Enhancement of a Materials Characterization Instrument for Use in Solid-State Physics Laboratories

该项目的目标是让格林内尔学院的物理专业学生通过将现代实验技术应用于实践物理学家感兴趣的问题，来研究固态物理的基本概念。该项目是早期努力的逻辑延伸，最终获得了一种灵活的材料测试仪器，该仪器已被用于将固态物理实验整合到该部门的大二和高年级实验室课程中。该部门正在进行几次升级，以提高这一仪器的能力。因此，加强，材料测试仪器使三个重要的课程发展成为可能。首先，它允许在大二和高年级的实验室课程中引入热容测量。其次，它允许修改这些课程中现有的实验，以探索二维电子气和高温超导体中的各向异性现象。第三，它使学生能够在固态物理学中考虑独立的研究项目，从更广泛的选择中进行选择。该项目的成功是通过评估学生在这些固态物理主题的能力之前和之后的变化的实施进行评估。一旦这些实验室得到开发和测试，将通过在适当的期刊上发表文章和在有关会议上介绍的方式加以传播。

The goal of this project is to allow physics majors at Grinnell College to work with fundamental concepts of solid-state physics through the application of modern experimental techniques to problems of interest to practicing physicists. This project is a logical extension of earlier efforts that culminated in the acquisition of a flexible materials testing instrument, which has been used to integrate solid-state physics experiments into the department' s sophomore- and senior-level lab courses. The department is using several upgrades to enhance the capabilities of this instrument. Thus enhanced, the materials testing instrument makes possible three significant curricular developments. First, it permits the introduction of heat capacity measurements into the curriculum in both the sophomore- and senior-level lab courses. Second, it allows the modification of existing experiments in these courses to explore anisotropic phenomena in a two-dimensional electron gas and in high-temperature superconductors. Third, it enables students contemplating independent research projects in solid-state physics to choose from a wider range of options. The success of this project is evaluated by assessing student competence in these solid-state physics topics both before and after the implementation of the changes. Once these labs have been developed and tested, they will be disseminated through publications in appropriate journals and through presentations at relevant conferences.