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QML focuses on the design, growth, and investigation of novel quantum materials that show promise in hosting rich and diverse topological and quantum states with exotic quasiparticle excitations. Novel topological and quantum states highlighting fractional excitations in quantum materials may offer vital clues that hold profound implications for our understanding of emergent phenomena, stemming from a rich tapestry of topology, symmetry, fractionalization, long-range entanglement, and the interplay between competing degrees of freedom in quantum condensed matter.
Dr. PANCHANANA KHUNTIA
Associate Professor
Email: pkhuntia@iitm.ac.in
Phone: +91-44-2257 4847
Office: HSB-119A
Area of Interest
Quantum Materials, Topological Quantum States, Quantum Phase Transitions, Nanomaterials
NMR, µSR, Neutron Scattering
Research Interest
Synergistic efforts in science have persistently focused on the exploration and comprehension of elementary particles and quasiparticles in different settings, spanning from particle physics to condensed matter, which are fundamental to significant discoveries and innovative scientific and technological paradigms. In this context, correlated quantum materials, wherein incredible quantum effects such as quantum fluctuations, symmetry, topology, competing interactions, and the intertwining of emergent degrees of freedom are at play, can lead to exotic states of matter-so-called emergent phases-with properties yet to be identified. Our Quantum Materials Group investigates the fundamental physics of novel materials where quantum mechanical effects give rise to novel electronic, magnetic, and topological states. We focus on synthesizing, characterizing, and controlling quantum materials to explore exotic phenomena such as quantum spin liquids, topological order, superconductivity, and emergent quasiparticles, and to unlock their potential for transformative technologies.
In particular, we are interested in
(1) Design and growth of novel quantum materials, with the potential to host exotic quantum and topological states that hold immense promise for quantum technologies.
(2) Low Temperature (as low as mK) and high field (sweep magnetic field as high as 60 Tesla) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
(3) Advanced Thermodynamics in extreme temperature and magnetic fields.
(4) Muon Spin Relaxation (as low as 20 mK and in a magnetic field)
(5) Neutron Diffraction and Inelastic Neutron Scattering (as low as 50 mK and in a magnetic field)
(6) Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy
(7) Surface-Interface Phenomena in Quantum Materials
The Ising triangular-lattice antiferromagnet neodymium heptatantalate as a quantum spin liquid candidate T. Arh, B. Sana, M. Pregelj, P. Khuntia, Z. Jagličić, M. D. Le, P. K. Biswas, P. Manuel, L. Mangin-Thro, A. Ozarowski, and A. Zorko, Nature Materials, 21, 416 (2022). [Nature Materials 21, 416 (2022)]. DOI: 10.1038/s41563-021-01169-y
Gapless ground state in the archetypal quantum kagome antiferromagnet ZnCu3(OH)6Cl2 P. Khuntia, M. Velazquez, Q. Barthélemy, F. Bert, E. Kermarrec, A. Legros, B. Bernu, L. Messio, A. Zorko, P. Mendels, Nature Physics, 16, 469 (2020). [Nature Physics 16, 469 (2020)]. DOI: 10.1038/s41567-020-0792-1
Design of compensated ferrimagnetic Heusler alloys for giant tunable exchange bias Ajaya K. Nayak, Michael Nicklas, Stanislav Chadov, Panchanana Khuntia, Chandra Shekhar, Adel Kalache, Michael Baenitz, Yurii Skourski, Veerendra K. Guduru, Alessandro Puri, Uli Zeitler, and Claudia Felser, Nature Materials, 14, 679 (2015). [Nature Materials 14, 679 (2015)]. DOI: 10.1038/nmat4248
Experimental signatures of quantum and topological states in frustrated magnetism J. Khatua, B. Sana, A. Zorko, M. Gomilšek, K. Sethupathi, M. S. Ramachandra Rao, M. Baenitz, B. Schmidt, and P. Khuntia*, Physics Reports, 1041, 1 (2023). [Physics Reports 1041,1 (2023)]. DOI: 10.1016/j.physrep.2023.09.008
Signature of a randomness-driven spin-liquid state in a frustrated magnet J. Khatua, M. Gomilsek, J. C. Orain, A. M. Strydom, Z. Jaglicic, C. V. Colin, S. Petit, A. Ozarowski, L. Mangin-Thro, K. Sethupathi, M.S. Ramachandra Rao, A. Zorko, P. Khuntia*, Communications Physics (Nature), 5, 10.1038/s42005-022-00879-2 (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s42005-022-00879-2
The nature of low-temperature spin-freezing in frustrated Kitaev magnets U. Jena and P. Khuntia*, Communications Materials (Nature), 6, 63 (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s43246-025-00765-8
Award/Fellowship/Recognitions
Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship
US Department of Energy Fellowship
Max Planck Fellowship
European Union Network of Excellence Fellowship
Outstanding Reviewer, Institute of Physics, UK
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR, India) Fellowship
MHRD, India Fellowship
National Merit Scholarship
Professional Activities
Referee for Nature, Science, American Physical Society, Wiley, Institute of Physics, American Institute of Physics, Elsevier, Springer, American Chemical Society, and Royal Society of Chemistry Journals
Editorial Board Member of Frontiers in Physics
Editorial Board Member of Discover Quantum Science
Adjudicator: IOP and Elsevier Journals
Reviewer for European Commission Project Proposals
Reviewer for Russian Science Foundation
Reviewer for Slovenian Research and Innovation
Reviewer for Department of Science and Technology, India
Member of Institute for Complex Adaptive Matter, USA
Teaching
2025: (Jan - May) - PH1020_1 - Physics II / PH5230: Seminar / PH5300: Project II; (Jul - Nov) - PH1010: Physics I (Coordinator)
2024: (Jan - May) - PH1020: Physics II / PH5300: Project II ; (Jul - Nov) - PH1010_2: Physics I
2023: (Jan - May) - PH1020 Physics II / PH5300 Project II / PH5230 Seminar/PH6999 Special Topics in Physics / PH7999 Special Topics in Physics
2022: (Jan-May): PH1020: Physics II ; (Jul - Nov) - PH1010 Physics I / PH5291 Project I / PH6999 Special Topics in Physics / PH7999 Special Topics in Physics
2021: ( Jan-May): PH1020: Physics II ; ( July-Nov): PH5690: Applied Magnetics; PH5060: Physics Lab I (PG) ( Coordinator) ; EP2090: Engineering Physics Lab I / PH6999 Special Topics in Physics / PH7999 Special Topics in Physics
2020: (Jan - May) - PH5230 Seminar; (Jul - Nov) - PH1010 Physics I
2019: (Jan - May) - PH1020 Physics II; (Jul - Nov) - PH1010 Physics I ( Coordinator)
2018: (Jan - May) - PH1020 Physics II; (Jul - Nov) - PH1010 Physics I
2017: (Jan -May) - PH1020 Physics II; PH5350 Laboratory for Physical Property Measurement and Transducer / Sensor Element Characteristics of Functional Materials ; (Jul - Nov) - PH1010 Physics I
2016: ( July-Nov)-PH5060: Physics Lab I (PG); EP4500: Elective
Collaborations
We have strong collaboration with renowned Condensed Matter Physics Groups.
National Collaborators ↩
Condensed Matter and Material Science Groups at IIT Madras
Prof. Avinash V. Mahajan, IIT Bombay
Several Condensed Matter Groups within India
International Collaborators ↩
Prof. Dr. Frank Steglich, Max Planck Institute, Germany
Prof. Dr. Michael Baenitz, Max Planck Institute, Germany
Prof. Dr. Manuel Brando, Max Planck Institute, Germany
Prof. Ferdinando Borsa, Univ. of Pavia, Italy, and Ames Laboratory, Department of Energy, USA
Prof. Yuji Furukawa, Ames Laboratory, Department of Energy, USA
Prof. Philippe Mendels, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, France
Prof. Fabrice Bert, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, France
Prof. Edwin Kermarrec, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, France
Prof. Dr. Andrej Zorko, Jozef Stefan Institute, Slovenia
ARPES group at ↩
We also have collaborations with renowned Condensed Matter groups at the national level and groups at the Max Planck Institute, Oxford, Ames, Orsay, Augsburg, Dresden High Magnetic Field Laboratory, and Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Funding Agencies
We are very thankful to the following funding agencies for their generous support in our research efforts.
Department of Science and Technology
Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF)
Institute of Eminence (Ministry of Education)
Current QML PhD Students
Current QML PhD Students
Ashok Pradhan (Jan. 2023)
Ashok Pradhan (Jan. 2023)
BSc: Nayagarh (Autonomous) College (Utkal University)
MSc: IIT-ISM Dhanbad
Madan Barman (July 2023)
Madan Barman (July 2023)
BSc: Vidysagar College
(Calcutta University)
MSc: IIT Kanpur
SATISH KUMAR (Jan. 2025)
SATISH KUMAR (Jan. 2025)
BSc: Hindu College
(Delhi University)
MSc: IIT Madras
Indrajit Halder
Indrajit Halder
(July 2025)
(July 2025)
BSc: University of Kalyani (2021)
MSc: Computational physics (Central University of Punjab), session: 2022-23
MSc: IIT Patna, session: 2023-25
Goutam K Shit (July 2025)
Goutam K Shit (July 2025)
BSc: Ramakrishna Mission
Residential College (Narendrapur)
MSc: IIT Bhubaneswar
Scholars Publication
Umashankar Jena
1. Jena, U., Kundu, S., Lee, S., Faure, Q., Damay, F., Rols, S., ... & Khuntia, P. (2025). Spin liquid state in a three-dimensional pyrochlore-like frustrated magnet. arXiv preprint arXiv:2507.05061.
2. Jena, U., & Khuntia, P. (2025). The nature of low-temperature spin-freezing in frustrated Kitaev magnets. Communications Materials, 6(1), 63.
3. Singh, V. K., Kim, S. H., Nam, K., Jena, U., Boya, K., Khuntia, P., ... & Koteswararao, B. (2025). Magnetic properties and electronic structure of Jeff= ½ square lattice quantum magnet Bi2ErO4Cl. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 37(19), 195803.
4. Khatua, J., Tay, D., Shiroka, T., Pregelj, M., Jena, U., Barik, M., ... & Khuntia, P. (2024). Classical spin liquid state in the emergent honeycomb-lattice material TbBO3. arXiv preprint arXiv:2407.05867.
5. Sana, B., Barik, M., Lee, S., Jena, U., Baenitz, M., Sichelschmidt, J., ... & Khuntia, P. (2024). Possible realization of a randomness-driven quantum disordered state in the S= 1/2 antiferromagnet Sr 3 CuTa 2 O 9. Physical Review B, 110(13), 134412.
6. Sana, B., Barik, M., Pregelj, M., Jena, U., Baenitz, M., Sichelschmidt, J., ... & Khuntia, P. (2023). Magnetic properties of a spin-orbit entangled Jeff = 1/2 three-dimensional frustrated rare-earth hyperkagome material. Physical Review B, 108(13), 134413.
7. Singh, V. K., Link, J., Kargeti, K., Barik, M., Lenz, B., Saraswat, N., Jena, U... & Koteswararao, B. (2023). Magnetic properties of S= 1/2 distorted J1− J2 honeycomb lattice compound NaCuIn (PO 4) 2. Physical Review B, 107(21), 214430.
Manisha Barik (Thesis Submitted, 2025)
MSc: Central University, Hyderabad
1. Sahu, V. K., Gayen, S., Boya, K., Pradhan, G., Singh, V. K., Barik, M., ... & Koteswararao, B. (2025). Ni12 (HPO4) 6 (PO4) 2 (OH) 6: a compound with coupled frustrated hexagons of alternating ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 37(25), 255801.
2. Barik, M., Khatua, J., Kim, S., Mun, E., Lee, S., Hitti, B., ... & Khuntia, P. (2025). Magnetic ground state of a Jeff= 1/2 based frustrated triangular lattice antiferromagnet. arXiv preprint arXiv:2504.07194.
3. Bachhar, S., Pistawala, N., Kundu, S., Barik, M., Baenitz, M., Sichelschmidt, J., ... & Mahajan, A. V. (2025). Gapless quantum spin liquid in the S= 1 4 d 4 honeycomb material Cu 3 LiRu 2 O 6. Physical Review B, 111(10), L100403.
4. Khatua, J., Tay, D., Shiroka, T., Pregelj, M., Jena, U., Barik, M., ... & Khuntia, P. (2024). Classical spin liquid state in the emergent honeycomb-lattice material TbBO3. arXiv preprint arXiv:2407.05867.
5. Sana, B., Barik, M., Lee, S., Jena, U., Baenitz, M., Sichelschmidt, J., ... & Khuntia, P. (2024). Possible realization of a randomness-driven quantum disordered state in the S= 1/2 antiferromagnet Sr 3 CuTa 2 O 9. Physical Review B, 110(13), 134412.
6. Singh, V. K., Nam, K., Barik, M., Boya, K., Kermarrec, E., Khuntia, P., ... & Koteswararao, B. (2024). Bi 2 YbO 4 Cl: A two-dimensional square-lattice compound with Jeff= 1/2 magnetic moments. Physical Review B, 109(7), 075128.
7. Sana, B., Barik, M., Pregelj, M., Jena, U., Baenitz, M., Sichelschmidt, J., ... & Khuntia, P. (2023). Magnetic properties of a spin-orbit entangled J eff= 1/ 2 three-dimensional frustrated rare-earth hyperkagome material. Physical Review B, 108(13), 134413.
8. Singh, V. K., Link, J., Kargeti, K., Barik, M., Lenz, B., Saraswat, N., ... & Koteswararao, B. (2023). Magnetic properties of S= 1/2 distorted J1− J2 honeycomb lattice compound NaCuIn (PO 4) 2. Physical Review B, 107(21), 214430.
9. Saha, P., Nithya, R., Sathyanarayana, A.T., Barik, M., Kaushik, V., Vinod, K. and Venkatesh, R., 2023. Investigation of magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity of antiferromagnetic La2TiCoO6. Bulletin of Materials Science, 46(4), p.189.
Annu Yadav (Thesis Submitted, 2025)
1. Elghandour, A., Arneth, J., Yadav, A., Luther, S., Khuntia, P., & Klingeler, R. (2025). Magnetic and thermodynamic studies on the distorted kagome magnet Pr $ _3 $ BWO $_9$. Phys. Rev. B 112, 024418 (2025)
2. Yadav, A., Elghandour, A., Arh, T., Adroja, D. T., Le, M. D., Stenning, G. B. G., ... & Khuntia, P. (2025). Magnetism in the J eff= 1 2 kagome antiferromagnet Nd 3 BWO 9: Thermodynamics, nuclear magnetic resonance, muon spin resonance, and inelastic neutron scattering studies. Physical Review B, 111(9), 094408.
Alums of QML Group
Alums of QML Group
Biprojit Sana (PhD, 2024)
MSc: IIT Kanpur
1. Khatua, J., Arh, T., Mishra, S. B., Luetkens, H., Zorko, A., Sana, B., ... & Khuntia, P. (2025). Comment on" Neutron diffraction evidence of the 3-dimensional structure of Ba2MnTeO6 and misidentification of the triangular layers within the face-centred cubic lattice". arXiv preprint arXiv:2506.01792.
2. Sana, B., Barik, M., Lee, S., Jena, U., Baenitz, M., Sichelschmidt, J., ... & Khuntia, P. (2024). Possible realization of a randomness-driven quantum disordered state in the S= 1 2 antiferromagnet Sr 3 CuTa 2 O 9. Physical Review B, 110(13), 134412.
3. Khatua, J., Sana, B., Zorko, A., Gomilšek, M., Sethupathi, K., Rao, M. R., ... & Khuntia,
P. (2023). Experimental signatures of quantum and topological states in frustrated magnetism. Physics Reports, 1041, 1-60.
4. Sana, B., Barik, M., Pregelj, M., Jena, U., Baenitz, M., Sichelschmidt, J., ... & Khuntia, P. (2023). Magnetic properties of a spin-orbit entangled J eff= 1 2 three-dimensional frustrated rare-earth hyperkagome material. Physical Review B, 108(13), 134413.
5. Arh, T., Sana, B., Pregelj, M., Khuntia, P., Jagličić, Z., Le, M. D., ... & Zorko, A. (2022). The Ising triangular-lattice antiferromagnet neodymium heptatantalate as a quantum spin liquid candidate. Nature Materials, 21(4), 416-422.
6. Boya, K., Nam, K., Manna, A.K., Kang, J., Lyi, C., Jain, A., Yusuf, S.M., Khuntia, P., Sana, B., Kumar, V. and Mahajan, A.V., 2021. Magnetic properties of the S= 5/ 2 anisotropic triangular chain compound Bi 3 FeMo 2 O 12. Physical Review B, 104(18), p.184402.
7. Voma, U. K., Bhattacharya, S., Kermarrec, E., Alam, J., Jana, Y. M., Sana, B., ... & Koteswararao, B. (2021). Electronic structure and magnetic properties of the effective spin J eff= 1 2 two-dimensional triangular lattice K 3 Yb (VO 4) 2. Physical Review B, 104(14), 144411.
8. Khatua, J., Arh, T., Mishra, S. B., Luetkens, H., Zorko, A., Sana, B., ... & Khuntia, P. (2021). Development of short and long-range magnetic order in the double perovskite based frustrated triangular lattice antiferromagnet Ba 2 MnTeO 6. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 6959.
9. Arumugam, S., Kumar Kushvaha, S., Shankar, B., Gorantla, S. M. N., Roy, S., Sana, B., ... & Chandra Mondal, K. (2020). Tuning Nuclearity of Dysprosium (III) Complexes by Controlling Substitution on Ligand Molecule. ChemistrySelect, 5(31), 9787-9792.
Profile: ResearchGate, LinkedIn, ORCiD
Joydev Khatua (PhD, 2022)
MSc: IIT Hyderabad
1. Khatua, J., Lee, S., Pregelj, M., Sk, S., Panda, S. K., Hitti, B., ... & Khuntia, P. (2025). Coexistence of static and dynamic local magnetic fields in an S= 3/2 honeycomb lattice antiferromagnet Co2Te3O8. arXiv preprint arXiv:2506.09848.
2. Khatua, J., Arh, T., Mishra, S. B., Luetkens, H., Zorko, A., Sana, B., ... & Khuntia, P. (2025). Comment on" Neutron diffraction evidence of the 3-dimensional structure of Ba2MnTeO6 and misidentification of the triangular layers within the face-centred cubic lattice". arXiv preprint arXiv:2506.01792.
3. Barik, M., Khatua, J., Kim, S., Mun, E., Lee, S., Hitti, B., ... & Khuntia, P. (2025). Magnetic ground state of a Jeff 1/2 based frustrated triangular lattice antiferromagnet. arXiv preprint arXiv:2504.07194.
4. Khatua, J., Tay, D., Shiroka, T., Pregelj, M., Jena, U., Barik, M., ... & Khuntia, P. (2024). Classical spin liquid state in the emergent honeycomb-lattice material TbBO3. arXiv preprint arXiv:2407.05867.
5. Khatua, J., Gomilšek, M., Choi, K. Y., & Khuntia, P. (2024). Magnetism and field-induced effects in the S= 5 2 honeycomb lattice antiferromagnet FeP 3 SiO 11. Physical Review B, 110(18), 184402.
6. Khatua, J., Tay, D., Shiroka, T., Pregelj, M., Kargeti, K., Panda, S. K., ... & Khuntia, P. (2024). Spin liquid state in an emergent honeycomb lattice antiferromagnet. arXive-prints, arXiv-2407.
7. Khatua, J., Lee, S., Ban, G., Uhlarz, M., Murugan, G. S., Sankar, R., ... & Khuntia, P. (2024). Magnetism and spin dynamics of the S= 3/2 frustrated trillium lattice compound K 2 CrTi (PO 4) 3. Physical Review B, 109(18), 184432.
8. Khatua, J., Bhattacharya, S., Strydom, A. M., Zorko, A., Lord, J. S., Ozarowski, A., ... & Khuntia, P. (2024). Magnetic properties and spin dynamics in the spin-orbit driven J eff= 1/ 2 triangular lattice antiferromagnet Ba 6 Yb 2 Ti 4 O 17. Physical Review B, 109(2), 024427.
9. Khatua, J., Sana, B., Zorko, A., Gomilšek, M., Sethupathi, K., Rao, M. R., ... & Khuntia, P. (2023). Experimental signatures of quantum and topological states in frustrated magnetism. Physics Reports, 1041, 1-60.
10. Khatua, J., Ding, Q. P., Rao, M. R., Choi, K. Y., Zorko, A., Furukawa, Y., & Khuntia, P. (2023). Magnetic properties of a spin-orbit entangled J eff= 1 2 honeycomb lattice. Physical Review B, 108(5), 054442.
11. Khatua, J., Bhattacharya, S., Ding, Q. P., Vrtnik, S., Strydom, A. M., Butch, N. P., ... & Khuntia, P. (2022). Spin liquid state in a rare-earth hyperkagome lattice. Physical Review B, 106(10), 104404.
12. Khatua, J., Pregelj, M., Elghandour, A., Jagličic, Z., Klingeler, R., Zorko, A., & Khuntia, P. (2022). Magnetic properties of the triangular-lattice antiferromagnets Ba 3 RB 9 O 18 (R= Yb, Er). Physical Review B, 106(10), 104408.
13. Khatua, J., Gomilšek, M., Orain, J. C., Strydom, A. M., Jagličić, Z., Colin, C. V., ... & Khuntia, P. (2022). Signature of a randomness-driven spin-liquid state in a frustrated magnet. Communications Physics, 5(1), 99.
14. Khatua, J., Arh, T., Mishra, S. B., Luetkens, H., Zorko, A., Sana, B., ... & Khuntia, P. (2021). Development of short and long-range magnetic order in the double perovskite-based frustrated triangular lattice antiferromagnet Ba 2 MnTeO 6. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 6959.
Profile: ResearchGate, Academic
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📍Department Of Physics, Indian Institute Of Technology Madras, இயற்பியல் துறை, இந்திய தொழில்நுட்பக் கழகம், சென்னை
📍Department Of Physics, Indian Institute Of Technology Madras, இயற்பியல் துறை, இந்திய தொழில்நுட்பக் கழகம், சென்னை
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