Placement Information
Year you started your placement
2013
Placement period
May – August, September – December
Supervisor’s name
Mathieu Le Tacon
Project Details
Overview
This project involves using Raman spectroscopy to try to gain insight into the the crystal and magnetic structure of Sr3Fe2O7 at different oxygen dopings.
Project objectives
Use Raman spectroscopy to probe phonon signatures at temperatures ranging from ~10K-300K and from these spectra infer structural and magnetic properties of Sr3Fe2O7.
Research outcomes
Project status
Completed
My Co-op Experience at MPI
Why did you apply for a placement with Max Planck Institute?
-in order to experience living in a foreign [non-English-speaking] country.
-to have a temporary home from which I could travel around Europe and experience the diverse architecture, culture, food, and design thereof.
-to see what solid state physics research was like.
-to [sort of] learn a new language.
What recommendations do you have for students who wish to participate in MPI-UBC exchange program?
Travel lots – when’s the next time you’re going to get the opportunity to have every major city in Europe be less than 2 hours away by train/plane? I think MPI gives you 30 days off per calendar year.
Load up on sushi before you leave if you’re a fan – it’s hard to find good Japanese food in Europe (London and Paris are okay, but it doesn’t cheap), much less Germany. I would recommend Ajisai and Hitoe, they’re both pretty close to UBC.
Tell us about your travels and cultural experiences in Germany and the rest of the Europe
I’ve been to London, Paris, Prague, Milan, Venice, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne, Munich, Strasbourg, Zurich and the Schwarzwald. London and Berlin are great metropolitan cities and have really good design scenes. But Venice – ehh, maybe you can skip that one. Imagine a strip mall the size of a small city and stuff it full of tourists. From what I’ve heard and read, most Venetians have left and the ones who are left largely work for the tourism industry. The food is bleh, though it is pretty there.
I came to Europe thinking that maybe with so many different cultures in close proximity, tolerance would be a given. The vast majority of people are nice and I’ve never had a problem meeting lovely people at MPI and in every city I’ve been to, just don’t be surprised by what you might read in the news or experience firsthand. Systemic ideas can run pretty deep.
I’ve found Europe to have a very interesting economic and cultural dynamic. In Vancouver the main focus may be on Canada and the US, whereas in Europe there are a great deal more actors. Power, consensus and blame can have different meanings in this context, which becomes more conspicuous in some ways living on the continent. It was also cool to look and travel around Germany knowing that the country as we know it is only as old as we (i.e. the 90’s generation) are.
