This paper presents an initial approach to investigate the feasibility of fabricating FSF heterostructures, for potential applications in spintronics. These FSF stacks could help characterize long...Show moreThis paper presents an initial approach to investigate the feasibility of fabricating FSF heterostructures, for potential applications in spintronics. These FSF stacks could help characterize long-range triplet Cooper pairs that are created at its interfaces. Simulations inform the final design of a 3D FSF stack, composed of one low and one high aspect ratio rectangular shape. Subsequent efforts were directed on the focused ion beam milling of apertures in 1 µm thick Si3N4 membranes that are used for shadow evaporation of the heterostructures. Several stacks of cobalt and niobium were fabricated with these membranes through shadow evaporation. These heterostructures were contacted via electron beam lithography and measured in a vectormagnet cryostat. Results indicate that no long-range triplets were generated inside the FSF stacks. It can be concluded that either the niobium layers did not become superconducting or the magnetization of the two ferromagnets in the stacks were not perpendicular.Show less
Unbeknownst to many today, world-renowned physicist Erwin Schrödinger not only engaged in physics and mathematics but was deeply committed to the Indian philosophical school of Advaita Vedānta. In...Show moreUnbeknownst to many today, world-renowned physicist Erwin Schrödinger not only engaged in physics and mathematics but was deeply committed to the Indian philosophical school of Advaita Vedānta. In this study, I aim to understand the relation between Schrödinger’s physics and his embrace of Indian philosophy. By showing how Schrödinger embedded his physics in his overarching philosophical worldview, I argue that Indian philosophy takes up a seemingly modest yet ever-so-important role in Schrödinger’s life and work. I show in this thesis how Advaita Vedāntin insights on monism and the illusory character of distinct phenomena form the core of Schrödinger’s metaphysics. In turn, this worldview serves as a guiding framework in his life, thought, and professional work, including his physics. This thesis clarifies the existing confusion in current scholarship on Schrödinger’s use of Indian thought. Furthermore, as an interdisciplinary and intercultural case-study, this thesis sheds light on debates on the role of philosophy in physics, specifically the role of Indian and intercultural philosophy in contemporary thought.Show less
In this thesis, we characterize and test a new MiM cavity for use in the Bouwmeester Optomechanics group. The cavity seems stable over time, though alignment offers some issues. The tip/tilt...Show moreIn this thesis, we characterize and test a new MiM cavity for use in the Bouwmeester Optomechanics group. The cavity seems stable over time, though alignment offers some issues. The tip/tilt alignment of the membrane was achieved to within 700 arcs eventually however. We also explore the use of finesse measurements to determine the absorbance of our membranes. We conclude that optical ring down measurements are preferable in our system and suspect that the PSG4 membranes have higher absorbance as compared to later generations. We present a scheme to determine the thermal gradient of our membrane in-situ, without any modifications required to the principle of the system. We do find, however, that the measurement is very sensitive to drift of the laser detuning. Finally, we explore the observed short term drift in our mechanical mode frequencies. We suspect the thermal expansion of some part of the system of adding additional strain to the membranes, and in doing so raising their mode frequencies, though the exact pathway remains unclear.Show less
This paper addresses the question whether it is possible to make an argument in defense of the existence of free will on the basis of the indeterminism of the theory of quantum mechanics. To do so,...Show moreThis paper addresses the question whether it is possible to make an argument in defense of the existence of free will on the basis of the indeterminism of the theory of quantum mechanics. To do so, first the most basic approach is examined, attempting to formulate an argument for the possibility of free will on the basis of quantum mechanics and biology. After demonstrating the problems with this and showing that there is some unclarity regarding the relationship between determinism and free will, the paper turns to analyzing the concepts of determinism and free will and proposes that free will could best be understood as self-determination. This allows for the possibility of free will to be argued on the basis of Humean Supervenience. It is then argued that by way of the Copenhagen Interpretation, which is likened to phenomenology, quantum mechanics can make a case for this which is similar to the Best Systems Approach. After constructing an analysis of what the universe is on the basis of this way of thinking, and using the relation between a video game and a player as an analogy to explain how this affects the relationship between determinism and free will, the paper argues that free will can be completely compatible with being fully determined by the universe, but not with being determined by the rest of the universe. Finally, the paper proposes self-consciousness as an additional requirement for free will if it is to be understood as self-determination and thus concludes that free will is possible on the basis of quantum-mechanical thinking, but not quantum indeterminacy itself.Show less
