Physics
Senior Independent Study Lab
Senior Independent Study Lab
The Senior Independent Study lab is home to several ongoing experiments. A scanning probe microscope (SPM) enables student investigations into quantum dots--structures so small (generally less than 40 nanometers) that the free electrons are confined in all three dimensions. We have successfully expanded the capabilities of the SPM by adding some electronics to the Scanning Tunneling Microscope configuration so that ballistic electron emission microscopy (BEEM) can be done. The Senior I.S. lab is also used by students and faculty doing experiments in granular materials and self-organized criticality.