Achievements
Basic Research
0-D Systems
- First observation of unmasking vibrational properties in of SnO2 quantum dots using nano-network based SERS studies.
ID System
- Resolving the conjecture (proposed by N. F. Mott made 60 years before) on role of electronic correlation preceding the metal to insulator transition (MIT) in 1D Heisenberg spin 1/2 chains of VO2
- First Observation of spin-wave in VO2 using polarized tip enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS)
- Resolving the Phonon lifetime issue in Si by spectroscopic study of Si nanowire in the sub-diffraction limit using TERS
- Nanoscopic and Nano-spectroscopic imaging in inorganic ionic system of single GaN nanowires in the sub-diffraction limit using TERS
- Synthesis of efficient Au NRs as SERS substrate for less than pico-molar (<10-12 M) detection of Rhodamine 6G (R6G)
2D System
- First report on Growth of Van der Waals bonded 2D bi-layer V2O5 and understanding of optical & vibrational decoupling in 2D system
- Determination of anisotropic refractive index of Aluminum nitride thin films First observation of surface plasmon polariton (SPP) wave in degenerate InN nanostructured film
- Origin of bound exciton emission in Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) grown 2D MoS2 monolayer
- Enhancement of photoluminescence of quantum yield of CVD grown large area 2D MoS2 monolayer.
- Growth of high quality microcrystalline, nanocrystalline diamond and development of FET based electronics utilizing 2D hole-gas system
- A very low temperature (170 ºC) crystallization of amorphous-Ge thin film on glass via Au induced layer exchange process in amorphous-Ge/GeOx
Sensors
Micro-cantilever (MC) Method
- Introduction of controlled micropatterns on microcantilever surface enhanced the RH sensitivity (10.45 Hz/% RH) with the demonstration of fastest recovery time ~ 1 s.
- Optimized the sensitivity of bimaterial microcantilevers through physical dimensions and achieved a temperature sensitivity of <25 mK , 40 fJ energy with a time response of 1 ms
Chemo-resistive Method
- Development of low temperature operable green-house resistive sensors of methane (CH4) based on SnO2 quantum dots and selective ammonia detector (5 to 300 ppm) with SnO2 nanoparticles
- Selective detection of ammonia at room temperature by means of optical method is shown with SnO2 QDs. Lewis-base interaction between cationic defects and analyte is highlighted.
- First demonstration of nano-molar to milli-molar level Ag (I) determination using a colorimetric method utilizing defect absorption in ZnS QDs.
- Fabrication of reflective colour filters by tuning the pitch and diameter of nanoholes by single-step FIB based nanolithography
- Rectifying to Ohmic transformation in Si PIN diodes upon exposure to neutron source in Kamini reactor
- Determination of critical RH prior and post heat treatment, above which deleterious rectifying effects are manifested in Si PIN diodes
- Delineated the effects of preconditioning and environmental conditions in alpha spectrum obtained in field conditions[Nuclear Inst. and Methods in Physics Research, A 1056 (2023) 168668]
Nanomechanical and Tribological Properties
- Synthesis of Ti based thin films (TiN, TiAlN, TiN/TiAlN multilayers, TiN/TiAlN graded layer) for oxidation resistant (upto 700oC) tribological application
- SIMS study: Addition of Pb and Sb to T91 clad proved to be a superior diffusion barrier to Lanthanide fission products such as Ce and Nd generated during Fuel Clad Chemical Interaction
- Development of hydrogen permeation barrier on RAFM steel by hot dip aluminizing for fusion reactor application [P. Reddy, Mater. Metallurgy Gr. (2019)]
- Tribological properties of ultra-nanocrystalline diamond (UNCD) film
Energy Storage Application
- Fabrication of vertical graphene nanostructure (VGN) based symmetric supercapacitor coin cell device energy storage
- Development of symmetric flexible supercapacitor device based on VGN
- Fabrication of asymmetric electrochemical capacitor using as MnO2@VGN positive and Fe2O3@VGN negative electrodes exhibiting a specific capacitance of 76 mF/cm2 and energy density of 71 mWh/cm2 with excellent electrochemical stability up to 12,000 cycles, over a potential window of 2.6 V
Photoctalysis Application
- Pt free efficient photocatalyst for water splitting by band alignment and charge transfer pathway in three phase anatase-rutile-brookite TiO2 nanotubes.
- Demonstration of SnO2 quantum dots as superior photocatalyst for complete degradation of dyes such as methyl blue in visible light conditions.
- Thermo-Gravimetric Analyser and Evolved Gas Analyser(TGA-EGA) systems were set up to study surface modification, by carburisation and nitridation of technologically important metals(M) like Ti, Cr, Zr among others.
- Development of low temperature operable green house resistive sensors (CH4) based on SnO2 quantum dots
- Resolving the conjecture (proposed by N. F. Mott made 60 years before) on role of electronic correlation preceding the metal to insulator transition (MIT) in 1D Heisenberg spin 1/2 chains of VO2
- First Observation of spin-wave in VO2 using polarized tip enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS)
- First report on Growth of Van der Waals bonded 2D bi-layer V2O5
- Resolving the Phonon lifetime issue in Si by spectroscopic study of Si nanowire in the sub-diffraction limit using TERS
- GEANT4 simulation for feasibility of using boric acid, depleted Uranium oxide as materials for neutron detector
- Fabrication of SiO2 microcantilevers (MC) by Direct laser writer
- Fabrication of vertical graphene nanostructure based symmetric supercapacitor coin cell device for energy storage
- Pt free efficient photocatalyst for water splitting by band alignment and charge transfer pathway in three phase anatase-rutile-brookite TiO2 nanotubes.
- Synthesis of Multilayer thin films (TiN, TiAlN, TiN/TiAlN, TiN/TiAlN graded layer) for triblogical application.
- Demonstration of ultra-fast (recovery time ~ 1 s) real-time monitoring of human respiration during normal and slow inhale/exhale breathing cycles using micro-patterned MCs.
- Au/Si bimaterial MCs for ultra-sensitive (~ 109 µK/pm) temperature measurements
- Development of symmetric flexible supercapacitor device based on vertical graphene nanowalls
- Development of high quality microcrystalline (MC), nanocrystalline (NC), MC-NC multilayer, hydrogenated, ozonated, N-doped and Vertical Graphene Nano rods for dosimetric, tribological, sensor and electronic applications.
- Development of room temperature selective ammonia detector (5 to 300 ppm) with SnO2 nanoparticles
- Demonstration of SnO2 quantum dots as superior photocatalyst for complete degradation of dyes such as methyl blue in visible light conditions
- Synthesis of Yttrium thin films for high brilliance electron emitter photocathodes (with low work function, high melting point) applications.
- Synthesis of a-axis oriented AlN thin films substrates for the lattice matched growth of GaN thin films.
- Determination of anisotropic refractive index of Aluminum nitride thin films
- Determination of low energy refractive indices of metallic yttrium thin films
- Nanoscopy of 10 nm Au nanoparticle and GaN nanowire using Near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM)
- Nano-spectroscopic imaging of single GaN nanowires in the sub-diffraction limit using TERS
- Single molecule detection using Au and Ag nanostructure assisted surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).
- Large area growth of 2D monolayer of MoS2 by CVD technique and large area transfer for flexible and other suitable device applications
- GaN and ZnO nanorod based one dimensional photodetectors successfully fabricated and Ohmic contacts are achieved using FIB-SEM
- Portable alcohol sensor setup is developed a range of detection (200 ppm to 1000 ppm) at 250 oC
- Synthesis of Graphene nanowalls on different substrates aimed at various applications such as detection of Sr, Pu sorption, gas sensing, and Fuelcell
- Identification of Polar and Nonpolar faces in ZnO and GaN Nanostructures using Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy,
and Piezo force microscopy, respectively
Size dependent surface potential studies in 1-D III-nitride nanowire