अंतरिक्ष विभाग (Department of Space) | भारत सरकार (Government of India)
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Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics

 

 

Chairperson: Prof. B. K. Sahoo

Overview

Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (AMO-PH) is interdisciplinary in its nature and covers a wide range of topics starting from foundations of quantum mechanics to astrochemistry and luminescence dating. Along with classical and quantum properties of light, we investigate atoms, molecules, molecular clusters or condensed matter systems using a vast range of electromagnetic spectrum and other sources like high energy electrons and charged ions for basic as well as applied research. Also, Accurate knowledge of spectroscopic properties of atomic systems are required in many areas of physics. These data are useful to guide laboratory measurements and analyzing data observed using astrophysical and space-research instruments. Sophisticated many-body methods in the relativistic theory framework are developed to determine a variety of atomic properties very accurately.

We have initiated the Quantum Science and Technology Program to undertake research activities in the fast-emerging field of quantum information science.

Areas of Research

  • Ion-momentum spectroscopy
  • Laser produced plasmas
  • Light scattering
  • Luminescence dating
  • Methodological aspects of Luminescence dating
  • Non-linear Optics and Quantum Entanglement
  • Optical vortices and their properties
  • Photoion-photoelectron spectroscopy
  • Polarization metrology
  • Quantum Optics and Quantum Information
  • Radiation effects in minerals
  • Astrochemistry
  • Theoretical atomic physics

Affiliations

Major experimental facilities & theoretical activities

Experimental Facilities

Theoretical Activities
  • Diode-pumped Solid State Laser - Verdi 10: 10W, 532 nm
  • 50W CW, 1064nm fiber laser
  • Femtosecond fiber laser (~260 fs, Average power 5W)
  • Various lasers having wavelength 405, 532, 632 and 780 nm
  • ArF Excimer laser (400 mJ/pulse, 27 ns, Rep rate 100 Hz)
  • Nikon Inverted Research Microscope ECLIPSE Ti
  • Spatial Light Modulators -- LC-R 2500, x10468-05, x10468-02, BNS P512-532
  • Multichannel Scaler/Averager SR430 - 5 ns multichannel scaler/averager
  • Single Photon Counting Modules (SPCM)
  • Andor iXon3 EMCCD cameras
  • Andor iStar ICCD camera
  • Spin Coating unit
  • Vibration isolation tables
  • FTIR spectrometer
  • Laser porduced plasma spectrometer
  • Cluster source and time of flight mass spectrometer
  • Recoil ion momentum spectrometer
  • Closed cycle liquid He cryostat
  • Electron gun (5 Kev, 1 µA)
  • Thermoluminescence (TL) & Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating systems
  • 10K class clean labs
  • Oscillator strengths, transition probabilities, lifetimes
  • Fine structure splitting, hyperfine interactions
  • Electric moments, magnetic moments, polarizabilities
  • Isotope shifts
  • Relativistic many-body methods
  • Systematic estimations of microwave and optical atomic clocks
  • Magic wavelengths for optical clocks
  • Probing parity, time-reversal and Lorenz symmetry violations
  • CP and T-symmetry violations
  • Plasma spectroscopy

Ph.D. Courses offered
  • Optical beams with special properties and their interaction with matter
  • Quantum entanglement studies
  • Second- and third- order nonlinear optical effects
  • Optical parametric sources from visible to far-IR over CW to femtosecond timescales
  • Optical trapping and tweezing
  • Light scattering
  • Molecular synthesis and fragmentation
  • Astro-chemistry
  • Surface imaging of luminescence and its application to meteorites and glacial deposits
  • Photoionisation and Photon Spectroscopy