Mentoring
and Teaching
Dr. Carroll received his PhD. from Dr. Doering at Wesleyan University in Middletown CT. So were did Dr. Doering study?
Dr. Dale Doering studied with Dr. J. Thomas Dickinson (Washington State)
Dr. Dickinson studied with Dr. Jens Zorn (University of Michigan)
Dr. Zorn studied with Dr. Vernon W Hughes (Yale University)
Dr. Hughes studied with Dr. I.I. Rabi (Columbia University, Nobel 1944)
Dr. Rabi studied with Dr. Albert Potter Wills (Columbia University)
Dr. Wills studied with Dr. Arthur Gordon Webster (Clark University, founder of the APS)
Dr. Webster studied with Dr. Hermann von Helmholtz (Berlin)
So I guess you could say we are the great great ---great--- great great grandchildren of Dr. Helmholtz.
(Isn't google amazing!)
And the next generation? There have been more than 100 students and postdocs to spend time in the Carroll Research Group. I will eventually list them all, but for now here are the advanced thesis holders from the group. I am justifiably very proud of them all.
PhD: Daniel Tekleab, Scott Webster, Richard Czerw, Jiwen Liu, Nicole Levi, Faith Coldren, Jerry Kielbasa, Wanyi Nie, Yuan Li, Corey Hewitt, Alex Taylor, Greg Smith, Wenxiao Huang, Junwei Xu, Chaochao Dun, David Montgomery
MA: A. Date, P. Iyer, S. Xing, W. Wang, D. Weston, Jillian Berjke, Eric Peterson, Eric Henderson
The Carroll Doctrine?
Online Education
Is it for you? Or, is there more to this?
80% of [success] is just showing up
-woody allen
Online and hybrid educational models are hotly debated today. Is the traditional college experience worth the expense, the effort, the trouble? There are many that say no, and a raft of research that would suggest that skills - as based on standardized exam performance - are exactly the same in the traditional and online delivery approaches. This is true for STEM as well as liberal arts subjects. BUT...
I would like to posit that this is not necessarily the whole story. It is undeniable that teaching methodologies online have improved dramatically over the past few years and that online courses do now represent an excellent opportunity for those students that can not attend courses in person. It is further undeniable that today's online approaches provide a self-learning space that is beneficial to all students and should be utilized as "good pedagogy" in classrooms that seek to improve a students mind.
However, when looking at outcomes beyond simple exam scores, particularly in STEM areas, interactions with peers, peer learning modes, interactions with mentoring instructors, self-evaluation based on cross pollination of ideas within overlap groups, must play an essential role in education as in life. The singer Jimmy Buffet once said: "Don't try to describe the ocean if you've never seen it…" or less poetically: the experience counts.
Read This For More on this Hypothesis
So what does this all mean? It means we should be doing both! WFU offers a unique environment for young scientists. You can become part of a vibrant and active professional community of researchers and experience first hand the meaning of everything we are teaching you. And, in my courses, we will also make use of the latest in online resources, to ensure that you have every chance you need to succeed.
Dave Carroll
Carroll Study Guides
Lecture Materials and study guides are available for nearly every course I teach. All the undergraduate courses have them available on their CANVAS pages. Most graduate courses either use one of my text books or one of my study guides. These materials are distributed at the beginning of class.
The Tutorial
In all undergraduate lecture classes I use a tutorial system. In this system each student meets with me, or another senior tutor, weekly for one hour and presents their HW answers, discusses their approach to problems posed in
tutorial, and asks questions about concepts in the class. HW grades are
based on the tutorial.
More info on how this works can be found on the CANVAS
pages for the different classes.
The Courses
Don't be ridiculous, of course I teach classes...
These courses use a tutorial system: a weekly meeting between students and tutor to discuss the weekly lectures and address assignments. You must prepare for the tutorial weekly and be ready to explain answers to problems in detail. The tutorial is graded.
first half Fall semester
PHY 337/637
The course introduces advanced methods in classical mechanics: Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations of kinematics as well as reviews non-inertial problems, non-integrable/chaotic problems and coupled oscillators within this context.
I. Setting up the problem
Extended bodies, Euler angles, and non inertial reference frames
Generalized coordinates, constraints to motion, and configuration space
Kinetic Energy in Generalized Coordinates and Generalized Momentum
II. Getting to a principle of motion
The principle of Virtual Work
Variational Principles and the Action
The Lagrangian Equations of Motion
III. Implications of this principle
Nonuniqueness of the Lagrangian
Integrals of Motion / Conservation Laws
Scale Invariance
Nonconservative Systems
Forces of Constraint and Lagrange’s Multiplier
IV. Expressing configuration space in phase space
Descriptions of Motion in Phase Spaces and the Legendre Transform
Hamiltonian Formulation of Mechanics: The Hamiltonian of a Dynamic System
Hamilton’s Equations of Motion
V. Important details in phase space
Integrals of Motion and Conservation Theorems
Canonical Transformations
Poisson Brackets and Quantum Mechanics
Phase Space and Liouville’s Theorem
Time Reversal in Mechanics
This course runs 1/2 a semester and is evaluated midterm (October).
Analytical Mechanics
second half Fall semester
PHY 339/639
This is a fast-paced re-introduction to the rules of electromagnetism as they arise from a source-theory perspective
I. Source laws / Fields: Electric
Coulomb and Gauss
the calculus of field structure (div/grad/curl)
Potentials Poisson and Laplace
II. Source Laws / Fields: Magnetic
Relativity
Biot-Savart and Ampere
Field Structure
Vector potentials
III. Time dependence
The discoveries of Faraday
Maxwell's corrections
A wave equation emerges
IV. Interactions with Materials response theory
dielectrics / electrets
magnets / para/dia
This course runs 1/2 a semester and is evaluated endterm (December).
Electromagnetism
Spring semester
PHY 340/640
I. A review of E&M and advanced solutions methods
(tricks for the advanced physicist)
Separation of Variables
Fourier Series
Methods of images
Methods of inverse negatives
II. The energy and momentum of classical fields
Poynting thm
Work-Energy thm.
Maxwell tensor
III. Returning to E&M waves
Solutions in free space
Solutions in materials: Fresnel
Reflection and waves guided
Dispersion and Absorption
IV. Electromagnetic Radiation and Scattering
The Lorenz Gauge
Retarded solutions of the wave equation
Multipole radiation patterns
Dipole scattering
V. Classical E&M in a quantum world (time permitting)
E&M as a gauge theory
the beginnings of quantum electrodynamics
This two course sequence that presents a classical approach to electromagnetism. But, unlike traditional junior-level presentations, these lectures introduce classical field concepts together with many connections to quantum counterparts. The philosophy of the class holds little back in seeking to build physical models consistent with a modern understanding of electrodynamics.
Electromagnetism
These courses are for a Nanoscience and/or Materials Physics curricular emphasis. They are typically taught in seminar form some with labs and at the graduate level.
Fall Semester (3)
PHY 392/692
PHY 692 Quantum Computing for Beginners
This course provides a simple introduction to the foundations and hardware of Quantum Computers. Offered in the spring semesters generally, it covers basic algorithms, the theory of Qubit and register formation, gate structure, and the physical systems that have been achieved today.
The course is offered in a simple lecture style with anticipated heavy input and discussion from the audience. Only a few small assignments and a final project are used for grading, otherwise the course is meant to embed and enjoy. The audience is encouraged to guide topical content.
The course does have a website for old lectures and papers of interest: www.qcwg-wake.online
Quantum Computing
Spring Semester (1.5)
PHY 656
These courses teach the basic theory and practice of microscopy using electron microscopes and scanning probe microscopes. (656) an Introduction to electron imaging with hands-on experience using TEM and SEM instruments. (657) The theory and practice of STM, and AFM, again with a lab component for hands-on experiential learning. They should provide a working knowledge of the use of the instruments as well as the basis for interpretation and simulation of data.
The courses are taught in an open structure, usually with only lab reports as graded components and only attendance needed for a passing grade. The courses are supposed to be utilitarian, for students needing to use these instruments in research, and are presented in a way which is enjoyable.
This course is required for user certification at NANOTECH
Electron Microscopy
Fall Semester (3)
PHY 655
PHY 655 Exotic Materials
These are fast paced focused courses on the synthesis/formation and properties of low dimensional materials structures. This course sequence is an excellent follow-on to a standard solid state physics class. It is recommended that you already have at least undergraduate Solid State and thermodynamics before taking these courses.
The courses are taught in an open structure, usually with no exams and only HW assignments. They assume a high level of student interest in the topic and rely heavily on student participation in the presentation of ideas.
Exotic Materials
Spring Semester (1.5)
PHY 657
These courses teach the basic theory and practice of microscopy using electron microscopes and scanning probe microscopes. (656) an Introduction to electron imaging with hands-on experience using TEM and SEM instruments. (657) The theory and practice of STM, and AFM, again with a lab component for hands-on experiential learning. They should provide a working knowledge of the use of the instruments as well as the basis for interpretation and simulation of data.
The courses are taught in an open structure, usually with only lab reports as graded components and only attendance needed for a passing grade. The courses are supposed to be utilitarian, for students needing to use these instruments in research, and are presented in a way which is enjoyable.
This course is required for user certification at NANOTECH
Scanning Probe Microscopy
Fall Semester (3)
PHY 658
PHY 658 Kinetics of Materials
These are fast paced focused courses on the synthesis/formation and properties of low dimensional materials structures. This course sequence is an excellent follow-on to a standard solid state physics class. It is recommended that you already have at least undergraduate Solid State and thermodynamics before taking these courses.
The courses are taught in an open structure, usually with no exams and only HW assignments. They assume a high level of student interest in the topic and rely heavily on student participation in the presentation of ideas.
Materials Kinetics
Spring Semester (1.5)
PHY 391/691
PHY 391/691 Research Seminar
Intro to modern laboratory techniques such as XPS, Auger, analytical TEM, etc. Topics are chosen by the students each year. (taught in spring semesters)
The structure of this course changes from year to year depending on the topic. It typically has a lab with it and involves laboratory exercises for grades. It is taught at NANOTECH.
Research Seminar
