Undergraduate Research in
the Department of
Physics and Astronomy
Washington State University
|
Pac spin rotation spectrum showing decoherence due to
jumping of probe atoms at frequencies in the range of 1 MHz to 1 GHz
(Collins)
Peter Engel's experiment--light from a diode laser
used for laser cooling and atom trapping.
Dickinson's summer undergraduates, graduate students, and
visitors.
Millisa Skala adusts picosecond laser.
|
|
The Department of Physics strongly urges
students to participate in research during their time at WSU. Physics
Majors are required to submit a Thesis their senior year (satisfies the Physics 490
requirement); often the student's thesis is derived from a research experience
with a faculty member.
Students work on a variety of problems
including literature surveys, equipment construction, computer modeling, data
analysis, and manuscript preparation.
Undergraduate participation falls into
several categories:
-
Physics 499 Projects (credit)
-
Informal Projects, no credit, no
salary
-
Projects with Time-Slip (hourly)
Support
-
Summer Projects (usually with support
in the form of a stipend)
Below are a list of faculty members who
are possible mentors for undergraduate research with descriptions of their work.
Contact them to discuss possible projects.
Doerte Blume
Doerte Blume, a theoretical physicist, is interested in the
microscopic behavior of few-particle systems, especially in atomic,
molecular and chemical physics. At low temperatures, many few-body systems
exhibit extreme quantum mechanical behaviors, which suggest theoretical
investigations based on the many-body Schroedinger equation. Systems of
interest include condensed Bose gases, degenerate Fermi gases and quantum
clusters.
Undergraduates involved in Blume's group have the opportunity to be
introduced to a variety of numerical and analytical approaches. These
projects will enhance the understanding of basic quantum mechanics such as
the scattering between two particles. A different project may be aimed at
visualizing the behaviors of quantum mechanical many-body systems and at
visualizing so-called Monte Carlo algorithms.
Gary S. Collins
We study the local structure of solids by measuring interactions between
nuclear moments and crystal fields produced by nearby charges or spins. The
interactions cause precessions of the moments detected as “spin rotation”
spectra using the method of perturbed angular correlation of gamma rays (PAC).
We are currently applying this approach to determine preferred lattice locations
of impurity atoms in compounds, since each lattice site has a characteristic
precession frequency that can be used to flag the site. We are also measuring
jump frequencies of impurity atoms in compounds at high temperature since the
jumps lead to decoherence of the precession patterns.
Undergraduates can participate in all aspects of the project, from sample
preparation by arc melting and annealing, to the experimental PAC measurements,
spectral curve fitting, and analysis of the results using thermodynamic models.
You will become familiar with methods for detecting nuclear radiations and for
making measurements at temperatures up to 1200 C. Your participation will be
tailored to the time you have available. Much more information is available on
the group’s web site at
http://defects.physics.wsu.edu.
Tom Dickinson
Our group is called the Surface Dynamics Laboratory. Our major areas of
research are directed towards understanding the mechanisms for the detachment of
atoms, ions, and other particles from the surfaces of materials. This is
often induced by irradiation with electrons, laser beams, and mechanical
stimulation. Our laboratory contains a number of lasers including excimer
and various solid state lasers, including a femtosecond laser. Students
learn to use a number of instruments and methods used including time resolved
quadrupole mass spectroscopy, time resolved optical emission and absorption
spectroscopy, and various surface analysis and imaging tools such as atomic
force microscopy (AFM, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, and Scanning Electron
Microscopy. Projects focus on the mechanisms of laser surface modifications of
insulators such as single crystal oxides and polymers. Mechanical related
research currently focuses on nanotribology which is aimed at understanding
friction and wear on an atomic level. Projects involving simultaneous
stimulation of surface with a tiny AFM tip and a slightly corrosive solution are
of high interest because of applications in nanotechnology and in the area of
chemical mechanical planarization (a technique that drives the semiconductor
chip manufacturing industry). We often use computer simulations and
modeling to verify proposed mechanisms. Finally, we have a computer
project in Physics Education where we are applying artificial intelligence
techniques to perform on-line quizzing and tutoring of beginning physics.
Undergraduates are involved in all of these projects, many leading to
student-authored publications based on their work.
Peter W. Engels
The research in Dr. Engels' lab focuses on experiments with ultracold
quantum gases. The experiments strive to study fundamental quantum mechanical
behavior and many-body physics using Bose-Einstein condensates and degenerate
Fermi gases. The experimental set-ups involve state-of-the-art technologies from
fields as diverse as lasers and optics, electronics, instrumentation programming
and ultra-high vacuum.
Matt
McCluskey
Matt
McCluskey’s group performs experimental research on semiconductors and
high-pressure physics. They investigate fundamental optical and electronic
properties of materials that are important in optoelectronic devices such as
laser diodes. Using large pressures combined with infrared spectroscopy, they
have discovered unusual phenomena related to impurities (such as hydrogen) in
semiconductors.
Undergraduate
students are involved in all aspects of this research. Undergraduate projects
currently underway include the development of infrared detectors and phase
separation in materials under pressure. Other opportunities include the defect
properties of organic semiconductors and the behavior of nanoparticles under
large pressures.
Steve Tomsovic
Steve Tomsovic is
a theoretical physicist interested in chaos, and how chaos influences
quantum and wave mechanics. The influence of chaos shows up in many
subfields of physics. At WSU, focus is on: i) mesoscopic systems - the
Coulomb Blockade regime, ii) mesoscopic systems - anomalous ground state
properties induced by interactions and dynamics, iii) quantum point
contacts, iv) generalizing semiclassical/ray methods to handle chaotic
dynamics, v) long range ocean acoustics, vi) waves propagating through
weakly random media, and vii) nuclear physics - statistical aspects and
fundamental symmetry violation.
Undergraduates
working in this quantum chaos group would be introduced to the physics
of one of the systems above and would rely on dynamical system methods
relevant to chaos, semiclassical methods, and random matrix theory
amongst others.
Guy Worthey
My research interests include stellar
populations in external galaxies , observational cosmology and galaxy formation,
and theoretical models of stellar populations. Undergraduate projects on
stars, galaxies, spectroscopy, image analysis, planet dynamics are available to
students.
Star gazers. (Worthey)
|
ZnO nanoparticles (McCluskey)
|
Ann McEvoy
presenting her Award Winning Poster (Dickinson) |
Images of super rough surfaces generated by electron and laser irradiation
of insulating dielectrics (Dickinson)
