-sections#

Often a critical element of building paths is being able to transition between cross-sections. You can use the transition() function to do exactly this: you simply feed it two CrossSections and it will output a new CrossSection that smoothly transitions between the two.

Let’s start off by creating two cross-sections we want to transition between. Note we give all the cross-sectional elements names by specifying the name argument in the add() function – this is important because the transition function will try to match names between the two input cross-sections, and any names not present in both inputs will be skipped.

# Create our first CrossSection
import gdsfactory as gf

s0 = gf.Section(width=1.2, offset=0, layer=(2, 0), name="core", port_names=("o1", "o2"))
s1 = gf.Section(width=2.2, offset=0, layer=(3, 0), name="etch")
s2 = gf.Section(width=1.1, offset=3, layer=(1, 0), name="wg2")
X1 = gf.CrossSection(sections=[s0, s1, s2])

# Create the second CrossSection that we want to transition to
s0 = gf.Section(width=1, offset=0, layer=(2, 0), name="core", port_names=("o1", "o2"))
s1 = gf.Section(width=3.5, offset=0, layer=(3, 0), name="etch")
s2 = gf.Section(width=3, offset=5, layer=(1, 0), name="wg2")
X2 = gf.CrossSection(sections=[s0, s1, s2])

# To show the cross-sections, let's create two Paths and
# create Components by extruding them
P1 = gf.path.straight(length=5)
P2 = gf.path.straight(length=5)
wg1 = gf.path.extrude(P1, X1)
wg2 = gf.path.extrude(P2, X2)

# Place both cross-section Components and quickplot them
c = gf.Component()
wg1ref = c << wg1
wg2ref = c << wg2
wg2ref.movex(7.5)

c.plot()

../_images/2d3a98091e0696190179d3afd5ac76039d57ce020cdc853dc57cba5910e3cc14.png

Now let’s create the transitional CrossSection by calling transition() with these two CrossSections as input. If we want the width to vary as a smooth sinusoid between the sections, we can set width_type to 'sine' (alternatively we could also use 'linear').

# Create the transitional CrossSection
Xtrans = gf.path.transition(cross_section1=X1, cross_section2=X2, width_type="sine")

# Create a Path for the transitional CrossSection to follow
P3 = gf.path.straight(length=15, npoints=100)

# Use the transitional CrossSection to create a Component
straight_transition = gf.path.extrude_transition(P3, Xtrans)
straight_transition.plot()

../_images/a13d80fb587d8f464bc2badf7ed5e47c4111494931914708023d4ca1f7063c9b.png

Now that we have all of our components, let’s connect() everything and see what it looks like

c = gf.Component("transition_demo")

wg1ref = c << wg1
wgtref = c << straight_transition
wg2ref = c << wg2

wgtref.connect("o1", wg1ref.ports["o2"])
wg2ref.connect("o1", wgtref.ports["o2"])

c.plot()

../_images/553398d5b7f316b99bc1ac918d6a72cb8061faac43d807696bf90f84ab73eb31.png

Note that since transition() outputs a Transition, we can make the transition follow an arbitrary path:

# Transition along a curving Path
P4 = gf.path.euler(radius=25, angle=45, p=0.5, use_eff=False)
wg_trans = gf.path.extrude_transition(P4, Xtrans)

c = gf.Component("demo_transition")
wg1_ref = c << wg1  # First cross-section Component
wg2_ref = c << wg2
wgt_ref = c << wg_trans

wgt_ref.connect("o1", wg1_ref.ports["o2"])
wg2_ref.connect("o1", wgt_ref.ports["o2"])

c.plot()

../_images/209e775d8246b215e53b8229b3ab0be38306ab62247e5248e851b2ed0d3219f1.png

You can also extrude an arbitrary Transition:

w1 = 1
w2 = 5
x1 = gf.get_cross_section("strip", width=w1)
x2 = gf.get_cross_section("strip", width=w2)
transition = gf.path.transition(x1, x2)
p = gf.path.arc(radius=10)
c = gf.path.extrude_transition(p, transition)
c.plot()

../_images/c638b98a557bc84647d0b9e7a96b7da5c127d8566fe4507b8966642d5c161c54.png

Variable width / offset#

In some instances, you may want to vary the width or offset of the path’s cross- section as it travels. This can be accomplished by giving the CrossSection arguments that are functions or lists. Let’s say we wanted a width that varies sinusoidally along the length of the Path. To do this, we need to make a width function that is parameterized from 0 to 1: for an example function my_width_fun(t) where the width at t==0 is the width at the beginning of the Path and the width at t==1 is the width at the end.

import numpy as np

import gdsfactory as gf


def my_custom_width_fun(t):
    # Note: Custom width/offset functions MUST be vectorizable--you must be able
    # to call them with an array input like my_custom_width_fun([0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4])
    num_periods = 5
    return 3 + np.cos(2 * np.pi * t * num_periods)


# Create the Path
P = gf.path.straight(length=40, npoints=30)

# Create two cross-sections: one fixed width, one modulated by my_custom_offset_fun
s0 = gf.Section(width=3, offset=-6, layer=(2, 0))
s1 = gf.Section(width=0, width_function=my_custom_width_fun, offset=0, layer=(1, 0))
X = gf.CrossSection(sections=(s0, s1))

# Extrude the Path to create the Component
c = gf.path.extrude(P, cross_section=X)
c.plot()

../_images/91310815416e301e2dd51f4f029c751e2f70f8b0c736c8256b5ab1065444de8c.png

We can do the same thing with the offset argument:

def my_custom_offset_fun(t):
    # Note: Custom width/offset functions MUST be vectorizable--you must be able
    # to call them with an array input like my_custom_offset_fun([0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4])
    num_periods = 3
    return 3 + np.cos(2 * np.pi * t * num_periods)


# Create the Path
P = gf.path.straight(length=40, npoints=30)

# Create two cross-sections: one fixed offset, one modulated by my_custom_offset_fun
s0 = gf.Section(width=1, offset=0, layer=(1, 0))
s1 = gf.Section(
    width=1,
    offset_function=my_custom_offset_fun,
    layer=(2, 0),
    port_names=("clad1", "clad2"),
)
X = gf.CrossSection(sections=(s0, s1))

# Extrude the Path to create the Component
c = gf.path.extrude(P, cross_section=X)
c.plot()

../_images/c3ab71e3ed6935c8ed66585159d0be13b5c144457b2b153a6bb39dab58a3ce97.png

Offsetting a Path#

Sometimes it’s convenient to start with a simple Path and offset the line it follows to suit your needs (without using a custom-offset CrossSection). Here, we start with two copies of simple straight Path and use the offset() function to directly modify each Path.

def my_custom_offset_fun(t):
    # Note: Custom width/offset functions MUST be vectorizable--you must be able
    # to call them with an array input like my_custom_offset_fun([0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4])
    num_periods = 3
    return 2 + np.cos(2 * np.pi * t * num_periods)


P1 = gf.path.straight(npoints=101)
P1.offset(offset=my_custom_offset_fun)
f = P1.plot()

../_images/40a01be55b02d8bd156959d8b3c926875eed3a24175dfdb15ce4378a13d4d0d9.png

P2 = P1.copy()  # Make a copy of the Path
P2.mirror((1, 0))  # reflect across X-axis
f2 = P2.plot()

../_images/013cf8ecb05ef9f0bebd6ac8d7d1a3aab02ac01212585e7e4036e6c0ff612411.png

# Create the Path
P = gf.path.arc(radius=10, angle=45)

# Create two cross-sections: one fixed width, one modulated by my_custom_offset_fun
s0 = gf.Section(width=1, offset=3, layer=(2, 0), name="waveguide")
s1 = gf.Section(width=1, offset=0, layer=(1, 0), name="heater", port_names=("o1", "o2"))
X = gf.CrossSection(sections=(s0, s1))
c = gf.path.extrude(P, X)
c.plot()

../_images/fda4fcaa3b4c1fd4bbe7c145e76a16a64503bcdbf291986bbd13c1c3bec03e9c.png

P = gf.Path()
P.append(gf.path.arc(radius=10, angle=90))  # Circular arc
P.append(gf.path.straight(length=10))  # Straight section
P.append(gf.path.euler(radius=3, angle=-90))  # Euler bend (aka "racetrack" curve)
P.append(gf.path.straight(length=40))
P.append(gf.path.arc(radius=8, angle=-45))
P.append(gf.path.straight(length=10))
P.append(gf.path.arc(radius=8, angle=45))
P.append(gf.path.straight(length=10))

f = P.plot()

c = gf.path.extrude(P, width=1, layer=(2, 0))
c.plot()

../_images/89e372064ccad11c92f0caa4c6286dded921262ecef2785a1df20fc83a6fdb0b.png

s0 = gf.Section(width=2, offset=0, layer=(2, 0))
xs = gf.CrossSection(sections=(s0,))
c = gf.path.extrude(P, xs)
c.plot()

../_images/aa1fe4aac68f009d14fe5192f038b778bb5de11c2ca82cc58d1498698bef1780.png

p = gf.path.straight(length=10, npoints=101)
s0 = gf.Section(width=1, offset=0, layer=(1, 0), port_names=("o1", "o2"), name="core")
s1 = gf.Section(width=3, offset=0, layer=(3, 0), name="slab")
x1 = gf.CrossSection(sections=(s0, s1))
c = gf.path.extrude(p, x1)
c.plot()

../_images/e26ceac27675034a55be2880d41c4ac3581e2357d359a15be6936cfc0eb7f7e4.png

s0 = gf.Section(
    width=1 + 3, offset=0, layer=(1, 0), port_names=("o1", "o2"), name="core"
)
s1 = gf.Section(width=3 + 3, offset=0, layer=(3, 0), name="slab")
x2 = gf.CrossSection(sections=(s0, s1))
c2 = gf.path.extrude(p, x2)
c2.plot()

../_images/b5c32bab2ca918dc5b14eef47c58a670ac42741622d574435b4a5a2f72a834ef.png

t = gf.path.transition(x1, x2)
c3 = gf.path.extrude_transition(p, t)
c3.plot()

../_images/09e34e09af68c9f4db4814a8fce950e8a46503a51293da3c6499745451a8128e.png

c4 = gf.Component()
start_ref = c4 << c
trans_ref = c4 << c3
end_ref = c4 << c2

trans_ref.connect("o1", start_ref.ports["o2"])
end_ref.connect("o1", trans_ref.ports["o2"])
c4.plot()

../_images/4daff0f6076d357b860f3f246e7ad9c86cce8a4b45cea64ccad22d1b7edceff7.png

Creating new cross_sections#

You can create functions that return a cross_section in 2 ways:

Customize an existing cross-section for example gf.cross_section.strip
Define a function that returns a cross_section
Define a CrossSection object

What parameters do cross_section take?

help(gf.cross_section.cross_section)

Help on function cross_section in module gdsfactory.cross_section:

cross_section(width: 'float' = 0.5, offset: 'float' = 0, layer: 'typings.LayerSpec' = 'WG', sections: 'Sections | None' = None, port_names: 'typings.IOPorts' = ('o1', 'o2'), port_types: 'typings.IOPorts' = ('optical', 'optical'), bbox_layers: 'typings.LayerSpecs | None' = None, bbox_offsets: 'typings.Floats | None' = None, cladding_layers: 'typings.LayerSpecs | None' = None, cladding_offsets: 'typings.Floats | None' = None, cladding_simplify: 'typings.Floats | None' = None, cladding_centers: 'typings.Floats | None' = None, radius: 'float | None' = 10.0, radius_min: 'float | None' = None, main_section_name: 'str' = '_default') -> 'CrossSection'
    Return CrossSection.
    
    Args:
        width: main Section width (um).
        offset: main Section center offset (um).
        layer: main section layer.
        sections: list of Sections(width, offset, layer, ports).
        port_names: for input and output ('o1', 'o2').
        port_types: for input and output: electrical, optical, vertical_te ...
        bbox_layers: list of layers bounding boxes to extrude.
        bbox_offsets: list of offset from bounding box edge.
        cladding_layers: list of layers to extrude.
        cladding_offsets: list of offset from main Section edge.
        cladding_simplify: Optional Tolerance value for the simplification algorithm.                 All points that can be removed without changing the resulting.                 polygon by more than the value listed here will be removed.
        cladding_centers: center offset for each cladding layer. Defaults to 0.
        radius: routing bend radius (um).
        radius_min: min acceptable bend radius.
        main_section_name: name of the main section. Defaults to _default
    
    .. plot::
        :include-source:
    
        import gdsfactory as gf
    
        xs = gf.cross_section.cross_section(width=0.5, offset=0, layer='WG')
        p = gf.path.arc(radius=10, angle=45)
        c = p.extrude(xs)
        c.plot()
    
    .. code::
    
    
           ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
           │                                                            │
           │                                                            │
           │                   boox_layer                               │
           │                                                            │
           │         ┌──────────────────────────────────────┐           │
           │         │                            ▲         │bbox_offset│
           │         │                            │         ├──────────►│
           │         │           cladding_offset  │         │           │
           │         │                            │         │           │
           │         ├─────────────────────────▲──┴─────────┤           │
           │         │                         │            │           │
        ─ ─┤         │           core   width  │            │           ├─ ─ center
           │         │                         │            │           │
           │         ├─────────────────────────▼────────────┤           │
           │         │                                      │           │
           │         │                                      │           │
           │         │                                      │           │
           │         │                                      │           │
           │         └──────────────────────────────────────┘           │
           │                                                            │
           │                                                            │
           │                                                            │
           └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

import gdsfactory as gf
from gdsfactory.cross_section import CrossSection, cross_section, xsection
from gdsfactory.typings import LayerSpec

@xsection
def pin(
    width: float = 0.5,
    layer: LayerSpec = "WG",
    radius: float = 10.0,
    radius_min: float = 5,
    layer_p: LayerSpec = (21, 0),
    layer_n: LayerSpec = (20, 0),
    width_p: float = 2,
    width_n: float = 2,
    offset_p: float = 1,
    offset_n: float = -1,
    **kwargs,
) -> CrossSection:
    """Return PIN cross_section."""
    sections = (
        gf.Section(layer=layer_p, width=width_p, offset=offset_p),
        gf.Section(layer=layer_n, width=width_n, offset=offset_n),
    )

    return cross_section(
        width=width,
        layer=layer,
        radius=radius,
        radius_min=radius_min,
        sections=sections,
        **kwargs,
    )

c = gf.components.straight(cross_section=pin)
c.plot()

../_images/c290a8f971188701a786f7ec302e212e47e8d8e73b2dfe8477e966bb08006a25.png

pin5 = gf.components.straight(cross_section=pin, length=5)
pin5.plot()

../_images/27dcd53e0838d146fb7c0431610db2b22ccae5223d506047395fe8f47ce4bfba.png

pin5 = gf.components.straight(cross_section="pin", length=5)
pin5.plot()

finally, you can also pass most components Dict that define the cross-section

# Create our first CrossSection
s0 = gf.Section(width=0.5, offset=0, layer=(1, 0), name="wg", port_names=("o1", "o2"))
s1 = gf.Section(width=0.2, offset=0, layer=(3, 0), name="slab")
x1 = gf.CrossSection(sections=(s0, s1))

# Create the second CrossSection that we want to transition to
s0 = gf.Section(width=0.5, offset=0, layer=(1, 0), name="wg", port_names=("o1", "o2"))
s1 = gf.Section(width=3.0, offset=0, layer=(3, 0), name="slab")
x2 = gf.CrossSection(sections=(s0, s1))

# To show the cross-sections, let's create two Paths and create Components by extruding them
p1 = gf.path.straight(length=5)
p2 = gf.path.straight(length=5)
wg1 = gf.path.extrude(p1, x1)
wg2 = gf.path.extrude(p2, x2)

# Place both cross-section Components and quickplot them
c = gf.Component()
wg1ref = c << wg1
wg2ref = c << wg2
wg2ref.movex(7.5)

# Create the transitional CrossSection
xtrans = gf.path.transition(cross_section1=x1, cross_section2=x2, width_type="linear")
# Create a Path for the transitional CrossSection to follow
p3 = gf.path.straight(length=15, npoints=100)

# Use the transitional CrossSection to create a Component
straight_transition = gf.path.extrude_transition(p3, xtrans)
straight_transition.plot()

../_images/4127a942de66da60b007428e35ce90f287bda3ada3d339e71216c025e8ebf0a1.png

# Create the transitional CrossSection
xtrans = gf.path.transition(
    cross_section1=x1, cross_section2=x2, width_type="parabolic"
)
# Create a Path for the transitional CrossSection to follow
p3 = gf.path.straight(length=15, npoints=100)

# Use the transitional CrossSection to create a Component
straight_transition = gf.path.extrude_transition(p3, xtrans)
straight_transition.plot()

../_images/44ec3c96ee6c0e8f6c9f6eeaa15c5123cbcd993edfef3fcf263fd549c7b8dcc1.png

# Create the transitional CrossSection
xtrans = gf.path.transition(cross_section1=x1, cross_section2=x2, width_type="sine")
# Create a Path for the transitional CrossSection to follow
p3 = gf.path.straight(length=15, npoints=100)

# Use the transitional CrossSection to create a Component
straight_transition = gf.path.extrude_transition(p3, xtrans)
straight_transition.plot()

../_images/2fa1c5ea8ff962cec67a7345df1a7123f0f99077512714ad291a48c5c759eb0a.png

s = straight_transition.to_3d()
s.show()

The port location, width and orientation remains the same for a sheared component. However, an additional property, shear_angle is set to the value of the shear angle. In general, shear ports can be safely connected together.

bbox_layers vs cladding_layers#

For extruding waveguides you have two options:

bbox_layers for squared bounding box
cladding_layers for extruding a layer that follows the shape of the path.

xs_bbox = gf.cross_section.cross_section(bbox_layers=((3, 0),), bbox_offsets=(3,))
w1 = gf.components.bend_euler(cross_section=xs_bbox)
w1.plot()

../_images/b44738d01e757c7f8df0bb8ee65b1b80f1347aaf6ef8a8bd81313296bc780838.png

xs_clad = gf.cross_section.cross_section(cladding_layers=[(3, 0)], cladding_offsets=[3])
w2 = gf.components.bend_euler(cross_section=xs_clad)
w2.plot()

../_images/d9fadcc0b9826421b85b3f403e6481e479cb7239d79e5294bddf7221373505a7.png

Insets#

It’s handy to be able to extrude a CrossSection along a Path, while each Section may have a particular inset relative to the main Section. An example of this is a waveguide with a heater.

import gdsfactory as gf


@xsection
def xs_waveguide_heater() -> gf.CrossSection:
    return gf.cross_section.cross_section(
        layer="WG",
        width=0.5,
        sections=(
            gf.cross_section.Section(
                name="heater",
                width=1,
                layer="HEATER",
                insets=(1, 2),
            ),
        ),
    )


c = gf.components.straight(cross_section=xs_waveguide_heater)
c.plot()

../_images/820b82667d2574744aa2d3a8da809aacdaca92069bd369a4db87884b5e5d5e06.png

@xsection
def xs_waveguide_heater_with_ports() -> gf.CrossSection:
    return gf.cross_section.cross_section(
        layer="WG",
        width=0.5,
        sections=(
            gf.cross_section.Section(
                name="heater",
                width=1,
                layer="HEATER",
                insets=(1, 2),
                port_names=("e1", "e2"),
                port_types=("electrical", "electrical"),
            ),
        ),
    )


c = gf.components.straight(cross_section=xs_waveguide_heater_with_ports)
c.plot()

Path and CrossSection

Contents

Path and CrossSection#

Path#

CrossSection#

Option 1: Single layer and width cross-section#

Option 2: Arbitrary Cross-section#

Option 3: CrossSection with ComponentAlongPath#

Path#

Waypoint smooth paths#

Waypoint sharp paths#

Custom curves#

Simplifying / reducing point usage#

Curvature calculation#

Transitioning between cross-sections#

Variable width / offset#

Offsetting a Path#

Creating new cross_sections#

bbox_layers vs cladding_layers#

Insets#