There are some equipments, that are quite useful in everday research, but they are difficult to purchase on a grant budget. The most convenient solution to this problem is to put them on the Christmas wishlist.
In solid state physics experiment you need some samples to study, in our case crystals. With this crystal growing kit it is possible to grow your own crystals in various colours dedicated to optical experiments.
A powerful light source for the optical experiments could be this high-tech laser saber. It can be built at home as well and can also be used for recreational purposes.
When modeling the crystal structure of studied materials this magnetic construction set can come in quite handy. Or one of the magnets can be used to build a simple homopolar motor.
To be able to interpret the experimental data one also needs to check other people’s results in the literature.
This research was supported by the European Union and the State of Hungary, co-financed by the European Social Fund in the framework of TÁMOP-4.2.4.A/ 2-11/1-2012-0001 ‘National Excellence Program’.