Eric Black is a Lecturer of Physics at the California Institute of Technology, where he splits his time between teaching the Senior Physics Lab and building the next generation of interferometric gravitational-wave detectors. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1997 for work in electron transport in mesoscopic systems at low temperature.
Dr. Eric D. Black, California Institute of Technology, Department of Physics, MC 264-33 Pasadena, CA 91125. Email: blacke@its.caltech.edu. Telephone: 626-395-3858.
Much of modern experimental physics involves pulling a small signal out of a forest of noise. The most common technique for this—and probably the most accessible to the undergraduate student—is phase-sensitive detection. While the implementation of this technique has evolved considerably since its invention by Bob Dicke in the 1940’s, the underlying principle remains the same. In this lab, participants will use a modern, DSP lock-in amplifier to learn both the underlying principles and practical applications of the method.
This workshop will cover the essentials of lock-in detection, along with fundamental and technical noise sources that limit the resolution of measurements. Participants will generate a small signal and use a lock-in to measure it, and they will measure amplifier noise and Johnson noise in the apparatus under a variety of conditions. This will set the foundation for understanding signal-to-noise ratio and its fundamental limits.
Participants need only bring a lab notebook and a pen. All hardware and reading material will be provided. There is some minimal data analysis, so a favorite scientific calculator or laptop would be an optional convenience.