Learning objectives
This course provides basic knowledge on instrumentation frequently used in physics laboratories. The aim is to learn how to plan simple experiments, to acquire and analyse the data, to discuss the results. Numerical simulation methods for prototypical models are developed in the second part.
Prerequisites
Undergraduate physics and calculus, undergraduate physics lab practice.
Course unit content
This course is divided in two parts. The first parts dwells on how to plan an experiment, instrumentation, spectroscopic techniques, the second on how to derive physical predictions (numerical values) from a mathematical model and, consequently, on how to estimate parameters of a mathematical model from measurements.
Main topics:
Part I
- Emission spectroscopy
- Time-resolved luminescence
- Resistivity and carrier density in semiconductor and semi-insulator materials
- Photomultipliers
- Scintillators
Part II
General issues of numerical calculation and implementation of
algorithms.
- Numerical computation
- Software (matlab/python/C/C++).
- Numerical methods for the solution of differential equations
- Statistical methods for data processing.
- How to extract the value of a physical parameter from the experimental data
Full programme
- - -
Bibliography
Lecture notes, journal papers.
Teaching methods
A few lectures to illustrate the experiments and the introductory topics, followed by group sessions in the lab, both for the experimental and for the numerical simulation parts.
Assessment methods and criteria
Grading of experiment papers and numerical exercises (homework), plus two additional general papers, one for each part of the course. Both general papers will lead to a brief discussion, possibly in the form of a presentation.
Other information
- - -
