Surface Modification and Applications Laboratory (SMAL)

Education

Postdoc: IMEC, Leuven, Belgium (2006 - 2008)

PhD: Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

M.Sc: Calcutta University, West Bengal, India

B.Sc: St. Xavier's College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

10+2: St. Xavier's College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Secondary: R. K. Mission Vidyapith, Purulia, West Bengal, India

Work experience

Associate Professor (2016 - Present)

Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, IIT Ropar (2009 - 2016)

Visiting scientist: IGCAR, Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, India (2008 - 2009)

Ms. Deepa Lohani is a Senior Research Scholar in the department. She joined her PhD in the year 2015. She completed her MSc from Radhe Hari Degree College of Kumaun University Nainital and had finished her BSc from the same college. She had qualified CSIR-NET 2014, GATE-2015, JEST-2015, BARC-2015 and Uttarakhand State Eligibility Test (USET)-2015.

Area of research:

Deepa is interested to carry out her work on understanding the substrate structure-property correlation of complex fluids and fluid interfaces containing colloids, nanoparticle, surfactants, polymers or their mixtures. She is also interested in controlling and studying the evaporative self-assembly in aqueous as well as binary liquid media.

TA Experiences: UG Physics Laboratory (PHP 100) , Museum lab (UG), Experimental methods (UG), Mathematical Physics (PHY412), Condensed Matter Physics (PH425), Experimental methods (PHY512),

Email: deepa.lohani@iitrpr.ac.in

Ms. Shinki is a Senior Research Scholar in the department. She joined her PhD in the year 2016. She did her graduation (B.Sc) with Physics Major from Miranda House (Delhi University) in the year 2013. She had completed her M.Sc from the Department of Physics (Kurukshetra University) in the year 2015. She had qualified CSIR-NET (JRF) 2016 and GATE-2016. She has a brief experience of teaching in the post of Assistant Professor (2015 -2016) at Govt. College Barwala (Hisar).

Area of Research:

Shinki is interested to unravel interactions of light with different kinds of metal nano-structures produced by low energy ion beam patterning and chemical etching methods. Her studies also involve application areas based on Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering using structured substrate templates.

TA Experiences: Physics for Engineer (PHL 101), UG Physics Laboratory (PHP 100) , PG Physics Laboratory (PHP 420), Statistical Mechanics (PHL 422), PG Physics Laboratory (PHP 510), Raman Spectrometer (CRF)

Email: shinki.physics@iitrpr.ac.in

Ms. Rakhi is a Junior Research Scholar in the department. She joined her PhD in the year 2019. She completed her B.Sc in the year 2013 from DAV PG college Muzaffarnagar. She had finished her M.Sc in the year 2015 from the same college. She had qualified CSIR-NET 2018, GATE 2017,18 and JEST 2018.

Area of Research:

Rakhi tries to explore relaxation mechanisms of ion beam eroded surfaces. She works in the regime of low energy ions bombarded on semiconductor surfaces. She applies universal scaling concepts to distinguish surface relaxation mechanisms between continuous and intermittent sputtering events. She studies the effect of different ion beam parameters on nanopattern formation.

TA Experiences: UG Physics Laboratory (PHP 100)

Email: 2018phz0013@iitrpr.ac.in

Ms. Deeksha is a Junior Research Scholar in the department. She joined her PhD in the year 2019. She did her graduation (B.Sc) from HNB Garhwal University in the year 2015. She had finished her M.Sc in Physics from NIT Jalandhar in the year 2018. She has qualified CSIR NET (JRF) 2018 and GATE 2019.

Area of Research:

Deeksha's research interest focuses on the dynamical study and desiccation patterns of sessile droplets containing nano particles. She studies the effects of roughness and substrate nano-structures on drying patterns of sessile drops.

Email: deeksha.19phz0012@iitrpr.ac.in

PhD degree awarded: 2019

Thesis title: Low energy ion beam nanopatterning of Co(x)Si(1-x) surfaces

Thesis summary: Basanta has worked on ion-induced pattern formation on binary compound namely Co_xSi_1-x. He work was in the domain of low energetic primary ions (<1200 eV). The samples were using magnetron sputtering facility in the lab. He used the ion source facility to pattern the surface. His results demonstrate the evolution of nanoscale to micro-scale morphological structures with the variation of ion energies. Nanoscale ripples with anisotropic electrical conduction properties have also been observed. Non-conventional experiments employing substrate swinging have exhibited nano-cauliflower like structures.

Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow, FCIPT-IPR, Gandhinagar, India

Post doctoral fellow: 2014-15

Research summary: Prabha worked on scaling studies on chemically eroded anisotropic surfaces of silicon. Results indicate large-scale dynamics of Si (100) surfaces during the initial stages of anisotropic wet (KOH) chemical etching. These systems are known to lead to the formation of characteristic pyramids, or hillocks, of typical sizes in the nanometric/micrometer scales which have large applications. This complex and rich morphological evolution features at least three different regimes in just 10 min of etching. Such a complex time behavior cannot be consistently explained within a single formalism for dynamic scaling.

Current position: Research Scientist, IHP Microeelctronics, Frankfurt (Oder) Germany

PhD degree awarded: 2014

Thesis title: Scaling studies of physically and chemically eroded surfaces

Thesis summary: Prabhjeet has worked on universal scaling characteristics of surfaces nano and microstructured using physical and chemical routes. For physical routes she had employed ion beam routes. Surfaces modified using chemical means were done by isotropic and anisotropic wet etching on Si surfaces. A further study on polymer structuring was also done. Results indicated temporal and as well as spatial fluctuations depending on the pattern parameters.

Current position: Assistant Professor, Guru Nanak College for Girls, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Punjab