NFYK15007U Condensed Matter Experiments

Skills:

After the course the student is expected to have the following skills:

• Describe the properties of gaseous and liquid helium and nitrogen, and differentiate between 3He and 4He at low temperatures.
• Identify the main components of a cryostat, and explain physical properties of solids that are relevant for the conduction and isolation of heat.
• Explain the temperature dependence of electron-phonon coupling, and its implications for achieving low electron temperatures in quantum devices.
• Describe different ways of measuring cryogenic electron and phonon temperatures.
• Explain resistivity, resistance, conductivity, conductance, magnetic susceptibility.
• Explain the concept of a semiconducting heterostructure, and the role of doping.
• Explain two- and four-terminal measurements, lock-in detection, and basic concepts of electrical noise.
• Explain principles of amplifiers, shielding, and the identification and elimination of extrinsic noise sources.
• Explain the concept of coherence, and how it relates to particles and waves. Explain typical scales for coherence time and coherence lengths of solid state electrons, X-rays and neutrons.
• Explain fundamental optical properties of X-ray and neutron radiation and its interaction with solids.
• Establish formulas for the scattering function, and standard steps in the analysis of scattering data.
• Work in small teams and efficiently perform an experiment, analyze the data and find a convincing interpretation. Communicate the results in a written document that places the findings into the context of what was known or expected before the experiment, and how they inform other experiments or raise important questions.

Knowledge:

After the course the student will be familiar with physical concepts that address the behavior of solids at low temperature, the flow of heat and electrical carriers, and the propagation of X-rays and neutrons. The student will know how interactions can be described by elastic and inelastic scattering, and the important role of coherence and interference. Most importantly, the student will understand how these theoretical concepts connect to key experimental methods used in the daily life of experimental groups dedicated to solid state quantum devices, neutron scattering and x-ray diffraction. Discussions of hot-off-the-press experimental literature and/or hands-on experiments in the course laboratory will prepare the young scientist for a smooth transition into an experimental research group.

Competences:

This course will provide the students with a background for further studies specializing in the physics and applications of quantum devices, X-ray and neutron scattering. The students will gain insight into the real-life execution of scientific experiments and the teamwork and software tools necessary to analyze and report results, in preparation for pursuing for example an experimental M.Sc. project.