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 researching technologies for 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.
Vacuum systems are almost ubiquitous in modern physics laboratories. This workshop will focus on both the practical applications and underlying physics of the technology for attaining and holding high vacuum, pressure measurement, flow-rate calculations, outgassing and base-pressure calculations, bakeout strategies, and leak detection.
We will also cover the essential physics behind thin-film deposition, and participants will use thermal evaporation to deposit a thin film of a normal metal on a dielectric substrate. While this technique is very simple and accessible to students, the essential physics is the same as that which is involved in sputtering or pulsed-laser deposition of more sophisticated materials.
Participants need only bring a lab notebook and a pen. All hardware will be provided. This workshop is based on Caltech’s vacuum lab, but we will go somewhat deeper into the subject than what is covered in the handout.