PHYS 405 EXPERIMENTAL PHYSICS PHYS 505

Semester: Spring 2022

Instructor: Ali Serpengüzel | SCI 119

Laboratory Coordinator: Nazmi Yılmaz | SCI 136

Laboratory Engineer: Erhan Ermek | SCI Z23

Assistant: Syed Sultan Shah Bukhari | SCI 147

Assistant: Baran Berkay Hökelek | SCI Z34

Science Librarian: Ebru Çınar | LIB 222

Course Subjects: Introduction, method, setup, simulations, measurements, analysis, discussion, results, conclusions for single component and integrated solid state electronic device characteristics and applications in electronic circuits and coherent and incoherent electromagnetic waves in modern physics experiments and contemporary technology applications with transmission, absorption, diffraction, and spectroscopic measurements.

Course Description: Selected simulations and experiments in physics: single component and integrated solid state electronic device characteristics and applications in electronic circuits. Use of coherent and incoherent electromagnetic waves in modern physics experiments and contemporary technology applications with transmission, absorption, diffraction, and spectroscopic measurements. Laboratory and simulation techniques, data recording and analysis, communication of results through written and oral reports.

Course Objective: The objective of this course is to teach the importance of experimental physical knowledge as well as the experimental know how that goes along with it. Experimental physics lies at the very foundation of physical phenomena and every student of physics should master it before graduation. An introduction is given to experimental methods, data acquisition, analysis, as well as written and oral presentation.

Learning Outcomes: The students are expected to learn how to setup experiments, how to record reliable data, analyze their measurements, discuss their results and present their written reports in an intelligible way. They will also learn how to make effective presentations by presenting a topic of their choice on a related topic. They will gain experience in analog discrete and integrated electronic devices as well as modern physics experiments.

Teaching Method: There are two weekly online or in person meetings. There is a problem session and a labor session every week.

Attendance: All students are required to attend lectures, labor sessions, and problem sessions. Even a university approved Medical Excused Absence or Dean of Student’s Excused Absence doesn’t relieve you of this attendance requirement. Students who miss more than 1/3 of the classes (excused or unexcused) might receive an automatic F irrespective of their course average.

Labor Session: Come to the labor session on time. You may not enter the labor session, if you are more than 15 minutes late. If you miss a laboratory experiment without an official excuse, your grade will be zero for that experiment. Come to the labor session prepared. You should be familiar with the experiment, before you come to the labor session. Complete the necessary preliminary work, before you come to the labor session.

Project Report and Presentation: Each student will prepare a presentation with a related report on a state-of-the-art electronics and modern physical science and technology topic. You will make a literature search , and present your research based on the existing literature. You will find historic information about the material (i.e., who discovered it, invented it). You will find out where in the world this research is performed, as well as the related research in Türkiye. Your presentation should consist of approximately 15 slides. As you will have 15 minutes, design your talk so that you will talk around one minute per page. You should spend a reasonable amount of time for preparing your presentation. All students taking this course are expected to participate in all of the presentations. Discuss your report and presentation with your instructor. He will give you tips on how to prepare a good reports and presentations. Your report should be in the scientific format. It should include an introduction, and sections on research results, their analysis, discussion, conclusion, as well as references.

Grading policy: two midterm exams (25 % each), labor session reports (25%), and presentation with a related report on a state-of-the-art electronics or modern physical science and technology topic (25%). The dates of the exams will be announced later. Makeup exams are very reluctantly given only with a university approved medical excuse, and if given, will always be harder then the original exams. Do not plan to take makeups.

Grading policy for the labor session: During the laboratory sessions careful laboratory practice, careful laboratory notebook keeping, and preliminary reporting in the laboratory notebook are necessary, but not sufficient conditions for the final laboratory report. 10 steps to successful reports are given under writing resources. You will submit a final laboratory report for each experiment one week after the experiment to the course instructor. There will be an instant 100% reduction for late final laboratory reports, i.e., late final laboratory reports will not be accepted.

Grading policy for the project presentation and report: Careful literature search, excellent presentation, completely being able to answer questions are necessary, but not sufficient conditions for the presentation. 10 steps to successful presentations are given under the presentation resources. You will submit your presentation and related report by the end of the term to the course instructor. There will be an instant 100% reduction for late presentations and related reports, i.e., late presentations and related reports will not be accepted.

Text Book: Hands-On Electronics, Daniel Kaplan and Christopher White, Cambridge University Press, UK (2003).

Recommended Book: Physical Foundations of Solid State Devices, Fred Schubert (2005).

Recommended Book: The Scientist and Engineer’s Guide to Digital Signal Processing, Steven Smith (1997).

Recommended Book: The Art of Electronics, Paul Horowitz and Winfield Hill, Cambridge University Press, UK (1989).

Recommended Book: Principles of Electronic Materials and Devices, 2nd Edition, Safa Kasap, McGraw-Hill, NY (2002).

Recommended Book: Schaum’s Outline of Electronics Devices and Circuits, 2. Edition, Jimmie Cathey, McGraw-Hill (2002).

Recommended Book: Schaum’s Outline of Modern Physics, 2. Edition, Ronald Gautreau, McGraw-Hill (1999).

Laboratory Note Book: is available at the bookstore. Every student should have one square ruled A4 size laboratory note book. Bring your laboratory note book to all the labor sessions. You will record with a pen (not a pencil) the schematics, the relevant parameters, and your measurements in your laboratory note book. You will have to date all the pages in the lab note book during that particular session.

Student Code of Conduct: Students should be familiar with the Koç University Student Code of Conduct.