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Prerequisites: PHYS 322L, PHYS 323L. Offered in spring. An integrated laboratory course teaching students modern preparative solid state techniques (e.g. Sol-Gel method, Bridgman technique) and how to tailor the properties and performance of a material by modifications of its stoichiometry, the amount of doping, and the structural aspects. Students will prepare samples of materials with current interest (e.g. glasses, complex oxides, sinter ceramics, certain important single crystals, electronic materials, etc.). The structure, possible phase transitions, and their influence on materials properties are examined by advanced techniques (e.g. optical and electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, TGA, DSC). The applicability of the materials for magnetic, electronic, and optical purposes will also be investigated. Emphasis is laid on studying new materials and on materials design for the environment. |