The paper is due on Thursday, December 4th (9th week).
There are a wide variety of experimental techniques used in solid state physics. Some have been around for a long time, others are relatively new. Pick one technique you think is particularly promising to yield important results in the coming years, to study in some detail. Find a paper published within the last 5 years in a physics journal (e.g. Physical Review Letters, Physical Review B, Journal of Applied Physics, Applied Physics Letters, Nature Physics, Nature, Science, etc) that reports interesting experimental results using that technique.
Study the origin of the technique, understand the basic principles of it, find out for which materials it has been used, what kind of questions it has helped answer, how it has evolved over time, etc.
Write a paper summarizing what you have learned about this technique, plus a discussion of the results in the recent paper you found that used this technique. Suggested length 5 to 7 pages but there is no strict limit on the length. Your paper should have some equations in addition to words.
Submit both a hard copy (in class) and an electronic version (pdf file, will be posted at the course website) by email on or before the due date Dec. 4th.
Prepare a 10 minute talk using powerpoint (preferably), transparencies or white board, that you will present the following week to share with the class what you learned.
You should use published papers / books as your sources of information, not just google and wikipedia, and give references to your sources.
The paper should be written by you, no cutting and pasting from sources. Googling of any 6-word string in your paper should give an empty result.
Your grade on this will be based on the paper, the presentation, and how you answered questions on your presentation. Most importantly, your paper and presentation should be understandable to you, next in importance, it should be understandable to your classmates and the instructor, next it should be informative, next it should be interesting.
Some examples of experimental techniques (in no particular order):
neutron scattering, photoemission,
optical spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, pump-probe spectroscopy, electron holography,
tunneling, STM, AFM, KPFM,
transport measurements, muon spin relaxation, positron annihilation, coherent X-rays, EXAFS, EELS, LEED, NMR, NQR, ESR,...
Please send me an email with title "211a special topic subject" letting me know which experimental technique you pick and the reference to the paper in the last 5 years using this technique, as soon as you decide. Here is a list of techniques chosen so far. Please don't pick a technique that is already on the list.
During the last week of the quarter at lecture time and on the final exam scheduled time slot we will have a 10 minute talk by each student, + 2-3 minutes question period. Attendance to these sessions is required, as well as paying attention to your classmates' talks and asking questions.