ILLUMINATI- ALTAR OF SCIENCE

Today, we were happy to host the Second Year M.Sc. Physics students of Mahatma Gandhi College, Thiruvananthapuram, at the Department of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Kerala, as part of their industrial visit. The students were accompanied by their teacher, and it was also a pleasure to have Prof. Shyam, my dear friend and faculty member of the same college, joining the visit. The lab familiarization session was handled by Mr. Nithin, Technical Assistant, who introduced the students to the laboratory facilities, instruments, and basic research practices. I also fondly acknowledge Dr. V. M. Anandkumar Sir, Principal of Mahatma Gandhi College, who is an alumnus of our Department of Physics, University of Kerala. His support and encouragement made the visit more meaningful. The students showed good interest in understanding the scope of nanoscience, laboratory practices, and research facilities. Overall, it was a fruitful and pleasant academic programme.

 

  One year in Nanoscience -and it still feels like a beautiful beginning. An institution grows not merely because of buildings, instruments, or titles, but because of the people who join it, strengthen it, and quietly believe in what it can become. Over this year, the Department of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology has begun to gather such people. Our postdoctoral team itself brings wonderful diversity in research: Dr. Aswathy P in nonlinear optics, spectroscopy, DFT, and optical limiting; Dr. Sreevalsa S in quantum dots, optoelectronics, phosphors, MOFs, and hybrid materials; and Bijimol B I in electrochemistry, hydrogen evolution, surface engineering, and advanced nanomaterials. Along with them, our students and research team have been taking the department forward through work in energy materials, nanocomposites, coatings, catalysis, and interdisciplinary nanoscience. It is especially encouraging that new interdisciplinary directions are also emerging. One such interesting li...

  The Two-Day National Seminar “Down to Earth: The Amazing Planet” , held on 25–26 March 2026 , was a memorable and meaningful academic event. It was especially significant because it was organized as part of the retirement ceremony programme of Pradeep Sir . I was happy to be part of this occasion and to present our paper titled: Mathematical Modelling of River Meandering Using Gamma Functions Authors: Parvana P, Dhanil Dev S R and Sibi K S This work brought together mathematical ideas and Earth system understanding through a model of river meandering based on Beta–Gamma functions. The presentation was a small but meaningful contribution to a very special academic gathering. The seminar was very well organized, and the paper presentation sessions were handled in a very aesthetic, gracious, and thoughtful manner. The atmosphere created by the session chairs made the student presenters feel comfortable and confident, allowing them to share the essence of their work witho...

Chairing a Session on Quantum Light: When Light Becomes Smarter Reflections on today’s lecture by Dr. Ashok Kumar, IIST Thiruvananthapuram Today, 18 March 2026 , I had the opportunity to chair a very engaging lecture by Dr. Ashok Kumar of IIST Thiruvananthapuram on the topic “Quantum Light for Technology: From Quantum Cryptography to Ultra-Sensitive Sensing.” It was one of those talks that reminds us how modern physics is no longer confined to blackboards alone; it is steadily entering the world of technology. For many people, light is simply something that helps us see. But today’s lecture showed that light can be much more than that. In quantum optics, light can be prepared in very special forms so that it behaves in a more coordinated and useful way than ordinary light. One simple way to imagine this is to think of normal light as a crowd walking in a busy street, each person moving with small random variations. Quan...

  Abstract From Raman to the Future: Women Powering India’s Technological Rise The modern journey of Indian science found its global voice when C. V. Raman discovered the Raman Effect in 1928 - a breakthrough that revealed how light interacts with matter and earned India its first Nobel Prize in science. That discovery was born from simple curiosity - a question as profound as “Why is the sea blue?” From that moment, Indian science began its ascent on the world stage. Nearly a century later, that same spirit of curiosity has evolved - from understanding light scattering to engineering metal–organic frameworks, nanomaterials, and advanced energy systems. The scale has shifted from the visible to the nanoscale, but the ambition remains the same: to explore, innovate, and transform. Today, women scientists across India are at the forefront of this transformation. Leading breakthroughs in nanoscience, battery materials, renewable energy, and sustainable technologies, they repre...

USS Gifted Students Visit DNST USS Gifted Students Visit the Department of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Kerala Date: 24 February 2026 Participants: 46 students (Classes 8, 9 & 10) Program: USS Gifted Students Program, Kottarakkara Education District, Kollam The Department of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Kerala, welcomed 46 gifted students from the USS Gifted Students Program on 24 February 2026. The visit introduced students to the fundamentals of nanoscience, advanced materials, and research activities carried out in the department. Students were shown laboratory facilities and major instruments, helping them understand how science learned in classrooms connects with real-world research. Link to Video Video The interaction session was engaging, with students asking thoughtful ...

Congratulations Dr. Akhila Murali J 🎓 Academic Milestone • PhD Open Defence Congratulations, Dr. Akhila Murali J! Department of Physics • University of Kerala 🎓 Congratulations, Dr. Akhila Murali J! Happy to share that Ms. Akhila Murali J has successfully completed her PhD Open Defence at the Department of Physics, University of Kerala . Her thesis, “Optical Response and Spectral Tuning of Folic Acid–Derived Multifunctional Carbon Dots,” focuses on eco-friendly, low-cost carbon nanomaterials with applications in chemical sensing, bioimaging, and optoelectronics. A memorable moment from the defence Towards the end of the defence, a beautiful and memorable moment unfolded. Prof. N. Ponpandian , the Chairman and Externa...

  Normal Modes of Vibration of a Linear Triatomic Molecule Normal Modes of Vibration of a Linear Triatomic Molecule We consider a linear triatomic molecule consisting of three atoms arranged in a straight line. The two outer atoms have equal mass $m$ , while the central atom has mass $M$ . The atoms are connected by identical springs of force constant $k$ . Let $x_1$, $x_2$, and $x_3$ be the small displacements of the three atoms from their equilibrium positions along the line of the molecule. Assumptions To simplify the analysis, we make the following standard assumptions: The oscillations are small . The restoring forces obey Hooke’s law . The forces are linear functions of displacement. The resulting motion is simple harmonic . Under these assumptions, the problem of molecular vibration reduces to a problem in linear algebra . Kinetic Energy of the System The total kinetic energy of the system is the sum ...