From ray optics to modal analysis: using photonics web simulations to build intuition and address common...

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Background:

• Silicon photonics is a rapidly growing field demanding specialized engineers.
• Students struggle to grasp electromagnetic wave behavior at the micron scale, often misapplying macroscale optics principles.
• This difficulty hinders the development of essential intuition for photonic integrated circuit design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and address key student misconceptions in understanding electromagnetic waves for silicon photonics.
• To develop and deploy an effective educational tool for training future photonics design engineers.

Main Methods:

• A research study was conducted to pinpoint common student misunderstandings.
• Photonics training simulations incorporating interactive 3D vector field visualizations were developed.
• A learning module featuring these simulations was deployed within a massive open online course (MOOC).

Main Results:

• Key student misconceptions regarding electromagnetic wave behavior at the micron scale were identified.
• The interactive 3D visualizations effectively addressed these identified misconceptions.
• The learning module facilitated improved student comprehension within the MOOC environment.

Conclusions:

• Interactive simulations and 3D visualizations are crucial for developing student intuition in silicon photonics.
• Educational interventions in MOOCs can successfully train the next generation of photonic integrated circuit design engineers.
• Bridging the gap between macroscale and microscale optics understanding is vital for advancing the field.