Mission Statement: I strive to seek, study and share

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Awarded with Visiting International Professor Fellowship by Research School, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany, for years 2024 and 25.

Invited Speaker and Session Chair at 8th International Conference on Laser Peening and Related Phenomena (ICLPRP), October 22 - 27, 2023 Gyeongju, South Korea.

Received Humboldt Fellowship to be Guest Professor at Chair of Applied Laser Technology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany during May - July 2023.

Invited Panelist and Moderator of International Web-seminar on Challenges and Opportunities for Laser Industries post COVID - 19 organised by Messe München India in April 2020.

Current professional positions and affiliations:

Founder-President & Mentor, Epi-knowledge Foundation, Navi Mumbai, India, 2015- till date.

Visiting Professor on Humboldt Fellowship, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany, 2016 - till date.

Professor Emeritus, Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jaipur, India, 2019 – till date.

Former professional positions and affiliations:

‘Outstanding Scientist’ and Head, Laser Materials Processing Division,

Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore, India, 1993-2015.

Full Professor, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, India, 1993-2015.

Scientist, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India, 1977 - 93.

*Visiting Scientist, P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute, Moscow, Russia, 1988.

Humboldt Fellow, University of Heidelberg, Germany, 1991-92.

Honorary Ph.D. Advisor, Devi Ahilya University, Indore, India, 1993 – 2015.

*Visiting Scientist, University of Muenster, Germany, 1999 and 2001.

*Indian National Science Academy Bilateral Exchange Scientist, Institute of Physics, Prague,

Czech Republic, 2002.

*Visiting Professor, University of Ulm, Germany, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2011.

*Visiting Scientist, University of Karlsruhe, Germany, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

*Visiting Scientist, Laseranwendungstechnik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 2016, 2017, 2019 & 2023.

*Visiting International Professor, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 2024 & 2025.

Note: *Fellowship positions.

Current research interests:

Laser Physics, Materials Science, Pulsed Laser Deposition, Laser Peening and Laser Additive Manufacturing of technologically important materials.

Pertinent websites:

youTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY1JZGJeWfSP47K6bLiTT9g

Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=7003672933

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=6Cv9NyEAAAAJ&hl=en

Scholars of India - Vidwan: https://vidwan.inflibnet.ac.in/profile/3505

Prabook of USA: https://prabook.com/web/lalit.kukreja/228179

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/74680550_L_M_Kukreja

World of Science: https://publons.com/researcher/3062872/lalit-kukreja/

Major scientific and academic achievements:

1. In collaboration with Laseranwendungstechnik (LAT), Ruhr-Universität Bochum during 2016, 2017and 2019, we carried out studies on femto-second (fs) laser shock peening of stainless steel (SS) 316. SS316 is a high corrosion resistance steel with excellent forming and welding characteristics. This alloy and its variants are suitable for numerous industrial, architectural and transportation applications in a broad temperature range such as for turbine, aerospace components, food processing systems, marine vessels etc. We carried out detailed investigation of the basic processes involved in the peening of SS316 using a Ti:Saphire laser emitting at wavelength of about 800 nm, with pulse duration in the range of about 35 - 350 fs and pulse energy in the range of about 10 – 800 μJ. We made an experimental set-up to accomplish a broad range of laser peening specifications, carried out peening under myriad of irradiation conditions and investigated the effects of these irradiations using white light interferometry, optical and scanning electron microscopy including energy dispersive analysis of chemical composition and surface hardness measurements. Interesting and novel results were obtained from these studies, in particular the observation of Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS) on the SS316 whenever it interacted directly with the fs laser radiation. We were serendipitous to observe this novel effect, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time and studied their influence on mechanical properties of industrially important metals such as SS316. Some of these findings, were presented in reputed international conferences and subsequently published in peer reviewed international journals. These studies have not only generated deeper insight into the fundamental processes involved during the interaction of the fs laser pulses with the pertinent metals but are of significant industrial importance for the future manufacturing technologies.

2. During the research tenure at Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), Indore, significant contributions were made to the fundamental understanding of physical properties of low dimensional structures of a wide band-gap semiconductor ZnO. Novel schemes for the band – gap engineering and growth of ZnO multiple quantum wells (MQWs) were evolved, which led to the first ever accomplishment of room temperature photoluminescence (PL) from these MQWs. It was shown that the ultra-small ZnO quantum dots have radically different nature of optical transitions and Fröhlich interactions in PL spectra than the larger dots.

3. In collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology Madras, a novel methodology of laser induced oxidation (LIO) of silicon was evolved to grow ultra-thin films of high-k dielectric for Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) devices. This is an important development for the Ultra Large-Scale Integration (ULSI) technology of semiconductor devices.

4. In collaboration with University of Pune, we have carried out research on nanostructures of wide range of semiconductors such as Si quantum dots for photonic properties and ZnO nanowires, AlN nano-rods, nanostructured GaN thin films etc. for improving characteristics of field emission devices.

5. Studies were carried out to elucidate the mechanism of initial growth of gold nanostructures on sapphire surface using Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) and laser induced trimming of gold nanoparticles. In the former experiments, role of the microscopic surface damage inflicted by the PLD plume was studied and a new form of chemisorption based wetting – dewetting dynamic transition was observed. This research theme was carried out in collaboration with University of Ulm, Germany.

6. We have studied the clusters formed in the pulsed UV- laser driven ablation plumes of ZnSe and ZnO using Time-of-Flight mass spectrometry in collaboration with University of Muenster, Germany. We observed and investigated, to the best of our knowledge for the first time, ‘magic’ peaks of ZnSe clusters consisting of its 6, 13, 19, 23 and 33 molecules in the laser ablation plumes and offered physical explanation for these magic peaks.

7. Glass with pores of a few nano-meter mean diameter was doped with in-house produced C60 molecules using a solution phase diffusion method at our laboratory at RRCAT. Nonlinear optical effects ensuing from strong interaction between the C60 molecules and the pore surface and reverse saturable absorption were observed and studied in this doped glass.

8. Again, at our laboratory at Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology we developed a new hybrid Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) – Chemical Bath deposition technique to grow thick ordered and oriented films of CdS nanoparticles using LB layer as a template and found that even with the growth of the film thickness with time, the mean size of nanoparticles remained almost constant. We investigated this phenomenon in detail and published the results, which were highly acclaimed.

9. As a Humboldt Fellow at University of Heidelberg in Germany, experiments were devised to elucidate the fundamental nature of short pulse laser induced polymer ablation. A rapid thermal decomposition model was elicited as a consequence of these studies, which was highly appreciated in the pertinent literature.

10. During my research period at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, the basic nature of interaction of CO2 laser radiation with a polymer Allyl Diglycol Carbonate (CR-39) was investigated, which led to the development of a methodology to machine this brittle polymer. In collaboration with Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, this methodology was used to fabricate the Indian cosmic ray detector module for an experiment aboard the USA space shuttle ‘Spacelab – 3’ in 1985. This experiment of international collaboration has yielded wealth of knowledge in the field of cosmic particles from space and its’ effects on humanity and other life forms on earth.

11. Again, during my research period at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, we found that surface treatment of the polymeric nuclear track detector Allyl Diglycol Carbonate (CR-39) with CO2 laser beam under optimized conditions enhanced the track revelation sensitivity significantly. A thorough study of this phenomenon was carried out and results were published in high impact factor journal.

12. I have been teaching basic science and technology of Lasers and Nanomaterials at numerous Universities and Institutes of higher learning in India and abroad.

13. I was founder of ‘DAE – BRNS National Symposia on Pulsed Laser Deposition of Nanostructured Materials and Thin Films’ in 2001. These symposia were held biennially at different institutes since then.

14. I am Founder-President of an NGO called Epi-knowledge Foundation, which carries out research and education in different areas of science and engineering since 2015. With academic support of our NGO, an engineering college of the Bikaner Technology University organized a National Conference on Science and Engineering Education during February 27 – 28, 2019 in India. I was chairman of this conference.

Publications and Presentations:

In Books, Journals and Edited International Conference Proceedings: 309

National Conference Presentations and International Invited talks: 182

Awards and recognitions:

Gold medal for Academic Excellence, 1976.

Member, Indian Cosmic Ray Experiment aboard NASA’s (USA) Space Shuttle ‘Spacelab-3’, 1985.

Humboldt Fellowship, Germany, 1990.

Invited panellist, Gordon Conference, New England, USA, 1992.

Certificate of meritorious faculty, Centre for Bio-medical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, 1995.

Indian National Science Academy Bilateral Exchange Scientist at Czech Academy of Sciences, 2002.

Invited Review Speaker on ZnO Nanostructures at IEEE Meeting on Photonic Materials, Singapore, 2008.

Invited Review Speaker on Nano-materials for Green Energy, Government of India, Department of Science and Technology – Confederation of Indian Industry Nanotechnology Conclave, Delhi, 2010.

Materials Research Society of India (MRSI) Medal, 2011.

Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) Senior Fellowship, Japan, 2012.

Member International Review Panel of European Union Project HiLase, Czech Republic, 2012, 2014 and 2015.

Walther-Meissner Speaker of Bavarian Academy of Sciences, Garching, Germany, 2013.

Vice-President, Indian Laser Association, 2013 – 2015.

Best Research Paper Award of Indian Institute of Welding, 2015.

Chairman, International Conference on Smart Manufacturing with Lasers, Messe München, Germany, 2018.

Chairman, National Conference on Science and Engineering Education, India, 2019.

Educational Credentials:

M.Sc. (Physics), University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, 1976.

Research Orientation Course in Physics, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 1977.

Ph.D. (Physics), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and Bombay University, Mumbai, 1987.

Mid-profession Course on Laser-Tissue Interactions, Laser-Medizin-Zentrum, Berlin (Germany), 1992.