A Track-Based Advanced Physics Laboratory Course

这项建议旨在开发和实施一门新的“基于轨道的”高级物理实验室课程，在该课程中，学生在一个物理领域进行一系列相关的实验。给定赛道上的实验从简单开始，并随着课程的进展扩展到更复杂的水平。虽然实验本身只涉及一个领域，但所使用的实验技术适用于物理学的许多其他领域。一个全面的教程是伴随和描述实验，为实验室调查提供必要的背景和动机。这种基于轨道的实验课程在教授学生实验物理方面比传统的物理实验课程更有效，并在培养学生对实验的信心和能力方面更有效。将产生两个轨道：1)基于激光的原子/分子/光学物理；2)声学。第一个轨道利用了半导体二极管激光技术的新的和重大的进步。应用最近开发的技术，可见光670 nm二极管激光器正在被制造成可调谐的窄线宽激光光源，其发射波长与锂的D线波长相同。使用这些激光工具，正在演示原子和光学物理中的基本现象。第二轨道探索古典和现代声学的几个方面，特别关注量子声学和非线性声学的最新进展。

This proposal aims to develop and implement a new "track-based" advanced physics laboratory course, where students undertake a series of related experiments in a single area of physics. The experiments in a given track begin simply, and expand into greater levels of sophistication as the course progresses. Although the experiments themselves cover only one area, the experimental techniques used apply to many other areas of physics. A comprehensive tutorial is to accompany and describe the experiments, providing the necessary background and motivation for the laboratory investigations. It is believed that such a track-based lab course is more effective than traditional physics laboratory courses at teaching students experimental physics, and at instilling in students a higher level of confidence and competence in the laboratory.Two tracks will be created: 1) laser-based atomic/molecular/optical physics, and 2) acoustics. The first track makes use of new and significant advances in semiconductor diode laser technology. Applying recently-developed techniques, visible 670-nm diode lasers are being made into tunable narrow- linewidth laser light sources, which emit at the wavelength of the D-lines of lithium. Using these laser tools, fundamental phenomena in atomic and optical physics are being demonstrated. The second track explores several aspects of classical and modern acoustics, with special attention paid to recent advances in quantum and non-linear acoustics.