Undergraduate Experiments in Electron Diffraction

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Physics (13) The Department of Physics & Astronomy has added a laboratory component to its Modern Physics course and moved some experiments from the Experimental Physics Laboratory course to theModern Physics course. A capstone research project has also been added for senior physics majors.As part of these course modifications, the department is adding high-energyelectron diffraction (RHEED) equipment to be used by undergraduate students in a wide variety ofexperiments. Experiments adapt and draw from undergraduate labs on diffraction and on research techniques using RHEED to make measurements on materials.Students who work with the electron diffraction equipment demonstrate for themselves the wave-like behavior of electrons and also gain valuable hands-onexperience using particles as a probe of the structure of matter. Other more advanced topics that are covered include the concepts of diffraction and reciprocal space, surface symmetry and order,and structural differences between amorphous and crystalline solids.The diffraction equipment complement the real space imaging capabilities of twoscanning probe microscopes already owned by the department. Together the electron diffractionand scanning probe microscopy experiments make a powerful combination that enable students to gain a deeper understanding of important fundamental physical ideas like diffraction,tunneling, and the wave-like nature of matter. Laboratory manuals and supporting materialsdeveloped under this project are shared at regional meetings of the AAPT in addition to beingposted on web sites. Results stemming from undergraduate research is publishedseparately in appropriate peer-reviewed journals and presented at scientific meetings.