Peter. W. Hawkes' Chair of CPO (INSA-TESCAN-CNRS)

An academic chair has been created by the INSA physics department and the TESCAN company. This project is also supported by the CNRS through the chair holder.  The goal of this chair is to train engineers in the design of advanced nano-characterization instruments based on charged particles, such the upcoming generations of electron microscopes.

Starting from the third (L1 level) to the fifth year (M2 level) of the formation, a progressive educational program covering the required theoretical physics background (Hamiltonian mechanics and optics, aberration theory, symplectic algebra) has been established with a strong focus on giving students a practical approach, in accordance with INSA's core values. Students will then be able to build their own optics (either magnetic or electrostatic depending on the requirements) and gain a better knowledge of the technical challenges associated with charged particles (vacuum, high voltage, magnetic materials, etc.). As a result, this teaching links all of the previously covered topics at INSA, including materials physics, electromagnetics etc. and merge them in an holistic engineer project centered on the future of nano-characterisation.
In the following pages, we will briefly present the content of this training program proposed by INSA-Toulouse, which is quite unique in Europe.

1.  From light optics to charged particle optics : an historical introduction
2.  Educational objectives
3.  Scientific objectives
4.  Some realisations by our students
5.  Partnership with Tescan
6.  Peter W. Hawkes : a gentleman optician

A laboratory dedicated to charged particle optics within the physics department is open to students.
Books from Peter Hawkes' personal library, donated by his family, are also available to our students.

These include rare and valuable works on optics that are no longer in print.