Online Advanced Labs

At Arizona State University we have developed a fully online BS degree in Physics. A key component of the curriculum is a set of Advanced Lab courses, which include a suite of Nobel-prize experiments such as Interferometry, Zeeman effect, Cavendish Balance, Quantum Entanglement, etc. The experiments feature custom-built simulators that produce signals with the full scope of “imperfections” that comprise real measurements including: noise (Poisson, 1/f, drift); background; backlash; resolution and bandwidth limitations; aberrations, non-linearity, etc. These noise sources are all determined from real measurements and are simulated using semi-empirical functions and/or recorded images. We show examples of the simulator, plus overview videos, student worksheets, lab notebook and formal reports.