Recent News : Announcement

The Department of Physical Sciences warmly invites you to the Women in Science Programme to be held on 6–7 March 2026.

The programme features five one-hour-long invited talks, discussions, and an open forum session with our distinguished speakers. The details of the program are attached below. Tea and snacks will be served after each talk, offering an excellent opportunity to interact informally with the speakers and guests.

The highlights :

Prof. Supurna Sinha's talk on the life and legacy of her mother, Dr. Purnima Sinha, one of the first Bengali women to earn a doctorate in physics. She received her PhD in Physics from Calcutta University in 1956 under the mentorship of the legendary Professor Satyendra Nath Bose.

Such a meeting without a discussion on women safety on campus seems incomplete. The meet will also feature a talk by Adv. Seema Joshi following an open forum. Seema Ji will speak on the (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) POSH Act. She is a seasoned lawyer and certified POSH enabler who has worked with academic institutions, including INSA, she will outline institutional responsibilities and practical steps toward a safe, accountable campus, and address students’ questions.

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Posted on: March 25th, 2026

We are organising a meeting on the deci-Hz gravitational wave mission titled “Beyond LIGO-India: Deci-Hz GW Space Mission”, to be held on 16–17 March. The meeting will focus on developments and opportunities in deci-Hz gravitational-wave astronomy.

The programme schedule is available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kRorTJiv2tJuJOZxPj6Qh6FwnNAxYv2K/view?usp=sharing

In addition, we have planned an interaction session with Prof. Ajit Kembhavi (IUCAA) on the application of AI/ML to physics and astrophysics. The aim is to promote and accelerate AI/ML-based research activities in DPS.

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Posted on: March 11th, 2026

The Department of Physical Sciences (DPS), IISER Kolkata, is pleased to announce the Conference on Complex Systems and Condensed Matter Physics, to be held on 2–3 March 2026 at IISER Kolkata.

To promote in-depth scientific discussions, the conference will feature short, discussion-oriented talks by invited speakers from different parts of the country. The primary objective of the conference is to bring leading experts in the field to our campus and to foster meaningful scientific interactions and collaborations among faculty members, researchers, and students.

Tentative Speakers:

Abhik Basu (SINP, Kolkata), Apratim Chatterji (IISER Pune), Arnab Das (IACS, Kolkata), Arti Garg (SINP, Kolkata), Dibyendu Das (IIT Bombay), Krishnendu Sengupta (IACS, Kolkata), Rejish Nath (IISER Pune), Sayan Choudhury (HRI, Allahabad), Subir Das (JNCASR, Bangalore), Sumilan Banerjee (IISc Bangalore)

We cordially invite interested faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, PhD/IPhD students, and final-year master’s students to register (No Registration Fee) for the conference on or before 21 February 2026.

Important: Faculty members are kindly requested to motivate their students (Postdoctoral, IPhD, PhD, and final-year Master’s students) to submit posters and actively participate in the conference. Three Best Poster Awards will be presented for outstanding poster presentations.

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Posted on: February 11th, 2026

An International Workshop on “Nanophotonics using Structured Light” is being organized by Bio-Optics and Nano Photonics (bioNap) Laboratory, DPS, IISER Kolkata in collaboration with State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo. Supported by the Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC), this workshop aims to bring together leading experts to explore the rapidly growing fields of Nanophotonics using structured light. The workshop will cover fundamentals and emerging phenomena associated with spin-orbit interaction of light, interaction of structured light with chiral metasurfaces, plasmonic and hybrid metamaterials, 2-D layered materials, etc.

Date: March 7, 2026

Website: https://sites.google.com/iiserkol.ac.in/sparc/

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Posted on: January 27th, 2026

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You are cordially invited to the 1st Jagadish Chandra Bose Lecture organised by the DPS.

Speaker: Prof. Robert Fickler

Title: Quantum optics with structured light

Abstract: Structured light, i.e. light fields with a non-trivial shape in time, space, and polarization, has become a versatile approach to explore fundamental optics effects and develop novel applications in fields such as microscopy, imaging, optical communications, and quantum technologies, to name a few. In this talk, I will first introduce the field of structured light along with some of its applications in classical and quantum optics. Following this introduction, I will focus on two of our recent quantum optics experiments exploring nonlinear optical processes and structured light. In the first experiment, we test the fundamental law of angular momentum conservation commonly assumed for photons in nonlinear frequency conversion processes. We show that the angular momentum conservation still holds on the single photon level and outline a scheme to leverage it for the generation of high-dimensional multi-photon quantum states. In second experiment, I will present so-called quantum frequency conversion process which we control using structured light. In our approach a single photon is not only converted from one frequency to another, but its entanglement with a partner photon is simultaneously changed from being in polarization to the spatial profile of the photon. We show that the preservation of entanglement (non-local) during this process is conditioned upon the classical non-separability (local) of the structured field that drives the process. Not only show our results an interesting link between classical and quantum non-separability but they will also enable novel studies in open quantum systems and quantum nonlinear optical applications.

About Speaker: Robert Fickler received his doctoral degree from the University of Vienna (Austria) in 2014 working in the group of Anton Zeilinger. After postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Ottawa (Canada) in the groups of Bob Boyd and Ebrahim Karimi and the IQOQI-Vienna (Austria) in the group of Marcus Huber, he joined Tampere University (Finland), where he is leading the Experimental Quantum Optics group as an Professor IN Photonics. Together with his group, he is working on complex structures of photons for high-dimensional quantum information as well as quantum foundations. The group also works on structuring matter waves and investigates fundamental light-matter interactions schemes. He was awarded the Academy Research Fellowship of the Research Council of Finland in 2020 and the ERC Starting Grant by the European Union in 2021.

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Posted on: December 5th, 2025

Lecture Series: Physics of Glasses and Supercooled Liquids

The Department of Physical Sciences is organizing a lecture series by Prof. Chandan Dasgupta (IISc and ICTS Bangalore), a renowned theoretical physicist whose research has profoundly advanced our understanding of disordered systems, supercooled liquids, and glasses. His work also spans superconductivity, superfluidity, and nonequilibrium dynamics.

The series, scheduled from 13–27 October, will comprise approximately 12 lecture hours covering topics such as quenched disorder, spin glasses, mode coupling theory, and the Random First-Order Transition (RFOT) theory. One lecture will also focus on computational approaches in the field.

Venue: Asima Chatterjee Lecture Hall (First lecture at M. N. Saha Theatre)
Registration Deadline: October 12, 10 AM

This is an excellent opportunity for students and researchers to explore the theoretical foundations and modern perspectives on the physics of glasses and supercooled liquids.

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Posted on: October 9th, 2025

Prof. Rajesh Kumble Nayak has taken charge of the Chair, DPS, from 15th September 2025. Congratulations, Rajesh, and we hope the DPS to rise to a new height under your leadership.

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Posted on: September 18th, 2025

The Department of Physical Sciences, IISER Kolkata, is hosting the 4th Bibha Chowdhuri Memorial Lecture on 6th August (Wednesday). This year, the lecture will be delivered by Prof. Annapurni Subramaniam of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore. This lecture is in recognition and celebration of women in science.

Dr. Bibha Chowdhuri was the first Indian woman to earn a Ph.D. in Physics. Her work laid down the path towards the discovery of the pion - a short-lived, unstable subatomic particle that showers from high-energy cosmic ray collisions. As a token of recognition for her contributions to astronomy and astrophysics, the International Astronomical Union has re-christened the star HD 86081 as Bibha (a yellow-white dwarf star in the constellation Sextans south of the celestial equator).

Title: Universe and its building blocks of stars and galaxies

Speaker : Annapurni Subramaniam of Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore

Abstract: Astrophysics involves the study of the physical processes that govern the behaviour of astronomical objects, and the study of the origin, evolution, composition, and fate of the Universe. From the big picture to the local universe, studies of stars and nearby galaxies play a big role in understanding the building blocks of our universe. The data from the ground and space based observatories as well as major survey programs have provided multi-wavelength data to understand the physical and dynamical processes that govern the formation, interaction and evolution of stars, galaxies as well as galaxy groups. In this talk I will present my journey in astronomy, the projects that I am involved in and some of the science highlights.

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Posted on: August 5th, 2025

We will be celebrating DPS day on 19th March 2025. There will be many exciting talks by our former and current students.

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Posted on: March 21st, 2025

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We are happy to inform you that Prof. Dhananjay Nandi has taken charge of the Chair, DPS from September 6, 2024. We sincerely thank our outgoing chair, Prof. Ayan Banerjee for his great service to the department.

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Posted on: September 7th, 2024

The nuclear beta decay revealed the existence of neutrino more than eight decades ago, but the neutrino still continues to be a puzzle waiting to be unravelled. The mass and nature of neutrinos play an important role in physics beyond the standard model. At present, neutrinoless double beta decay (NDBD) is perhaps the only experiment that can tell us whether or not the neutrino is its own antiparticle. Given the significance of the NDBD, there is a widespread interest worldwide employing a variety of novel techniques. This talk will present a brief report of ongoing and proposed NDBD experiments and will highlight Indian efforts towards the feasibility study of search for NDBD in 124Sn.

Time: Wednesday, August 7

Venue:Asima Chatterjee Lecture Theatre

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Posted on: July 30th, 2024

Dr. Raghunath Ghara has recently joined DPS, IISER-Kolkata as a Ramanujan Fellow. His research area is Astrophysics and Cosmology, while the major focus has been theoretical studies of the Epoch of Reionization using numerical simulations. He is a member of the LOFAR-EoR group, NenuFAR science team, SKA-India EoR and Cosmology science team and SKA science team which aim to probe the properties of the University during the first billion years. Raghunath did his B.Sc. from Calcutta University in 2009. After that he joined the integrated PhD. Program of Harish-Chandra Research Institute where he completed his M.Sc. and received a degree from Homi Bhabha National Institute in 2012. Afterwards he moved to the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA-TIFR) where he completed his PhD in 2016. Following this he went for several postdoctoral positions at Stockholm University (Stockholm, Sweden), Technion (Haifa, Israel), Open University of Israel (Ra'anana, Israel) and UPenn & Haverford (Philadelphia, USA) before he returned to India with the Ramanujan Fellowship.

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Posted on: July 12th, 2024

Physics days is an annual celebration of Physics conducted by the Department of Physical Sciences and associated Centres at IISER Kolkata. This year's celebration focuses on astronomy, astrophysics and space science research pursued by the Center of Excellence in Space Scienes India (CESSI), which has completed 10 years of functioning. An additional theme centres around quantum information and technology pursued at the Physics Department. Several talks by invited speakers and our senior PhD students, and a poster session will provide a flavour of both the national scenario, as well as research highlights from IISER Kolkata.

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Posted on: March 6th, 2024

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The Department of Physical Science of IISER Kolkata has several postdoc openings. The application deadline is 21st March 2024. The details can be found in the link below.

https://apply.iiserkol.ac.in/pdf/

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Posted on: March 3rd, 2024

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IISER Kolkata invites applications from motivated students for admission to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) programme for the Autumn of 2024. The selected candidates can do a Ph.D. in any of the following disciplines: Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Computational and Data Sciences, Earth Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, Physical Sciences, and Space Sciences.

● PhD application portal opens: 01.03.2024

● Application portal closes: 30.04.2024

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Posted on: March 1st, 2024

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A two-day workshop on “Correlated Quantum Matter” is to be held in IISER Kolkata between 18-19 April 2024. The workshop would bring together leading practitioners of quantum condensed matter physics from the country and abroad to discuss the latest developments in the field.

Correlated quantum many-body systems have played an important role in our understanding of fundamental phenomena in nature from symmetry breaking to topological phases of matter. Emergent properties in these systems have led to diverse phenomena from superconductivity to spin liquids to the quantum hall effect. Correlated quantum matter is also intrinsically tied to the development of modern quantum technologies like quantum computing, quantum sensing, etc. In this context, this workshop will not only lead to a discussion on this timely topic, but it would also be a great opportunity for students and postdocs of IISER Kolkata to be exposed to the frontline research topics in this field.

Among other speakers, Prof. Mohit Randeria and Prof. Nandini Trivedi of Ohio State University, USA, will participate in the workshop and each of them will deliver a DPS colloquium (on 18 and 19 April 2024), which will also be a part of this workshop. We hope that our PhD students, postdocs, and colleagues, particularly those working in the broad area of condensed matter physics, will benefit from the informal academic discussions throughout this workshop.

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Posted on: March 1st, 2024

The Department of Physical Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata seeks applications from eligible candidates for appointment as faculty at all levels, although preference would be given to recruitment at the Assistant Professor level. Note that this is a fresh call for applications in priority areas, and it is preferred that any past applicants who fit into these areas (given below), apply to this specific call by the deadline.

The Department’s research portfolio encompasses almost all major areas of physics, exploring ideas and phenomena that encompass several orders of magnitude not only in terms of length but also in energy and time. The topics currently covered include condensed matter physics and material science, biophysics, soft matter physics, complex systems, light-matter interaction, astrophysics, space science, gravitation and cosmology, high energy physics, atomic and molecular physics, non-linear dynamics, quantum information processing, quantum computation, and mathematical physics. The experimental endeavours are well supported by several high-end instruments and facilities such as Micro-Raman Spectroscopy, SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device), custom-designed velocity map Imaging Spectrometry, ultra-fast spectroscopy (including a Femtosecond laser oscillator and amplifier), Atomic Force Microscopy, and many others. Some of our experimentalists have also developed state-of-the-art apparatus which include optical tweezers and photonic force spectroscopy, dark field fluorescence Mueller Matrix polarization spectroscopy, and low-temperature electron spin resonance (ESR) towards quantum computation. Additionally, DPS faculty have also contributed to the creation of two Centres of Excellence supported by generous extramural funding from various Ministries of the Government of India: the Centre of Excellence in Space Sciences, India (CESSI), and the National Centre for High-Pressure Studies (NCHPS). DPS has recently also inducted a high-performance computational facility for its members.

Through this specific recruitment drive we are seeking to appoint a few faculty members in the following priority areas to enhance and complement our activities. Applicants must add one of the following areas in the 'Research Area' field in the application form.

1. Experimental Condensed Matter Physics 2. Experimental High Energy Physics 3. Experimental Soft Matter Physics 4. Observational Astronomy 5. Experimental Optics and Spectroscopy

Prospective faculty applicants from other areas can apply through the rolling advertisement.

Application Deadline: 10 December, 2023

https://apply.iiserkol.ac.in/faculty/

We particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups. For eligibility criteria and other requirements, standard MoE norms will be followed. The Government of India's policy regarding reservations will be adhered to during recruitment at all levels.

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Posted on: November 18th, 2023

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We are accepting Ph.D. applications for the Spring Semester 2024. The application deadline is 19th October 2023.

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Posted on: September 25th, 2023

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Gluon is extremely thrilled to announce the long anticipated event Equituition! For those probably wondering what this is all about : An integration bee kind of setting where instead of integration, one needs to find a governing model equation of the system introduced in the problem. Who all can participate : With questions catering to varying levels of difficulty, everyone from every academic level is encouraged to participate - we don\'t discriminate here at Gluon. Why you should join: If the joy of problem solving is simply not enough to remove the inertia, most certainly the glory and fame of the crown will do the job. And if you want something more - worry not, since three exciting prizes will await shall fate bless you in the battlefield. The space time coordinates : (16/09/23-17:30, G, 0, 6) Registration Link : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfAW3Xe1XouLfUK_HGQGO-6JRka8ZCim0LvUVW6MzWIf9pSVw/viewform

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Posted on: September 13th, 2023

We heartily welcome our new batch of students for the Integrated Ph.D. program. Nine bright students joined the department this year. We wish them a great stay at DPS!

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Posted on: August 4th, 2023

Doctor of Philosophy Programme at the Department of Physical Sciences (DPS): Special interview for the Autumn 2023 semester (only for candidates qualifying for the NET-JRF fellowship)

Timeline:

Ph.D. application portal opens : 1.08.2023

Publication of shortlist for Interview: 7.08.2023

Selection Interview : 10.08.2023 - 11.08.2023

Publication of Ph.D. interview results: 16.08.2023

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Posted on: August 1st, 2023

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Vigyan Pratibha (https://vigyanpratibha.in/) is organizing a workshop for school teachers at IISER Kolkata during 17-21 July 2023. Dr. Deepa Chari from Homi Bhabha Center of Science Education (HBCSE) will be with us on Monday (17th July) and she will brief us about Vigan Pratibha and its activities. She will also discuss how you can contribute to the program. The full program is attached as a pdf document. On behalf of IISER Kolkata, the program is coordinated by Prof. Pradeep Kumar Mohanty of the Department of Physical Sciences.

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Posted on: July 26th, 2023

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Along with S. N. Bose National Center for Basic Sciences, Kolkata, IISER Kolkata will organize STATPHYS KOLKATA XII from 18-22 December 2023.

STATPHYS-Kolkata is an international conference series focusing on the broad area of Statistical Physics organized collaboratively by various educational institutions in Kolkata, India. The conference brings together researchers working in various branches of Statistical Physics from all over the world, providing a platform to exchange and share ideas.

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Posted on: July 1st, 2023

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In honor of our senior colleague Prof. Prasanta K. Panigrahi turning 65 this June 2023, we will be having Rapid Talks with the theme "Physics Trends @ IISER Kolkata" from 28th - 29th June 2023. Most of the talks will be by research scholars/postdocs of IISER Kolkata. The event will start on the 28th with an opening short remark by Prof. Bedangadas Mohanty, NISER. On the evening of 28th June, a felicitation program will be arranged.

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Posted on: June 26th, 2023

IISER-Kolkata and the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Kolkata, are jointly organising a symposium during August 11-12, 2023, to commemorate the birth centenary of Prof. Amal Kumar Raychaudhuri, a renowned figure in the field of general relativity and cosmology. The venue of the meeting is IACS, Kolkata.

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Posted on: June 5th, 2023

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The details can be found here.

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Posted on: March 25th, 2023

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Please note that the deadline for applications for postdoctoral positions has been extended to January 15th, 2023, prospective candidates may visit the website:

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Posted on: December 28th, 2022

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Congratulations Prof. Prasanta K. Panigrahi on his new book! The book is published by Springer

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Posted on: November 3rd, 2022

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On the occasion of Teachers' Day, on the first floor of the TRC building, the DPS started the 'CONVERGENCE Corner'! We will have coffee, sofas, and boards. Let the CONVERGENCE Corner emerge as the place for arguments, discussions, and above all fighting over the boards! The director, Prof. Sourav Pal graced the occasion!

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Posted on: September 5th, 2022

As promised, here is much awaited DPS movie! Do circulate it among your friends and in your social networks! We thank all the people who helped us immensely in making it! Enjoy ..

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Posted on: July 14th, 2022

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