A review of modern physics including topics such as blackbody radiation, the photoelectric effect, the Compton effect, the Bohr model of the hydrogen atom, the correspondence principle, and the DeBroglie hypothesis. Topics in one-dimensional quantum mechanics such as the particle in an infinite potential well, reflection and transmission from potential wells, barriers, and steps, the finite potential well and the quantum harmonic oscillator. General topics such as raising and lowering operators, Hermitian operators, commutator brackets and the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle are also covered. Many particle systems and the Pauli Exclusion Principle are discussed. Three-dimensional quantum mechanical systems, orbital angular momentum, the hydrogen atom. The class meets Monday and Wednesday 11:25-12:40 in room 220 Stuart Building. An Internet section is also available.
This is a graduate course which introduces advanced students to the production, manupulation and use of synchrotron radiation in research. The course will include visits to beamlines at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. Students will be expected to give presentations and a final project is required. The class meets Tuesdays and Thursdays 15:15-16:30 in room 239 Stuart Building. An Internet section is also available.
Lectures by invited scientists in areas of physics generally not covered in the department. The class meets Thursdays 15:30-17:00 in room 111 Life Sciences Building. Undergraduate students registered for PHYS 485 must sign in and complete all assigned work as detailed in the course web page
Lectures by invited scientists in areas of physics generally not covered in the department. The class meets Thursdays 15:30-17:00 in room 111 Life Sciences Building. Graduate students registered for PHYS 585 or 685 must sign in and complete all assigned work as detailed in the course web page
Questions and Answers about studying physics
Are you interested in studying physics or becoming a physicist? As an advisor to undergraduate and graduate physics students, I have heard and answered many questions over the years. You can ask your questions directly at AllExperts or read my posts on College Confidential as "xraymancs".
Topics might include:
- Can I get involved in research as an undergraduate?
- How do I choose a graduate program?
- I am interested in X, can I specialize as an undergraduate?
History of physics at Illinois Tech
Since 2009, I have been interested in the history of physics at Illinois Institute of Technology including its predecessors, Armour Institute of Technology and Lewis Institute. Through the work of my Introduction to the Profession class each year, we have been able to flesh out a timeline of physics faculty and we are building biographies of as many as possible. The results can be found in the Illinois Tech Physics Faculty Timeline.
Recent research presentations from my group
I attended XAFS15 in Beijing, China and presented the following research from my group at IIT.
- EXAFS Study of PtRu Core-Shell Nanoparticles as Electrocatalysts for DMFC's
- Synthesis and EXAFS Study of Au Core-Ag Shell Nanoparticles Inside Apoferritin Protein
- Iron Incorporation Into Ferroelectric Lead Titanate
- Lattice relaxation in Zn1-xCdxS binary alloy: An Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) Study
Our research was highlighted in the September 2013 issue of International Innovation - North America, published by Research Media, the leading global dissemination resource for the wider scientific, technology and research communities, dedicated to disseminating the latest science, research and technological innovations on a global level. More information and a complimentary subscription offer to the publication can be found at: www.international-innovation-northamerica.com.
Biographical Information
I am a "midwesterner", having spent my early years in Lincoln, Nebraska; Madison, Wisconsin; and Urbana, Illinois. I received my B.S. in physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1976. I then entered my bi-coastal period, first obtaining a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, San Diego in 1981 Professors Bernd Matthias and M. Brian Maple and then spending two years as a post-doc with Prof. Mark Croft at Rutgers University in New Jersey. I have been on the IIT faculty since 1983 with a one-year sabbatical in Trieste, Italy at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics. I have over 100 refereed publications. A full Curriculum Vitae is also available.
Education:
B.S. in Physics, 1976, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
B.S. in Chemistry, 1976, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
M.S. in Physics, 1977, University of California, San Diego
Ph.D. in Physics, 1981, University of California, San Diego
Professional Societies:
American Physical Society
American Chemical Society
American Association for the Advancement of Science
(Fellow)
Sigma Xi (President of IIT Chapter)
International Centre for Diffraction Data
(Fellow)
Research Interests:
My research centers around the structure and electronic properties of
complex materials including superconducting, magnetic and catalytic
materials.
Experimental techniques used in my research include; material synthesis
through arc-melting, powder metallurgy and advanced chemical methods; thin
film deposition by laser and pseudo-spark ablation and sputtering;
structural characterization of the samples performed by x-ray powder
diffraction and x-ray absorption fine structure; and measurement of
electronic properties by resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and x-ray
absorption spectroscopy. Specific topics of interest include:
- in-situ structural studies of catalytic materials for use in fuel cells;
- structural and electronic properties of magnetoelectric materials and other perovskite materials prepared in the form of nanoparticles and thin films;
- local structural studies of structural materials for use in nuclear reactors, including in-situ corrosion studies and characterization of nano-crystalline inclusions in steels;
- development of x-ray optics for synchrotron radiation experimentation.
I also am an active participant in the IIT Center for Synchrotron Radiation Research and Instrumentation (CSRRI) and I serve as Deputy Director of the Materials Research Collaborative Access Team (MRCAT) which operates an experimental facility for materials research at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). I have been involved in the development of crystal optic devices for delivery and detection of x-rays at synchrotron beamlines.
Finally, I am a Debian Developer. I package scientific data analysis software for the Debian GNU/Linux Project.
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