Scanning Probe Microscopy and Plasmonics Group
Research & Publications
we investigate physical (morphological, electrical, electronic, optical, mechanical) and chemical properties of surfaces and interfaces with high spatial and temporal resolution
from Metal - Semiconductor interfaces to surface coupled charge oscillations - Surface Plasmons and biological systems like cells and much more - a diverse range of micro to nanoscale systems. ​
​the prime inhabitant of our bag of tricks is a Scanning Probe Microscope and its avatars: the Scanning Tunnelling Microscope and Atomic Force Microscope, with them and other quaint tools we probe and comprehend Nature - in the nanoscale and try to push the limits of the invisible unknown a bit away
STM: Topography of 50nm thinfilm of La_0.7Ca_0.3MnO_3 on NGO @ 77K (IISc)
Strain engineered enhancement in optical and electrical properties of TMDC
Finite Temperature Current Fluctuations
and STM Light Emission
News & Updates
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Congratulations to Sraboni on receiving EPS-QEOD student travel grand for attending CLEO Europe 2025
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We are proud to share that Prof. Joy Mitra was invited to deliver this year’s prestigious Raja Ramanna Lecture (2025) organized at JNCASR
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We are pleased to welcome Dr. Arup Sarkar to our group as a Research academic staff
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We are delighted to welcome Satyam Kumar Ravi to our group as a doctoral student
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Congratulations to Harikrishnan on securing a post-doctoral position at Sapienza University of Rome
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Prof. Satheesh Krishnamurthy, Director, Surrey Ion Beam Center, Advanced Technology Institute, University of Surrey, UK, visited IISER Thiruvananthapuram to deliver a lecture series as a part of our UKIERI-SPARC collaborative project between IISER TVM and the University of Surrey.
Meet the Group
I graduated from Presidency College, Calcutta, Physics (Hons), batch of 1996. Later joined the Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore as an Integrated PhD student, and graduated in 2005. Following a maiden post-doctoral stint at the School of Maths and Physics, Queen's University Belfast (UK), I joined the School of Physical Sciences at IISER TVM in 2010.
Graduate Students
Kritika Sharu
Research Interests: Light-matter interactions in plasmon-semiconductor hybrids, 1/f noise spectroscopy of transparent conducting oxides and plasmonic metal-insulator composites
Shashwata Chattopadhyay
Research Interests: Scanning tunnelling microscopy of Self Assembled Monolayers, Metal non-metal composite materials and their behaviour near percolation threshold, ENZ materials.
Sraboni Dey
Research Interests: Light-matter interactions in conducting oxides and 2D materials
Arun M
Research Interests: Probing Optical Nonlinearities and Opto-electronics in ENZ systems.
Soumyadip Hazra
Research Interests: Appling Density Functional Theory to study Opto-electronic properties of low dimensional systems
Narendra Shah
Research Interests: Scanning Probe Microscopy
Satyam Kumar Ravi
Research Interests:
Research Academic Staff
Arup Sarkar
Research Interests: 2D materials on SAM platform
Major & Minor Students
Namitha K Ram
Major Project Student
Sruthi Sudhakaran
Major Project Student
Avinash Hari
Major Project Student
Jerin A George
Major Project Sudent
Past Members
Vijith Kalathingal
Asistant Professor at Kannur University, Kerala
​PhD Thesis: STM Light Emission : The Physics of a Nanoscale Plasmonic Light Source
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Kingshuk Bandopadhyay
Post doctoral fellow at University of Warsaw, Poland
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​PhD Thesis: Defect driven Optoelectronic properties of Unintentionally doped ZnO Nanostructures and related Devices
Krishna Nand Prajapati
Postdoctoral fellow at IISER Berhampur, India
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​PhD Thesis: ZnO emission: from Photoluminescence to Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
Ben Johns
Postdoctoral fellow at UMEA University, Sweden
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​PhD Thesis: Infrared Photonics of Epsilon-Near-Zero Thin Films
Navas M P
Assistant Professor, MES Keveeyam College, Kerala
Arijit Kayal
Postdoctoral fellow at J.Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry​
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​PhD Thesis: Engineering optical, electrical and electronic properties of 2D van der Waals Materials
Robins Kurian
Instructional Designer and Creative Director at SEEK IAS academy​
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​Research Interests: Scanning Tunneling Microscopy, Light-matter interaction at plasmonic tunnel junctions.
Harikrishnan G
Postdoctoral fellow at Sapienza University of Rome​
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​PhD Thesis: Optoelectronic and Transport Properties of Nanostructured Hybrids of ZnO–PEDOT:PSS and Ni–TiO2
 156F07DA-CDEA-498A-8876-E7CDB58EA3C3_edited |  Shehna |  Alphin |
|---|---|---|
 Sreehari |  anoop |  Sabuj |
 Miliya |  Sharath |  Kanchan |
 Prateek |  Abu |  Reshmi |
 Narmadha |  Gautam |  Bobby |
 Nithin |  Sruthi |  Prangshu |
 Mithun Thampi |  Sisira |  Dinumol |
 Atul Mohan |  Animakshi |  Naren Thejaswi |
 Hareesh |  Prashant |
L - R (top) Shahma Subhair (Major 23-24), Shehna Mysin (Major 22-23), Alphin, Sreehari (Major 2021-22), Anoop, Sabuj Mondal, Miliya KM (Major 2020-21), Sharath Sasikumar (Major 2019-20), Kanchan Soni, Pratik Kumar, Abu ALex Aravindanath (Major 2017-18), Rashmi Parvathi, Narmada Naidu (Minor 2018), Gautam Mitra, Boby C Joseph (Major 2016-17), Nikhil, Sruthi V R (Minor 2017), Pranshu Mandal (Major 2015-16)​​ Mithun Thampi, Sisira K (Major 2014-15) Dinumol Devasia (Minor 2015) Atul Mohan (Major 2013-14) Animakshi Bhushan, Narain Thejaswi S,​ Harish Lingam (Minor 2013)​ Prashant Pathak (Major 2012-13)
Teaching
Experimental
methods
PHY 412
advanced course in experimental methods and analysis
Advanced Physics
LABs
PHY 315/325
advanced experiments in undergraduate/graduate level course
Plasmonics & Nanophotonics
advanced course in light matter interactions
Teaching Resources & Interesting Links
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Energy Unit Converter: https://halas.rice.edu/unit-conversions
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​Simulating 2D Light Transport: https://benedikt-bitterli.me/tantalum/
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OPTICO Simulating Ray Optics: https://www.optico.app/en/start-en/#
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​Interactive Simulations for Science and Math: https://phet.colorado.edu/
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Solid State Physics: https://solidstate.quantumtinkerer.tudelft.nl/
Openings
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Post Doctoral Positions
1 funded position to work in any area of mutual interest​
1 funded position to work in the area of 2D materials: STARS (MoE, IISc) funded project
Candidates interested in applying for independent post-doctoral fellowships in any area of mutual interest
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Selected National Post Doctoral Fellowships in India (click to access websites)
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Junior Research Fellow (CSIR/UGC NET Qualified)
Candidates with CSIR/UGC JRF fellowships or equivalent are welcome to apply throughout the year.
Contact us if you are interested and want to work with us. Contact details given below.
Contact
School of Physical Sciences
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram
Maruthamala P.O. Kerala 695551, India
+91 (0)471 277 8140