Student Engagement

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. There are weekly meetings between one or two students and a tutor to discuss the weekly lectures and address assignments that are given by the tutor in the form of HW and special problems. 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

ap-physics-c-electricity-magnetism-exam-

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

ai-like-electricity-cognify-world-kevin-

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

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 course 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

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.

Exotic Materials

Spring Semester (1.5)

PHY 657

This course is required for user certification at NANOTECH

Scanning Probe Microscopy

Fall Semester (3)

PHY 658

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

Project 266

Project 266 is an attempt at updating and modernizing the PHY 266 Intermediate Physics Lab (Mechanics) at Wake. As this presses forward, a new lab manual has been produced, new teaching assessments, assignment rubrics and educational goals have been constructed. The intention is to provide a superior experiential learning environment, teach team work and team expectations as practiced in the fields of physics research, and reinforce basic physics concepts in preparing the student for advanced classes. This exciting "new" class-room take will be unlike anything offered in comparable programs in the U.S. and is designed to help the student find his/her own passions for physics.

Mentoring

and Teaching

The Carroll Doctrine?

​

Online Education

Is it for you? Or, is there more to this?

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...

PHY 337/637

PHY 339/639

PHY 340/640

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.

PHY 392/692

PHY 656

PHY 655

PHY 657

PHY 658

PHY 391/691

Project 266