About
From a village in Madhya Pradesh to a femtosecond laser lab in Kassel
I am an experimental physicist. I keep complex instruments running, find out why they misbehave, and specify the software that turns their signals into results.
- Kassel, Germany
- Research since 2017
- Lasers and vacuum systems since 2023
- English, Hindi, German (A2)
How I got here
Childhood
Madhya Pradesh, India
Grew up in a small village
2015–2017
Sagar, India
M.Sc. Physics
2017–2023
Ahmedabad, India
PhD in Physics, INSPIRE fellow
During the PhD
Bremen, Germany
Research visit for Raman experiments
Since 2023
Kassel, Germany
Postdoc, PEPICO spectroscopy
I grew up in a small village in Madhya Pradesh, India, where electricity was available only a few hours each day and the nearest proper secondary school was in the next town.
For my PhD at IITRAM in Ahmedabad, I combined spectroscopy and quantum chemistry to study ionic liquids, on a national INSPIRE fellowship from 2018. Since 2023 I have worked in the Structural Molecular Dynamics group at the University of Kassel. There I study how a few water molecules change the way a molecule behaves. I use ultrashort ultraviolet laser pulses and a spectrometer that records the electron and the ion from the same laser shot (PEPICO).
Next, I want to work where measurement quality decides the outcome, close to the people who use the instruments.
How I work
Fault finding
A detector echo at 31 ns turned out to be high-voltage pickup. I also showed by measurement that any signal on our timing unit's start input scrambles every flight time.
New equipment
I read the documentation first. If the device disagrees with it, I measure.
Planning
When I plan a job like realigning the beam path into the spectrometer, I add a day for the problems nobody expects.
Communication
I would rather flag a technical constraint early than discover it late.
Working with others
My PhD research involved partners at more than ten institutions in six countries. In Kassel our six-person team keeps one shared lab notebook, which I set up in 2023.
In the lab and at synchrotrons
Skills and tools
Instruments
- Photoelectron-photoion coincidence (PEPICO) spectroscopy
- Magnetic-bottle electron time-of-flight spectrometry
- Wiley-McLaren ion time-of-flight mass spectrometry
- Ultra-high vacuum (UHV) to 10⁻¹⁰ mbar
- Femtosecond Ti:Sapphire laser and optical parametric amplifier (OPA), operation
- Velocity-map imaging (VMI) at a synchrotron
Spectroscopy (PhD)
- Attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy
- Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectroscopy
- Raman spectroscopy
- Rheometry: viscosity and viscoelastic sweeps
- Metal-oxide nanoparticle synthesis: precipitation and sol-gel routes
- Density functional theory (DFT) alongside the spectra
Lab software I specify
- Python instrument control (VISA, serial)
- PyQt6 (VAJRA)
- PyQt5 (polarimetry platform)
- HDF5 and Parquet data
Computation and data
- ORCA, PSI4, CREST on a SLURM cluster
- Gaussian (PhD)
- NumPy, SciPy, Pandas
- ML in side projects: scikit-learn, XGBoost, SHAP
- FastAPI, Docker, MLflow
- LangGraph and ChromaDB (in progress)
Languages
- English (C1)
- Hindi (native)
- German (A2)
Professional timeline
Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Kassel, Germany
PEPICO spectroscopy with a femtosecond Ti:Sapphire and OPA system. Co-led the spectrometer's start-up in Kassel after its move from Berlin. Specified the lab's coincidence acquisition system and polarimetry platform, and trained junior researchers on vacuum, high voltage and gas handling.
PhD in Physics & INSPIRE Fellow
IITRAM, Ahmedabad, India
Spectroscopy and DFT on ionic liquids; fellowship reporting and project procurement under the PI
National competitive fellowship (DST, Government of India)
Granted Indian Patent (co-inventor)
Gas-separation membranes
M.Sc. Physics
Dr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar, India
Dissertation: Study of Rare Earths Activated SrSnO₃ for White LEDs
What colleagues say
"Deepak is an exceptionally dedicated researcher with a genuine passion for scientific discovery. His ability to break down complex problems and develop innovative solutions, especially in spectroscopy and data science, consistently impressed our entire cohort. His collaborative spirit and technical expertise make him an ideal research partner."
"I wholeheartedly recommend Deepak for his exceptional expertise in advanced spectroscopy, molecular dynamics, and computational data analysis. His strong command of complex datasets and analytical methodologies, combined with diligence and professionalism, sets him apart as a highly impactful researcher and problem solver."
“Deepak consistently demonstrated strong analytical thinking and systematic problem-solving abilities. He had a talent for breaking down complex challenges into manageable components and frequently delivered innovative, efficient solutions that elevated our team’s work. His attention to detail, ability to stay focused under pressure, and collaborative attitude made him a reliable team member who consistently delivered high-quality results.”
Let's connect
Always happy to talk about instruments, measurement and new opportunities.