The Department of Physics at SRM University-AP is organising a one-day symposium with national and international academicians on the theme Applications of Machine Learning Methods in Physics. The programme which will begin at 10.00 am on December 18, 2021, will deeply look into two domains of research, namely Particle Physics and Statistical Physics. Eminent experts from computer science and physics domains will deliver talks for a wider audience, especially for students of basic sciences and engineering streams. The event is going to be entirely through Online mode. Dr Amit Chakraborty and Dr Soumyajyoti Biswas from the Department of Physics, SRM University-AP are the conveners of the symposium.

Register here!

Programme Schedule of the Invited Lectures:

Time: 10.05 – 11.05 AM (IST)
Speaker: Prof Vineeth N Balasubramanian (IIT Hyderabad)
Title: Explainable Deep Learning: Overview, Trends and Challenges

Abstract: The last decade has seen rapid strides in Artificial Intelligence (AI) moving from being a fantasy to a reality that is a part of each one of our lives, embedded in various technologies. A catalyst of this rapid uptake has been the enormous success of deep learning methods for addressing problems in various domains including computer vision, natural language processing, and speech understanding. However, as AI makes its way into risk-sensitive and safety-critical applications such as healthcare, aerospace and finance, it is essential for AI models to not only make predictions but also be able to explain their predictions. This talk will introduce the audience to this increasingly important area of explainable AI, describe salient methods in explainable deep learning, discuss open challenges as well as present some of our recent research in this domain.

Time: 11.30 AM – 12.30 PM (IST)
Speaker: Dr Girish Varma (IIIT Hyderabad)
Title: Deep Generative Methods and Applications

Abstract: Generative methods deals with the modelling of complex high dimensional probability distributions. With the advent of deep neural networks, these methods have become more common with the discovery of new techniques like GANs. Such methods can learn to generate images, graphs etc even without using labelled data. In this talk, we will give some of the common deep generative modelling techniques like GANs, Variational Autoencoders, Normalizing Flows. We will also look at some example applications in Style Transfer, Super Resolution in Computer Vision, Conditional Generation of Molecules in Physics etc.

Time: 2.00 – 3.00 PM (IST)
Speaker: Dr Sanmay Ganguly (University of Tokyo, Japan)
Title: The Deep Relation Between Particle Physics and Machine Learning

Abstract: At the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiment, trillions of protons get smashed with each other at very high energies every second. Remnants of this collision are collected and studied to infer what fundamental interactions are happening at the core. Analysing and extracting meaningful physics information out of this large data is a highly challenging statistical analysis, part of which has to be carried out in real-time. Modern deep learning techniques have brought a change in paradigm in the whole field, where it is observed that the application of ML truly impacts at all corners. In this presentation the speaker will try to give a general overview of the ongoing ML activities, mainly highlighting the areas in the context of LHC physics and shortly touch other branches of HEP.

Time: 3.30 – 4.30 PM (IST)
Speaker: Prof Lasse Laurson (Tampere University, Finland)
Title: Machine Learning Plastic Deformation of Crystals

Abstract: The speaker will present an overview of our recent efforts to apply machine learning to predict the fluctuating plastic deformation process of small crystals, mediated by the stress-driven motion of dislocations. To this end, we use machine learning to establish mappings between the initial state of a sample and the corresponding stress-strain curve, considering different loading protocols and geometries of the dislocation assembly. He will start with a discussion of machine learning the depinning process of edge dislocation pileups, after which he will consider the problem of machine learning-based prediction of the stress-strain response of two- dimensional systems of discrete dislocations subject to stress-controlled and strain-controlled loading.

Register soon and claim your seats at this one-day international online symposium organised by the Department of Physics, SRM University-AP!!

The 5th installment of the Eminent Guest Lecture Series: An Odyssey of Physics is being brought to you by the Department of Physics at SRM University-AP on November 20, 2021
at 10 AM IST. Our eminent guest speaker is Dr M.S. Ramachandra Rao from the Department of Physics, Quantum Centre for Diamond and Emergent Materials (QuCenDiEM), Nano Functional Materials Technology Centre, and Materials Science Research Centre, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras.

About the Speaker:

Dr Rao is one of the forerunning researchers in Physics in our country and has been invited by the Nobel Committee for Physics, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, to be a nominator in the years 2009 and 2021. He has authored the books “Nanoscience and Nanotechnology: Fundamentals to Frontiers” (Wiley) – Textbook. ISBN: 9788126542017 and “ZnO nanostructures and Allied Materials” (Springer).

Dr Rao obtained both his Master’s degree and Doctorate from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. Over the course of his 26 years of teaching and research experience, he has published in over 200 national and international conference papers, 284 international journals, obtained 15 patents and four technology transfers, completed 20 projects, and delivered over 90 talks.

Dr Ramachandra Rao’s research team incubated a company in IITM Research Park (Kapindra). The company deals with diamond coating for industrial/defence/space applications. It is in the process of developing a product for water purification using diamond-coated electrodes. His team won the 1st prize in the DRDO Dare-to-Dream nationwide contest for their proposal to use diamond coatings in hypersonic technologies.

About the talk: Emergence: Modern Physics to Nanoscience to Advanced and Quantum Materials

The beginning of the 20th century has dawned a new era of modern physics with the evolution of a plethora of experimental techniques that include understanding of optical and x-ray spectra, Rutherford scattering, Stern-Gerlach experiment that led to the discovery of electron spin, with simultaneous progress in the fields of superconductivity, magnetism, spintronics, crystallography and the physics of low dimensional systems that in other words is termed as nanoscience which deals with 2D, 1D and 0D systems. We know that matter is made up of atoms, atoms make up crystal lattices, and electronic correlations play an important role in determining the physical properties of materials. I will explain the enormous progress materials science has made and the potential it offers in various technologies. I will talk about the emergence of ‘quantum materials’ and how quantum effects are inherently built-in certain material systems, for example, high-temperature superconductors. I will give examples citing potential applications of functional materials and brief about diamond, the wonder material for futuristic quantum applications.

The third edition of the Eminent Guest Lecture Series: An Odyssey of Physics organised by the Department of Physics at SRM University-AP will be held on September 04, 2021, Saturday at 3.00 pm. The session will be engaged by Prof D Narayana Rao from the University of Hyderabad on the topic “1D and 3D Photonic Crystals and their Applications”.

Abstract of the event:

There will be a brief introduction to the Photonic crystals, followed by our laboratory results. Our work mainly concentrated on optical field enhancement in both the 1D and 3D photonic crystals. Such strong local field enhancement is essential for reducing the high power laser requirements in nonlinear optics experiments. These photonic crystals have been prepared through various techniques like sol-gel, slow evaporation method and RF sputtering technique. Prof D Narayana Rao will show some results on surface-enhanced Raman studies and optical limiting and white light generation.

All are invited to join this lecture on September 04, 2021, at 3.00 pm to gain an insightful overview of 1D and 3D photonic crystals and their applications.

Register here:http://bit.ly/SRMAP_PhysicsSeries3

The Department of Physics at SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh offers an interdisciplinary BSc (Hons) programme that provides practical training to students on the model and design solutions. In the interactive webinar titled “BSc (Hons.) in Physics: Job and Research opportunities”, Dr Jatis Kumar Dash, Assistant Professor from the Department of Physics will explicate the research areas and job opportunities of BSc Physics on August 7, 2021, at 3.00 pm.

Students pursuing BSc Physics at SRM University-AP receive support to conduct research in a wide range of fields including fabrication of two-dimensional materials and their electronic devices, material genomics, applied photonics and optical communications, piezoelectricity and ferroelectricity, high-k dielectrics, thermoelectric devices, molecular electronics, photovoltaic devices and energy applications.

To know more about the programme/course structure, selection process, research areas, career options, and higher education opportunities of BSc Physics, join this immersive webinar on August 7, 2021, at 3.00 pm.

Register here: https://srmap.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ICbOUi1UTOirhjU8f297YA

The Department of Physics at SRM University-AP is organising the second edition of the Eminent Guest Lecture Series: An Odyssey of Physics on July 24, 2021, Saturday at 3.00 pm. The session will be engaged by Prof S Patnaik from the School of Physical Sciences in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi on the subject “New Materials for Energy and Information Storage and Transmission”. Prof. V S Rao, Vice-Chancellor; Prof. D. Narayana Rao, Pro-Vice-Chancellor; Prof. C Durga Rao, Associate Dean, SLASS; Prof. Ranjit Thapa; Prof. Amit Chakraborty; and Prof. Pranab Mandal from the Department of Physics at SRM University-AP will be the panellists for the session.

Abstract:
The discovery of Dirac and Weyl semimetals (WSM) has brought forth the condensed-matter realization of Dirac/Weyl fermions, which were previously theorised as low energy excitations in high energy particle physics. In the recent past, we have witnessed some exceptional developments in chalcogenide and pnictide materials that have been identified with such properties. Several age-old industrial materials based on selenides, tellurides, borides and oxides have come to the fore that promise to usher in a new understanding of correlated electronic systems. Towards material implementation of quantum computation, we shall review the electromagnetic properties of topological superconductor SrxBi2Se3 and study its pairing mechanism. Several transition metal mono-pnictides are under intense investigation for understanding the properties of inversion-symmetry broken Weyl semimetals. Non-trivial Berry phase and chirality are important markers for characterizing topological aspects of Weyl semimetals. We shall discuss aspects of exceptional magneto-resistance seen in the normal state of these topological semimetals. In specific, we shall summarize potential applications with regard to material properties of the following systems a) Single-stage cryocooled superconducting magnets for MRI (MgB2), b) Cables for lossless energy transmission and storage (Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10), c) Materials to implement Quantum Computation (Sr intercalated Bi2Se3), d) Better read-heads for magnetic storage devices (NbP, TaSb2), e) Magnetic Nano-particles for Cancer therapy (Co+CoO EB), f) Thermoelectric materials for waste heat scavenging (ZrNiPb), g) Next-generation piezo devices using multiferroic materials. (Y2CoMnO6) and h) new ideas on solar energy and battery applications.

About the Speaker:
Dr S Patnaik is a distinguished professor at the School of Physical Sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. He has more than 16 years of experience in the field of research and academics. Dr Patnaik has over 5000 citations for published works. He has international collaborations with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, Université Paris Sud, Orsay, France, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing. Dr Patnaik’s areas of interest or specialisation are Experimental Condensed Matter Physics, Superconductivity, Mutiferroics and Thermoelectric materials.

Join this educative lecture session on July 24, 2021, at 3.00 pm.

Register here:https://srmap.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zEhuvRipRNSafZtxv3Jstg