5-yr Integrated MSc / 4-yr BSc (Hons) in Physics with a minor in Scientific Computing or Data Science

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In addition to help building foundations in traditional theoretical and experimental methods of physics, the program offers significant skill development in the methods of scientific computing to meet increasing need for such skills in teaching and research in physics and applied fields. This unique 5-year integrated program, modelled after the minor programs in scientific computing at University of Texas at Austin and Vanderbilt University and supported by the Departments of Mathematics and Computer Science, offers a wide range of supporting courses in mathematics, computational techniques, programming and elective courses on scientific computing, including 2 semesters of  Programming in Python, Vectors and Geometry, Linear Algebra, Transforms and Partial Differential Equations, Numerical Methods, Computational Physics, Data Structures and Algorithms, Machine Learning, Optimization Techniques. Students learn these along with mathematicians, offered as part of the Integrated MSc Program in Mathematics with Minor Program in Datascience.

Students are encouraged to start research early on. To facilitate this, strong foundation in the fundamental aspects of physics that covers UG curriculum is laid in the first two years followed by introduction of advanced topics from 3^rd year onwards. Many of them get opportunity to work along with PhD scholars and get a hands-on training to prepare themselves for more challenging MSc thesis work. The final year is almost free for students to explore internship or research projects opportunities in premiere institutions like IISc, IITs, or National Labs. Student gain experience to publish a research paper, and develop skills in scientific documentation and communication, while expanding the human knowledge. In the academic year 2019-20 more than 80% of our students have taken up internship offers from reputed institutions.

Further, the Campus offers exchange program opportunities to our MSc students through Amrita Center for International Programs. When specific opportunity arises, we facilitate them to do their MSc projects even in universities abroad, including those in US and Europe. Recently, one of our students carried out his MSc thesis work at Colorado State University.

A list of such institutions in which our students (5-Yr Integrated MSc Maths-Physics and 2-Yr MSc Physics of previous batches) have carried out their thesis work over many years include

• IISc, TIFR, Saha Institute, RRI, IIA, CUSAT, NCBS
• IITs (Madras, Delhi)
• IISERs (Thiruvananthapuram, Kolkata, Bhopal)
• NITs (Kozhicode)
• National Laboratories like NPL, PRL, NCRA
• DRDO (Defense Research and Development Organizations)
• ISRO (VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram)
• BARC
• NARL Tirupati, IITM Pune (Atmospheric Physics, Meteorology)
• Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Radiology Division
• Amrita Center for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine
• Amrita Center of Wireless Sensor Networks
• Colorado State University, Boulder, USA

The curriculum has been designed to meet the needs of GATE and UGC-NET syllabus. Guidance is available for students who seek to write and excel in these exams. Many students, benefiting from the rigors of the program, have pursued in the past or are pursuing currently their higher studies in many premiere institutes in India.

Life Skills Training and Industrial Placement

The department of Corporate and Industrial Relations (CIR) has taken up the task of training students (of all integrated programs) with life skills including linguistic, comprehension (reading and listening), efficient data interpretation and inference, group discussion, leadership, competitive test taking, interviewing and other interpersonal skills. A three semester long intense training is offered to all physics students along with students of other departments of Amrita Schools Arts & Sciences and Engineering. The CIR department also helps those students seeking industrial placements through in-campus recruitment by companies.

A degree in Physics prepares students for further studies in many areas and related employment including

• PhD in any area of Physics, Astronomy, Astrophysics, many areas of Applied Physics, including Materials Physics, Atmospheric Studies, Nuclear Engineering, Aerospace, Biophysics, and Medical physics
• PhD in premiere institutions including IISc, TIFR, IITs, IISERs, NITs, and other prestigious institutions/universities in India and abroad, and all national labs, and organizations
• Teaching/Academic careers in Schools, Colleges, Universities, and research institutes and organizations
• MTech & PhD in Applied Physics, including optoelectronic and semiconductor devices and related industrial careers
• Nuclear Scientist (BARC, IGCAR and other DAE centres)
• Space Scientist (ISRO)
• Scientist in National Labs like NCRA, PRL, NPL, NARL, IITM
• Defence Research Scientist (in DRDO)
• Radiation Oncologist in Hospitals (after further training)
• Industrial Careers in Scientific Computing, Data Analytics, including Banking Services
• Forensic Scientist for Intelligence Operations
• Communicator of Science and Technical Journalism
• Administrative Services of the Government

Many of our faculty are engaged in active research spanning many areas of physics with over 60 Scopus-indexed conference and journal papers of international repute in the last five years. Research topics are categorized into experimental and theoretical aspect and are list below.

Experimental Materials and Device Physics

• Metal oxide and Semiconducting thin films, Nano materials, sensor materials, first-principles calculation of defects and impurity energy in semiconducting materials.
• Organic thin-film sensors for radiation sensing and biosensing applications; Microfluidic biosensors.
• Thin-film Perovskites, Dye-sensitized solar-cells; Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS); Microcontact printing of Biomolecules and Nanoelectronics.
• Synthesis, characterization and investigation of the influences of various synthesis techniques on properties of different nano materials like metal oxides, carbon-based materials, core shell nanostructures, and Immunosensor.
• Semiconductor thin films, nanomaterials and nanostructures, physics of light-matter interactions, optical manipulation based on nanophotonics concepts, third-generation approaches to photovoltaics, technological solutions for sustainable environment.
• Multiferroics/ferrites bulk ceramics, Nanopowders: synthesis and characterization.
• Design, development and testing of solid-state lasers for various applications, laser marker systems, arc lamp pumped and diode pumped Nd-YAG lasers, dye lasers, laser beam analyzer, optical testing devices etc.

Theoretical Physics, Scientific Computing, and Modelling

• Dynamical systems: Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos and Synchronization of Coupled Chaotic Systems; Computer simulations of multibody collisions, Dynamics of soft-landing, with collision contact and plastic deformation.
• Condensed Matter Physics: Berry-phase effects, wave-packet dynamics, anomalous Hall transport; Conducting polymers, soft condensed matter physics, density functional theory and other computational methods in condensed matter theory; Mathematical modelling of photobioreactors.
• Epistemological aspects and Foundations of Quantum Physics
• Astrophysics: Anthropic Principle; Image/graphics and audio signal processing for astrophysical and other applications.
• Space Physics: Solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, aeronomy, space weather and scientific computing.
• Atmospheric and Geophysics: Numerical Weather Prediction, satellite data assimilation, extreme weather events, multi-hazards, remote sensing for disaster management; Atmospheric observations and thermodynamics, satellite meteorology, extreme weather, cloud properties, atmospheric radiative transfer; Land-slide and associated geophysical modeling and prediction of events.

Laboratories: Materials Physics Lab, Optoelectronics Lab

Research Equipment

Synthesis, Fabrication, and Characterization facilities accessible to faculty from our department, other departments and other campuses include

Computing and Internet Connectivity

• Central Computing facility shared with Engineering departments with access to software like MS Office, MATLAB (with most specialized packages)
• Campus Wi-Fi Internet both in school & hostels for staff & students

Central Library

Central library is well equipped with Reference Sections, Digital Library with access to many Online International Journals.

Selected list of our alumni who have either taken up higher studies (currently pursuing/finished) or employed: