Syllabus
Spring 2006
G318 Principles of Experimental Physics
U700 Advanced Physics Laboratory 2
For updated information on these classes and to download .pdf files of experiments:
Use Blackboard (http://blackboard.neu.edu/)
Instructor:
Prof. Mark C. Williams
Office: 101 Dana
Required Textbook: Data Reduction and Error Analysis for the Physical Sciences, by Philip R. Bevington and D. Keith Robinson. McGraw-Hill, 3rd edition.
Optional Text on Reserve at the Snell Library: The C Programming Language, by Brian W. Kernighan and Dennis M. Ritchie, Prentice Hall, 2nd edition.
Lecture: Every week on Tuesday from 1:35 pm to 2:35 pm in 321 CH
Lab: 2 week labs, rotating. Lab meets every week for 3 hours in 5 Dana (or 26 Dana)
Section 1: Fri. 10:00 am – 1 pm
Section 2: Fri. 1:35 pm – 4:35 pm
There are a total of eight experiments. Each group of two students is required to complete six of the experiments and each student will hand their own lab report describing their work. The lab reports of two students working together may contain the same data, but the discussion must be written by each individual. The lab reports are due by the beginning of lab meeting time the following week, when the next experiment is started. Late labs lose one point per week.
As an alternative, students may elect to perform a new major experiment instead of the last 3 experiments. Such students would still do Experiments 1 and 2 and choose one of the experiments numbered 3-8. To do this, a student must come up with an original idea for an experiment and write a two page proposal outlining the goals of the experiment, the necessary equipment, and the methods to be used. This experiment can be done in collaboration with a faculty member from the physics department, and each experiment can be done by one to two students at once. In order to proceed with a major experiment, the instructor must approve of the research plan. If the plan is determined to be inadequate, the student will be required to complete the full set of six experiments from the choices outlined below. The final report for a major experiment will be weighted the same as three two-week experiments, so the report must be very well done and complete.
Experiments:
Experiment 1. Programming and data analysis in Labwindows. This experiment is an introduction to programming in C with Labwindows. All groups will start with this experiment and have two weeks to complete it. This experiment will be done by all groups at once.
Experiment 2. Data acquisition with Labwindows. This experiment is an introduction to digital data acquisition and instrumentation interface with Labwindows. All groups will start with this experiment and have two weeks to complete it. This experiment will be done by all groups at once.
Experiment 3. NMR. In this experiment, you will explore continuous wave nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).
Experiment 4. Resistivity of Chromium. This experiment demonstrates the use of a lock-in amplifier to measure small changes in resistivity. Results from an experiment to measure the resistivity of chromium as a function of temperature reveal a dramatic phase transition.
Experiment 5. Lasers and laser mode structure. In this experiment, you will use an external cavity Helium Neon laser to investigate longitudinal and transverse laser modes.
Experiment 6. Optical tweezers. In this experiment, you will construct a simple single beam optical tweezers instrument and use it to trap polystyrene beads. You will then measure the trap stiffness and trap strength and calibrate the instrument for force measurement.
Experiment 7. Optical spectroscopy. This experiment examines the fluorescence from a semiconductor sample using a spectrometer.
Experiment 8. STM. Here you will probe the surface of various conducting materials using scanning tunneling microscopy.
Experiment 9. Magnetization of superconductors. This experiment uses the SQUID magnetometer to probe the properties of superconductors.
Experiment 10. AFM. Here you will probe the surface of various materials using atomic force microscopy.
Grading:
10% homework
20% Hour exam
70% lab reports
Lecture and Lab
Schedule
|
Week of |
Lecture |
Experiment |
|
Jan. 9 |
Programming in C and Labwindows |
Experiment 1 |
|
Jan. 16 |
Virtual instruments and data acquisition |
Experiment 1 |
|
Jan. 23 |
Error Analysis |
Experiment 2 |
|
Jan. 30 |
Curve fitting |
Experiment 2 |
|
Feb. 6 |
Measurement theory, A-D conversion |
3rd Experiment |
|
Feb. 13 |
Fourier transform techniques |
3rd Experiment |
|
Feb. 20 |
Noise Proposal for major experiment due by the start of lab section this week. |
4th Experiment |
|
Feb. 27 |
Hour exam on programming and data analysis on Tuesday, Feb. 28 |
4th Experiment |
|
Mar. 6 |
Spring Break |
|
|
Mar. 13 |
Office hour |
5th Experiment |
|
Mar. 20 |
Office hour |
5th Experiment |
|
Mar. 27 |
Office hour |
6th Experiment |
|
Apr. 3 |
Office hour |
6th Experiment |
|
Apr. 10 |
Office hour |
|
|
Apr. 17 |
The last lab report or major experiment report is due on Wednesday, April 13 at 5 pm |
|
|
|
Final Exams Begin Apr. 21 |
|