The multi-platform optics and photonics educational app

The Multi-Platform Optics and Photonics Educational App was developed through the REU Site: Optics and Photonics: Technologies, Systems, and Devices program at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Optics and photonics is an important field of physics, but students often receive only minimal exposure to it during their undergraduate studies. Students frequently find this topic difficult to comprehend, as it requires a great deal of visualization skills. The current approach of teaching optics and photonics relies heavily on mathematical models, without connecting these models to the visual aspects in terms of ray tracing. The educational app was created to help students develop a strong understanding of the basic principles of this field. By placing a strong emphasis on graphical paraxial ray-tracing, a method taught widely to demonstrate the formation of images by various optical elements, the app allows students to explore fundamental optical elements and how they interact with light and images. The app transitions from short, explanatory demonstrations to interactive simulations that allow students to test their understanding of the material. This paper describes the app, its functionality, and plans for its pilot use by students in sophomore physics courses.