James Rantschler

What in your life drew you to your current field of study?

This field, though required, cannot be answered with dignity.

What do you hope your students gain from studying or working with you?

I hope that students studying physics will gain the problem solving skills that will enable them to succeed in their later coursework.

What are you passionate about in your personal life?

I co-host the Physics Frontiers podcast, draw pictures and program physics games.

Education

Ph.D. Physics, University of Alabama, 2003
B.S. Phyiscs/Mathematics, Metropolitan State College of Denver, 1997

Courses Taught

Lecture Courses

University of Houston
ECE 6307: Fundamentals of Ferromagnetic Materials and Devices (University of Houston)

Xavier University of Louisiana
ENGR 1000: Introduction the Engineering (5 sections)
ENGR 1100: Introduction to Engineering Design (4 sections)

ENGR 2630/PHYS 2630: Analytical Methods for Physics and Engineering (2 sections, 1 on-line)
ENGR 3010/PHYS 3010: Electricity and Magnetism I (4 sections)
ENGR 3040/PHYS 3040: Thermodynamics (2 sections)

PHYS 2111: Physics II for Scientists and Engineers (Rigid Bodies/Waves/Thermodynamics) (2 sections)
PHYS 2550: Materials Physics
PHYS 3011: Electricity and Magnetism II (4 sections)
PHYS 3050: Modern Physics (2 sections)
PHYS 3560: Nanotechnology (formerly taught as a special topics course, PHYS 4530)
PHYS 4530: Special Topics: Video Game Physics (3 sections)

Texas A&M
PHYS 201: General Physics I
PHYS 202: General Physics II
PHYS 208: Electricity and Optics
PHYS 218: Mechanics

Laboratories and Seminars

University of Alabama
PHY 103: College Physics I Laboratory (5 sections) (University of Alabama)
PHY 105: College Physics II Laboratory (University of Alabama)
PHY 203: University Physics I Laboratory (University of Alabama)
PHY 205: Integrated Engineering Physics I Laboratory (University of Alabama)

Xavier University of Louisiana
PHYS 2020L: General Physics I Laboratory (11 sections)
PHYS 2020L: General Physics II Laboratory (10 sections)
PHYS 3310L: Advanced Physics Laboratory (5 sections)
PHYS 3320L: Advanced Electronics Laboratory (5 sections)
PHYS 3510S: Physics Seminar (7 sections)

Publications

D. Smith, L. Chang, J. O. Rantschler, V. Kaltasky, P. Ruchhoeft, and D. Litvinov, “The Effect of Size Distribution on the Switching Field Distribution of Co/Pd Multilayered Nanostructure Arrays,” IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, 45, 3554-7 (2009).

J. W. Lau, R. D. McMichael, S.-H. Chung, J. O. Rantschler, V. Parekh, and D. Litvinov, “Microstructural Origin of Switching Field Distribution in Patterned Co/Pd Multilayer Nanodots,” Applied Physics Letters 92, 012506:1-3 (2008).

J. O. Rantschler, R. McMichael, D. Pulugurtha, L. Connors, P. Chen, A. Castillo, A. Shapiro, W.F. Egelhoff, Jr., B. Maranville, “Effect of 3d, 4d, and 5d Transition Metal Doping on Damping in Permalloy Thin Films,” Journal of Applied Physics 101, 033911:1-6 (2007).

J. O. Rantschler, B. Maranville, J. Mallett, P. Chen, R. McMichael, W.F. Egelhoff, Jr.,“Damping at Normal Metal/Permalloy Interfaces,” IEEE Transactions on Magnetics 41, 3523-3525 (2005).

J. O. Rantschler, P. Chen, A.S. Arrott, R. McMichael, W.F. Egelhoff, Jr., B. Maranville, “Surface Anisotropy of NM/NiFe/NM Multilayers,” Journal of Applied Physics 97, 10J113:1-3 (2005).

J. O. Rantschler, C. Alexander, Jr., and H.-S. Jung, “Ferromagnetic Resonance in Soft Cu/FeCo,” Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials 286, 262-266 (2005).

V. Vas’ko, J. O. Rantschler, M. Kief, “Structure, Stress, and Magnetic Properties of High Saturation Magnetization Films of FeCo,” IEEE Transactions on Magnetics 40(4), 2335-2337 (2004).

J. O. Rantschler, C. Alexander, Jr., “Ripple Field Effect on High-Frequency Measurements of FeTiN Films,” Journal of Applied Physics 93, 6665-6667 (2003).

X. Liu, J. O. Rantschler, C. Alexander, Jr., G. Zangari, “High-Frequency Behavior of Electrodeposited Fe-Co-Ni Alloys,” IEEE Transactions on Magnetics 39, 2362-2364 (2003).

Awards & Recognition

Mellon FaCTS Scholar

Elevated to Senior Member, IEEE

National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship

President’s Fellowship, University of Alabama

Honorable Mention, SIAM Mathematical Contest in Modeling, with Frank McDonough and Colin O’Donnel

Colorado Merit Scholarship (two awards)