IPEQ - ICMP - SB - EPFLStation 3CH - 1015 LAUSANNE

J-D GaniereEPFL - SB - ICMP - IPEQCH - 1015 Lausanne

Credit: www.national.com

Experimental Methods in Physics

[2010-2011]

Introduction

•Dr. Jean-Daniel Ganiere [EPFL-ICMP]•Dr. Marco Cantoni [EPFL-CIME]•Dr. Jeab-Marc Bonard [Rolex]

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J-D Ganiere MEP/2010-2011

Introduction

Lectures

• Friday 08.15h - 10h CE 1 100

• documents will be handed out (copy of the slides in pdf/ppt formats)

• documents can be downloaded from the lectures website

http://wiki.epfl.ch/MEP/

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J-D Ganiere MEP/2010-2011

Introduction

Maximal interactivity

your participation is encouraged

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J-D Ganiere MEP/2010-2011

Organisation

Exercices:

reading and presenting (english or french) a scientific paper

personal homework

lecturers are available for any questions

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J-D Ganiere MEP/2010-2011

Organisation

Exams (winter and summer semester)

preparation:

1 h, hand-outs and other documents are authorized(books, dictionaries, ...), but no PCs, no smartphones

presentation:

10-15 mn + 10 mn (presentation + discussion) notes taken during preparation can be usedlanguage can be french or english

Presentation, in french or english, of a scientific paper (written in english ...)

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J-D Ganiere MEP/2010-2011

Lectures: our objectives

• to develop and sharpen your common and critical senses ...

• to learn how to find, read and write a scientific paper ...

• to communicate effectively with other scientists

to present typical and widespread exprimental techniques that are used in current-day physics and materials science

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J-D Ganiere MEP/2010-2011

MEP ... Practical lessons in critical thinking

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J-D Ganiere MEP/2010-2011

Lectures: be pragmatic

description of modern experimental techniques

• what physical principles are they based on ?

• what kind of informations may we obtain ?

• what samples can be investigated ?

• what are the method’s limits ?

• the typical time needed for a measurement ?

• its cost ?

• acronyms, thesauruses ...

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J-D Ganiere MEP/2010-2011

How to classify experimental methods?

“Global” methods

• acoustics

• electrical

• magnetics

• optics

• thermics

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J-D Ganiere MEP/2010-2011

How to classify experimental methods?

“Local” methods

• RMN, RQN, RPE, Mössbauer spectroscopies, ...

• Diffraction with X-rays, electrons, neutrons, ...

• Local probe microscopies

• Electron microscopies

• Surface analysis

• ...

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J-D Ganiere MEP/2010-2011

How to classify experimental methods?

• “local” / “global”

• “static” / “dynamic”

• physical principles

There is not an unique classification

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J-D Ganiere MEP/2010-2011

Lectures: what will we talk about?

Optical microscopy and spectroscopy (confocal microscopy, US-VIS-IR-FTIRspectroscopy) [JDG]

Sources and detectors of EM signals [JDG]

“Local probe” microscopies (SPM, AFM, STM, SNOM) [JMB]

Surface analysis techniques (Auger,XPS, RBS, ....) [JMB]

Electron microscopies (TEM, SEM, ...) [MC]

Introduction to scientific papers, to patents, [JMB]......

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J-D Ganiere MEP/2010-2011

Some dangers

• Many techniques no in-depth understanding

• personal work success

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J-D Ganiere MEP/2010-2011

Exercises

Reading a scientific paper (in english)

• presentation (english or french) by 2-3 students at the beginning of the next lecture (10 minutes max)

• discussion (10 minutes max)

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J-D Ganiere MEP/2010-2011

How should I read a paper ?

• I’m a specialist of the field, reading the paper is easy ..

I want and can understand everything

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J-D Ganiere MEP/2010-2011

How should I read a paper ?

Impossible to understand everything - I would have to look up and read each and every reference, understand it in turn ... Pandora’s box

I have to read efficiently (too many journals, too many papers)

I have to trust the authors, although it is difficult to ...

Reading and understanding what I can, speed-read the rest

More in-depth reading ... after a while

I’m interested, as a general reader ...

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J-D Ganiere MEP/2010-2011

How should I read a paper ?

Some hints

• What is the take-home message ?

• Why did they perform this study ?

• How ? Methods, samples,... ?

• What results did they obtain ?

• Figures, graphs, tables

• Interpretation - does it fit the facts, and known physics ?

• Conclusion

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