Hands-On Quantum Mechanics and Optical Spectroscopy

一项旨在将量子力学教科书中的例子和光学概念与技术上重要的材料联系起来的实验正在高年级本科生实验室中进行。利用多功能光谱仪系统和高效探测器，学生们对新材料进行光致发光（光发射）、光反射率和拉曼（光的非弹性散射）测量。本实验室实验选择的样品为半导体量子阱异质结构（QWH），用于激光和现代电子器件；和C60，它在几个行业有潜在的应用。量子力学实验的独特之处在于它将一个真实的物理系统与基础量子力学或现代物理课程中处理过的一维平方势联系起来。同样，在C60上的实验说明了光谱学的基本原理及其在新材料表征中的应用。这些实验使本科课程现代化，使学生对新材料的前沿研究有了感觉。该设备寿命长，适用于各种材料的实验。该项目包括在两个本科实验课程和本科生研究项目中使用新设备。实验的细节和学生的经历将通过研讨会、会议报告和期刊（美国物理杂志和其他杂志）上的出版物与其他机构感兴趣的同事分享。

An experiment designed to connect quantum mechanical textbook examples and concepts in optics with technologically important materials is being undertaken in the upper-level undergraduate student laboratories. Using a versatile spectrometer system and an efficient detector, students are performing photoluminescence (optical emission), optical reflectivity, and Raman (inelastic scattering of light) measurements on novel materials. Samples chosen for this laboratory experiment are semiconductor quantum well heterostructures (QWH), which are used in lasers and modern electronic devices; and C60, which has potential applicatimns in several industries. The experiment on QWH is unique in connecting a real physical system with the one-dimensional square well potentials treated in elementary Quantum Mechanics or Modern Physics courses. Similarly, the experiment on C60 serves to illustrate rudiments of optical spectroscopy and its use in the characterization of new materials. These experiments modernize the undergraduate curriculum and give the students a feel for frontier research in new materials. The equipment has a long life span and is adaptable for experiments on a wide variety of materials. The project includes the use of the new equipment in two undergraduate laboratory courses and also for undergraduate student research projects. Details of the experiments and student experiences will be shared with interested colleagues at other institutions through workshops, presentations at meetings and publications in journals - American Journal of Physics and others.