Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Navrangpura, Ahmedabad - 380009, India
The Photonic Sciences Laboratory at the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, led by Prof. Goutam K. Samanta, is engaged in cutting-edge fundamental and applied research in the field of experimental quantum optics, nonlinear optics, quantum science and technology, structured optical beams, and photonics.
Despite decades of progress since the invention of the laser, the scarcity of suitable gain media across key spectral regions, from the ultraviolet (UV) to the terahertz (THz), continues to drive the need for advanced optical sources with tailored spectral, temporal, spatial, and quantum properties. We address these challenges by exploiting nonlinear optical frequency conversion to develop custom-engineered optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) for generating tunable classical and squeezed light, and innovative spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) sources for high-brightness single and entangled photons. Our research integrates nonlinear optics, structured light, and quantum engineering to generate and manipulate Airy, vector vortex, and Poincaré beams, while advancing broadband polarization entanglement, spatial multiplexing, and geometric phase control. These innovations enable next-generation technologies in quantum communication, quantum random number generation (QRNG), quantum sensing and imaging, and quantum information processing. By combining fundamental research with technology development, we bridge the gap between laboratory-scale discoveries and deployable quantum photonic systems.
Award Achievement: Mr. Anirban Ghosh received the EPS QEOD Travel Grant Student Award from the European Physical Society for his presentation at EPS QEOD Conference.
Scholarship Award: Mr. Anirban Ghosh was awarded the prestigious 2026 SPIE Optics and Photonics Scholarship.
PhD Defense: Dr. Ayan Kumar Nai successfully defended his PhD thesis titled "Sectioning and Multiplexing of the Spatial Distribution of Pair Photons for QRNG and QKD Network".
New Publication: Paper titled "Paraxial spin-induced vortex generation in epsilon-near-zero materials" published in Applied Physics Letters.
Poster Award: Mr. Anirban Ghosh won the Best Poster Award at the 33rd National Laser Symposium (NLS-33), Indore.
Building the intracavity upconversion system based on the optical parametric oscillator for imaging of astronomical objects in near and mid-IR wavelength ranges using the standard imaging systems widely used for the visible spectrum.
Duration: 5 years
Status: Ongoing from July 2026
Funding agency: ANRF, India
Development of high-brightness, robust entangled photon sources optimized for free-space and satellite-based quantum key distribution (QKD) initiatives in India.
Duration: 3 years
Status: Completed, March 2026
Funding agency: DST, India
Development of quantum random number generator (QRNG) at a high quantum bit rate, study the effect of Bell’s inequality on the randomness of the source, and development of device-independent QRNG.
Duration: 3 years
Status: Completed, March 2026
Funding agency: i-Hub, Pune, DST, India
Development of the quantum sensor based on the Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometer for the displacement and refractive index measurement.
Duration: 2 years
Status: Completed, March 2023
Funding agency: DRDO, India
JONAKI is a compact, field-deployable, entangled photon source designed for next-generation quantum communication, quantum sensing, and advanced research applications. Engineered for stability and performance, it generates non-collinear, degenerate polarization-entangled photon pairs at 810 nm, optimized for free-space and laboratory-based quantum experiments.
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High-resolution time-to-digital converter for photon timing, coincidence measurements, and quantum optics experiments. Observe detection rates for up to four single-photon detectors, generate up to four coincidence pairs between any pair of connected detectors or trigger signals, and record every time tag for an exceptionally high number of detected photons, all with subnanosecond precision.
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Topic: Quantum Optics, Nonlinear Optics, and Optomechanical Engineering
Topic: Electronics System Development, TDC Systems & QKD Hardware Implementation
Topic: Structured Single Photon Generation
Topic: Quantum Source and Quantum Sensing
Topic: Squeezed Light, Quantum Sensing and Ranging
Topic: Nonlinear Interaction of Structured Beams
Topic: Structured Optical Fields
Topic: SPDC & Entanglement
Topic: HOM Interferometry
Topic: Single-Photon Counting Systems
Awarded to Mr. Anirban Ghosh by European Physical Society for contribution to EPS QEOD Conference.
Prestigious scholarship awarded to Mr. Anirban Ghosh by SPIE, USA.
Awarded to Mr. Anirban Ghosh for "High repetition rate mid-IR coherent radiation through 1064 nm CW pumped OPA, injection seeded with Multi-gigahertz OPO", 33rd National Laser Symposium (BRNS, RRCAT Indore & Medi-Caps Univ).
Awarded to Dr. Sandeep Singh for thesis "Generation and Characterization of Pair Photons for Quantum Sensing Applications" at 32nd DAE-BRNS NLS, RRCAT Indore.
Awarded to Ms. Chahat Kaushik for "Geometric phase induced tunable optimum output coupling in optical parametric oscillators".
Awarded to Mr. Anirban Ghosh for "Experimental Observation of Optical Hilbert's Hotel in Vector Beam".
Awarded to Mr. Sandeep Singh to attend Frontiers in Optics + Laser Science (FiOLS) in Denver, Colorado, USA.
Awarded to Mr. Anirban Ghosh to attend URSI GASS 2023 in Sapporo, Japan for "Hilbert Hotel: An experimental realization in polarization topological vortex beam".
Awarded to Mr. Anirban Ghosh for "Nonlinear generation of ultrafast, high power, higher order vector vortex beams", IISc Bangalore.
Awarded to Mr. Varun Sharma by European Physical Society (EPS) for CLEO/EUROPE-EQEC 2019, Munich, Germany.
Selected participant: Mr. Varun Sharma, Lindau, Germany.
Awarded to Mr. Varun Sharma at Europhoton Conference, Barcelona, Spain.
Awarded to Mr. Jabir M. V. for Frontiers in Optics, Washington DC, USA.
Awarded to Mr. Jabir M. V. at KIIT University, Bhubaneswar.
Awarded to Mr. Apurv Chaitanya N. at IIT Kanpur.
Awarded to Dr. Apurv Chaitanya N. for Frontiers in Optics, University of Rochester, USA.
Awarded to Mr. Jabir M. V. at 7th EPS-QEOD Europhoton Conference, Vienna, Austria.
Awarded to Dr. A. Aadhi at 7th EPS-QEOD Europhoton Conference, Vienna, Austria.
Awarded to Mr. Apurv Chaitanya N. at RAOS-2016 conference, Hyderabad University, May 6-7, 2016.
Awarded to Dr. A. Aadhi at Winter College on Optics: Optical Frequency Combs held at ICTP, Trieste, Italy during February 2016.
Awarded to Dr. A. Aadhi by Optical Society of America (OSA) for Frontiers in Optics, San Jose, USA.
Awarded to Mr. Jabir M. V. at RRCAT, Indore.
Awarded to Mr. Apurv Chaitanya N. at ICOP 2015, Calcutta University.
Awarded to Mr. Apurv Chaitanya N. at Photonics, IIT Kharagpur, December 13-16, 2014.
Awarded to Mr. Apurv Chaitanya N. at National Laser Symposium, Tirupoti, December 3-6, 2014.
Awarded to Mr. A. Aadhi at International Conference on Optics & Optoelectronics, Instruments Research & Development Establishment, Dehradun, March 5-8, 2014.
Simple experimental realization of optical Hilbert Hotel using scalar and vector fractional vortex beams, APL Photonics, 8, 066105 (2023).
Single-frequency, high-power, continuous-wave fiber-laser-pumped Ti:sapphire laser, Applied Optics, 51, 15-20 (2012).
Stable, 9.6 W, continuous-wave, single-frequency, fiber-based green source at 532 nm, Optics Letters, 34, 1561-1563 (2009).
Dual-wavelength, two-crystal, continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator, Optics Letters, 36, 3033-3035 (2011).
Multicrystal, continuous-wave, single-pass second-harmonic generation with 56% efficiency, Optics Letters 35, 3513-3515 (2010).
Continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator pumped by a fiber laser green source at 532 nm, Optics Letters, 34, 2255-2257 (2008).
Continuous-wave, single-frequency, solid-state blue source for the 425-489 nm spectral range, Optics Letters, 33, 1228-1230 (2008).
Watt-level, ultrafast, tunable yellow source based on single-pass, fourth-harmonic generation of Cr2+:ZnS laser at 2360 nm, Optics Letters, 45, 5109-5112 (2020).
Robust, high brightness, degenerate entangled photon source at room temperature, Scientific Reports 7, 12613 (2017).
High power, high repetition rate, tunable broadband mid-IR source based on single-pass optical parametric generation of a femtosecond laser, Optics Letters, 42, 2886-2889 (2017).
Ultrafast optical vortex beam generation in the ultraviolet, Optics Letters, 41, 2715-2718 (2016).
All-periodically poled, high-power, continuous-wave, single-frequency tunable UV source, Optics Letters 40, 33-36 (2015).
High-power, high-repetition-rate, Yb-fiber laser based femtosecond source at 355 nm, Optics Letters, 40, 4269-4272 (2015).
Frequency-modulation-mode-locked optical parametric oscillator, Optics Letters, 37, 115-117 (2012).
Stable, 9.6 W, continuous-wave, single-frequency, fiber-based green source at 532 nm, Optics Letters, 34, 1561-1563 (2009).
Stable, High-power, continuous-wave, second-harmonic generation at 532 nm in periodically poled KTiOPO4, Optics Letters, 33, 2955-2957 (2008).
Group photo at Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad campus.
Group celebration following a successful thesis defense at the lab.
Lab members participating and presenting research at National Laser Symposium.
Experimental optical table setup for generating polarization-entangled photon pairs.
Tunable high-repetition-rate optical parametric oscillator running in the laboratory.
Two-photon interference assembly utilized for ultra-sensitive quantum sensing.
Featured cover publication on optical realization of the Hilbert Hotel paradox using fractional vortex beams.
We have developed a new compact and ultrafast, high-power yellow laser. The tunable laser exhibits excellent beam quality and helps fill the need for a practical yellow light source emitting ultrafast pulses of light.
In this installment of Senior Member Insights, OPN talks with Goutam Samanta. Goutam is an associate professor and heads the Photonic Sciences Laboratory at Physical Research Laboratory, India. Prior to joining Physical Research Laboratory, Goutam obtained his Ph.D. at the Institute of Photonics Sciences (ICFO), Spain.
Goutam Kumar Samanta, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, India, for his significant contributions to the field of nonlinear optics, lasers and quantum optics, as well as his efforts in popularizing science among school students in India.
Front cover issue highlighting fiber-laser-pumped single-frequency Ti:sapphire laser.
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