Education and studies
University
Diploma copy
here
MA equivalence document
here
I studied physics for 4 years in the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (so called : "École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne" or EPFL) followed by a semester of diploma work within the Quantum Photonics Group (IPEQ or "Institut de Photonique et d'Électronique Quantique").
I graduated March 2004. The official degree's denomination is : "Diplôme EPF, ingénieur physicien" which is equivalent to a Master degree (MA).
College & Schools
1997-1999 → Lycée Dominique Savio, Douala, Cameroon
1995-1997 → Lycée Colette, Hô-Chi-Minh-City, Vietnam
1993-1995 → Collège St-Jeanne Antide, Martigny, Switzerland
1985-1993 → École primaire, Martigny-Croix, Switzerland
Diploma semester
I realized my diploma work in the "Quantum Electronics and Photonics Institute" (IPEQ), more precisely in the "Quantum OptoElectronics Laboratory" (LOEQ) under the direction of Prof. Benoît Deveaud-Plédran. I worked in collaboration with Marcia Portella-Oberli and Jean Berney on optical properties of modulation-doped CdTe quantum well structures.
Download the diploma definition
here
Jean started his PhD when I was in my 8th semester. I used that semester's "Lab work" duty to build with him the optical setup that we would both use during my diploma work semester.
Toggle further reading using the corresponding [±] sign.
Original French abstract [±]
Dans ce travail pratique de diplôme nous avons mesuré les propriétés optiques d'un échantillon de CdTe à dopage modulé sur quatre régions distinctes contenant un puits quantique de 80 Å. Le dopage qui se trouve uniquement dans la barrière permet la formation d'un gaz d'électrons à haute mobilité et haute densité à l'intérieur du puits. En plus de cette concentration d'électrons qui provient du dopage, nous pouvons ajouter une concentration d'électrons supplémentaire grâce à une illumination annexe qui excite des transitions énergétiques dans la barrière. Une première partie a été consacrée à la mesure des spectres de réflectivité sur les quatre parties de l'échantillon, ce qui a permis la détermination de la concentration du gaz d'électrons présente dans le puits. Une analyse de la force d'oscillateur des excitons et des excitons chargés a été réalisée. Pour clore l'étude, une comparaison a été réalisée avec des mesures de pompe et sonde. Elle a permis de mettre en évidence le "remplissage de l'espace de phase" des trions, ainsi que d'autres interactions entre les particules en présence. Une dernière partie a consisté en la mise en place d'une expérience de spectroscopie optique avec une résolution picoseconde de type "pompe et sonde" qui sera utilisée plus tard dans le cadre de la thèse de Jean Berney.
English abstract [±]
In this diploma work we measured the optical properties of a modulation-doped (4 distinct regions) CdTe sample enclosing a 80 Å quantum well. The doping occurring only within the barrier enables the formation of an electron gas with high density and high mobility within the well. In addition to this first source of electron concentration we can add using an external light source an additional electron concentration that will trigger high-energy transitions in the barrier. As a first element we measured the reflectivity spectrums over the four different regions of the sample, which allowed the derivation of the electron gas concentration inside the quantum well. An analysis of the oscillator strength of uncharged and charged excitons (namely "trions") has been achieved. In addition a comparison which demonstrated the "phase-space filling" effect of trions as well as other interaction including present particles has been achieved using "pump-and-probe" experiment. The last part of this work consisted in putting together a time-resolved optical spectroscopy "pump-and-probe" experiment with picosecond resolution that would be used by Jean in the course of his PhD work.
List of subjects studied at university
Download list of subjects sutdied
here
In Switzerland an academic year is divided into two 14-weeks long semesters. Odd numbered semesters start in October and end in February. They are often referred to as "winter semesters". Even numbered semesters or "summer semesters" start in March and end in Jun.
A list of all subject studied can be downloaded using the link on the right.
More...[±]
Studying science in Switzerland
In Switzerland there are two "Federal Institutes of Technology" : ETHZ &
EPFL. The first is located in Zürich, whereas the latter is located in Lausanne.
ETHZ stands for "Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich" in German. EPFL stands for "École polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne" in French.
Both of them are ranked in the top 100 of Times higher Education ranking, respectively 41th and 36th (2005 ranking, for actual ranking see here).
These two institutions offer education in the following fields : civil engineering (architecture, civil, environmental),
engineering science (computer, IT, materials, mechanics, management, technology) natural science & mathematics
(biology, bioscience, chemistry, physics, mathematics). At ETHZ there are also departments dealing with agriculture, food-science,
humanity, social and political sciences.
Of course one can also study science in other Universities in Switzerland, which organization will rather depend one particular
state (or "canton"). A smaller but nevertheless really famous university in the domain of quantum optics is the one in Neuchatel
(see unine's website).
Studying physics at EPFL
The studies in physics at EPFl used to be organized as following. The first couple of years were called "années propédeutiques", whereas the last couple of years were called "2ème cycle".
During the "années propédeutiques" we built a strong background in mathematics and general physics. As an example, the first year we shared the same lessons as the mathematics department's students. During the second semester, we even had one more course in the mathematics field which was "numerical analysis". Regarding the examinations, they used to be taken at the end of the academic year. We could split the exams as desired between two sessions: one in July, the other in October.
During the "2ème cycle" we had the opportunity to choose all the courses. The constraint was to achieve, at the end of four semester, a minimum number of credits. This was the sesame that enabled us to start with the 6 months diploma work.
For a list of all studied subjects please read here above.