The COVID-19 pandemic imposed profound changes on the way we think about undergraduate physics education. Online courses became mainstream. Exam formats were reimagined. Digital whiteboards replaced face-to-face discussions. Laboratory classes were outfitted with home-delivered supply kits. And all of us developed a more intimate knowledge of Greek letters and symbols (delta, omicron, etc.) than we might have comfortably liked to admit.
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We report on the construction and characterization of a low-cost Mach–Zehnder optical interferometer in which quadrature signal detection is achieved by means of polarization control. The device incorporates a generic green laser pointer, home-built photodetectors, 3D-printed optical mounts, a circular polarizer extracted from a pair of 3D movie glasses, and a python-enabled microcontroller for analog-to-digital data acquisition. Components fit inside of a [Formula: see text] space and can be assembled on a budget of less than US$500. The device has the potential to make quadrature interferometry accessible and affordable for instructors, students, and enthusiasts alike.more » « less
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Abstract Optical multidimensional coherent spectroscopy (MDCS) is a nonlinear spectroscopy technique where a material is excited by a series of laser pulses to produce a spectrum as a function of multiple frequencies. The technique's ability to elucidate excited‐state structure and interactions has made MDCS a valuable tool in the study of excitons in semiconductors. This review introduces the method and describes progress it has fostered establishing a better understanding of dephasing rates, coherent coupling mechanisms, and many‐body interactions pertaining to optically generated electronic excitations in a variety of semiconductor material systems. Emphasis is placed on nanostructured gallium arsenide quantum wells and quantum dots, on quantum dots in other III–V and II–VI semiconductors, and on atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides. Recent technical advances and potential future directions in the field are also discussed.
