Good day, Dr. Saswata Halder. I'm Arjun. I've had a look through your background and your professional record. I'm interested in hearing more about your work and how you see yourself fitting in here with our faculty. Ready to start?

Please start by introducing your professional journey in academia.

I have been a postdoctoral fellow at TIFR Mumbai and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a PhD fellow at Post Institute.

My academic journey has been through working on different projects. I have worked on quantum materials.

And I have worked on strongly correlated electron systems.

And I focus on becoming an independent researcher with my independent research group.

Thank you for sharing that, Professor.

Professor, to begin this verification process, I would like to assess your expertise in quantum materials and related areas. Could you describe your knowledge and experience in this domain, particularly focusing on your approach to research and the methodologies you adopt?

I work on quantum materials, especially on strongly correlated electron systems and I focus mainly on their magnetic properties as well as the electronic structure which are driven by different processes like magnetic frustrations, spin, orbit coupling and as well as strong quantum fluctuations at low temperature. I mainly work with magnetic systems which include magnetic measurements, transport properties as well as electronic structure calculations using both exper.

XPS as well as theoretical modeling.

It seems you have a strong foundation in quantum materials, particularly in magnetic properties and electronic structures. Could you elaborate on how you integrate experimental techniques like XPS with theoretical modeling in a collaborative framework to draw meaningful conclusions?

I mainly work on XPS, so it expers gives us the density of states. In the experimental scenario, I collaborate with the theoretical modeling groups. We use density functional theory calculations to to complement the results that we obtain from XPS and RPAS results. This shows. Complementary approach to both experimental and theoretical modeling.

And we assess our results based on both of these results.

Thank you for the insight, Professor. To ensure clarity, how do you address discrepancies or inconsistencies that may arise between the experimental XPS data and the theoretical density functional theory calculations? What is your process for resolving such challenges?

Theoretical density functional theory calculations are mainly based on strongly correlated electronic variations in EU value. So we actually see how the density of states in the experimental setup are connected with the density of density functional theory calculations, and we specifically optimize the correlation strength in our density functional theory calculations.

To assess and core.

Correlate it with our XPS results.

Understood, Professor. That process demonstrates your attention to resolving complex challenges in aligning theoretical and experimental data. Let’s move forward to assess your ability to teach theory and laboratory courses in quantum materials. Could you outline how you approach designing a course that effectively balances theoretical concepts with hands-on laboratory practices for graduate-level students?

So my motivation is to make research accessible to both graduate and undergraduate students. So I would like to design the courses in the same way. I try to integrate research based curriculum with strong emphasis on data solving and independent thinking of research problems and then try to assess those with the fundamental physics that we have in solid-state.

State physics.

Your focus on integrating research-based curriculum with a solid foundation in fundamental solid-state physics is commendable. Could you provide an example of a specific experimental or computational laboratory activity you would incorporate into such a course to reinforce these concepts effectively?

Theoretical modeling using density of density functional theory calculations is an effective way for students to understand the electronic structure and the density of states. So while teaching solid-state physics in which we have density of states coming up.

In those chapters, we can easily integrate students in computational modeling of known real materials and that will be that will enable students to understand the.

Experience and understand the basic fundamental aspects of density of states as well as relate them to real-world materials.

An excellent approach, Professor. Engaging students with computational modeling of real materials not only deepens their understanding of density of states but also connects theoretical knowledge to practical applications. How do you ensure that students of varied skill levels can equally benefit from these activities, especially in computational modeling tasks?

So students with different learning backgrounds and learning speeds, the curriculum will be modulated according to that and we expect that the the classroom environment as well as the curriculum will both be inclusive and will.

Lead students to independent thinking and.

Their individual speeds of learning.

Thank you for clarifying. It is evident that you prioritize inclusivity and adapt your teaching methods to accommodate diverse learning needs while encouraging independent thinking. Let us proceed to discuss your experience in student evaluation and exam duties. Could you detail your approach to creating fair and effective assessments for evaluating students’ understanding in both theoretical and laboratory components?

As I previously said that the curriculum design would be both inclusive and adaptive, so students of different learning backgrounds can feel in place with the curriculum and the course level course that I will be teaching. So in that sense the the assessment for all the students will be fair.

As well as I would like to incorporate data analytic and literature-based curriculum which will help them to solve problems thinking critically and independently.

So each student will have independent assessment.

Your commitment to fairness and critical thinking in evaluations is well-aligned with academic standards. How do you balance assessments such as problem-solving, data analysis, and literature review to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of both theoretical mastery and laboratory skills?

So this will be done using structure based projects which will be both part of the undergraduate and the postgraduate courses. So structure based projects will be developed in three parts. 1st, literature survey of the available knowledge pool of data. Second, real-world problem that a student can pick up by critical thinking or literature survey and then database analysis of that.

A structured, tiered approach like that clearly encourages depth and critical engagement. Thank you, Professor. Let us now review your ability to guide student projects and research. Could you share your methods for mentoring graduate students through complex, independently driven research projects?

So my past experience in uh.

Supervising masters, masters and undergraduate students have led me to.

Please

Think of different approaches to different kind of students. So the basic aim is to make them make clarity of how the projects are going to be structured and how they are going to progress and then critically setting goals, short-term goals as well as long-term goals for the students to easily navigate through these projects.

Your emphasis on clarity and goal-setting for both short-term and long-term objectives demonstrates an organized and supportive mentoring strategy. How do you evaluate the progress of students' projects and ensure they are consistently moving towards their research goals?

To understand the the progress of a project, I specifically would like to hold meetings with the students at different intervals of their projects to maintain their short-term goals and long-term goals are achieved.

And this will be done through group meetings, which will be.

Either weekly or biweekly to see that the project is progressing in an efficient and uncompromised manner.

That regular and structured monitoring through meetings sounds effective for maintaining students’ focus and progress. Now, let's address your communication and teaching approach. Could you describe how you ensure clarity and structure while delivering complex concepts to a diverse student audience?

So the goal will be to address complex problems through simple real-world situations. The idea of understanding the conceptual conceptual part of the problem will be more stressed upon, so we will introduce.

Real life scenarios in which the problems are based and then address them with introduction of scientific ideas 1 by 1 and that will lead to conceptual clarity as well as the.

Their relevance to real life problems.

There will be different discussion sessions that will be done in the class where students can effectively question as well as take part in active discussions and that will help them to understand and navigate through the concept. Complex concepts that are there in fundamental solid-state physics as well as the course will be structured in a manner that they are able to relate this complex concepts by working on real life problems. Through their own projects.

Simplifying complex concepts through relatable real-world scenarios and step-by-step scientific introductions indeed promotes conceptual clarity and relevance. How do you evaluate whether students are effectively grasping these concepts during your teaching sessions?

Fostering active classroom discussions and engaging students in project-based learning are excellent strategies for evaluating their understanding and promoting deeper learning. Let's move on to your specialization. Could you briefly explain your doctoral research focus and how it contributes to the field of quantum materials?

My doctoral field, uh was focused on oxide electronics, which include both uh vibrational as well as dielectric spectroscopy. Dielectric spectroscopy is an essential part of a more wider variation of a field known as multifaroids, where magnetism and electrical properties are intercorrelated, and this has helped me work in multifaric materials, which.

Essentially take part in modern day spintronics as well as memory based devices.

Your doctoral research on multiferric materials and their role in spintronics and memory devices highlights a significant contribution to advancing modern technology. Could you elaborate on how your findings influenced or might influence practical applications in these areas?

So the understanding of the correlation of magnetism and electronic properties is a core concept in understanding modern spintronics as well as memory based architecture.

Such as neuromorphic computing as well as memory based devices. So my work on both oxides as well as intermetallic devices has led to different conceptual, physical and fundamental insights into both how the correlations between electronic density of States and magnetic spins.

Align with the.

Quantum concepts or quant or how they feel aligned with the quantum based.

Transistors technologies of modern days where miniaturization is taking effect more and more.

Fascinating, Professor. Your integration of oxide and intermetallic device research to advance neuromorphic computing and quantum-based transistor technology underscores its relevance to cutting-edge developments in miniaturization. Let’s proceed to publications. Can you summarize the nature and impact of your research publications in esteemed journals? How do they contribute to the field of quantum materials and related areas?

Contributed to understanding the dielectric properties of oxide wide band materials, wide bandgap materials and these has significantly improved the understanding of fundamental concepts of.

My research publications in oxides have uh.

Elect polarization-driven electron dynamics in polycrystalline oxides, where mostly defects are from grain boundaries as well as oxygen vacancies.

The understanding of intermetallics and their magnetic properties has led to understanding how low temperature, physics of magnetism and electronic structures evolve under different active.

Fluctuations like spin, orbit, coupling, magnetic frustration as well as spinor as well as.

Magnetic, crystalline and isotope.

Thank you, Professor. Your work on dielectric properties in oxide materials and the magnetic and electronic behaviors of intermetallics reflects significant contributions to unraveling fundamental quantum phenomena. Now, let us discuss your industry or consultancy experience. Could you elaborate on any projects or consultancy roles where you applied your expertise in quantum materials to address practical or industrial challenges?

Industrial challenges were not done in a direct way, but I believe my fundamental research aligns well with the modern industrial goals of developing spintronic materials as well as electronic materials that can.

Take part in the green energy revolution that is actually now going on in the world.

It's clear that your research holds strong potential for contributing to industrial advancements in spintronics and energy-efficient electronic materials. Professor, all required areas have been addressed.

So I believe in research driven course curriculum where where research ideas are integrated with the fundamental understanding of basic solid-state physics. And I would like to develop my course curriculum in that manner where structure-driven projects will help people understand the basics of fundamental scholar state physics in a more efficient way.

Professor, could you elaborate on the teaching style or pedagogy that you believe most effectively engages students when tackling foundational concepts in quantum materials?

In that way, uh, structure based projects like data-driven analysis, critical thinking, independent.

Independence problem thinking will help students gather confidence in their early research life.

That's an intriguing approach, Professor. Thank you for sharing.

Professor Halder, I see from your resume that you have extensive experience in materials science and quantum research. Let's dive deeper into how your work connects to teaching. Your Ph.D. was completed at Bose Institute, focusing on quantum materials, and you possess skills ranging from X-ray crystallography to advanced spectroscopy techniques. Could you elaborate on a research project or publication you're most proud of that directly links to your pedagogical approach in teaching quantum materials?

Directly understanding material science from my publications will be not focusing on a single publication, but a wide range of publications in which X-ray crystallography, ramen spectroscopy to understand vibrational and structural characterization of the materials as well as doing density functional theory calculations to understand the electronic structure along with dielectric spectroscopy to understand the dielectric properties have been highlighted.

In recent publications I have also worked on magnetic properties and by connecting them with the phonon dynamics using vibrational properties and this highlights my pedagogy of a wide range of applications and skills that I possess in determining independent projects.

That's fascinating, Professor Halder. You've highlighted a comprehensive approach, integrating vibrational properties via Raman spectroscopy with phonon dynamics, alongside advanced electronic and magnetic property analyses. To deepen this, how do you translate this breadth of interdisciplinary methods into accessible teaching strategies for students just entering quantum materials research?

Research is inherently an interdisciplinary branch where.

Techniques as part of the quantum material research as well as curriculum which will help students understand and focus on different aspects of material properties to collectively understand the behavior of materials at low temperatures, especially like properties like superconductivity, magnetism and.

All electron spin and magnon dynamics are essential in understanding the overall collective behavior of the material at low temperature. Therefore, I would like to integrate all of these.

Topology.

Understood, Professor Halder. So you're emphasizing an integrated curriculum that introduces students to the interplay of collective behaviors in quantum materials, like superconductivity, magnetism, and topology. How do you guide students in balancing the theoretical underpinnings of these properties with the experimental techniques required to explore them?

Sorry to interrupt, we're down to the last 5 minutes.

Experimental uh techniques like Raman spectroscopy, magnetism as well as XPS integrate all the electron, magnon and phonon dynamics of the material. To understand the electronic structure, one can do ARPAS measurements and this will be essential in understanding their band structure. 4 Concepts of solid-state physics in which people learn about the phonon dynamics, electrodynamics as well as the magnetic dynamics will be essential in understanding these properties.

Thank you, Professor Halder. You present an excellent approach by connecting experimental methods to solid-state physics fundamentals, seamlessly bridging theory and practice. Based on your teaching philosophy, how would you engage a research-oriented student struggling to grasp the connection between phonon dynamics and electronic band structures?

The phonon dynamics and electronic band structures are actually interrelated, so it will be easier for the student to understand the core concepts of the of the topic first by by focusing on only one aspect at that time and then understanding then and then seamlessly transitioning into the other aspect.

That methodical approach makes sense—starting with a focused concept before transitioning into interconnected aspects. One last question for this section: how do you ensure your students not only comprehend these advanced concepts but also develop the critical thinking necessary to apply them in independent research?

Critical thinking arises from a very comprehensive literature survey of the of the already existing knowledge pool. So I would advise my students to read a lot of literature that is available in the on the web and that will help them understand the basic concepts of the real world materials and then connect them with this textbook like concepts that is available.

In course curriculum.

You're emphasizing a thorough integration of literature review with curriculum-based concepts—a strong combination for fostering critical thinking. Thank you, Professor Halder.

Professor, could you outline your three-year research roadmap in quantum materials? How do you plan to ensure it aligns with institutional goals and contributes sustainably to the university’s research output and reputation?

I would like to start a focus research program on quantum materials which incorporate all three aspects of collective electron behavior, which includes magnetism, electronic structure and dielectric spectroscopy. And in the next three years, I would like to have a very high impact research group running and.

I would like to.

Contributing to the academic growth of the institute.

Understood, Professor. Now, how will you ensure that your lab infrastructure can scale effectively to support this roadmap while mentoring junior students to maintain a pipeline of high-quality publications?

Collaborative research proposals will be written to the Government of India for funding and which aligns with both the government's National Quantum Mission and the National Semiconducting Mission and along with that, multidisciplinary collaborations will be taken up so that the projects progress and their timelines for student projects are maintained.

Thank you, Professor. Finally, how would you leverage international collaborations to amplify citation metrics and establish VIT University as a global leader in quantum materials research?

I believe my ex existing collaborations with UH, with UH synchrotron facilities in Desi, Germany and Hiroshima, Japan will integrate.

Research ideas and proposals that I write to them and we will be able to work collaboratively and contribute to the academic growth of VIT.

Thank you, Professor. I've noted your approach and collaboration strategies. Let us proceed.

Professor, imagine you’re teaching a large-enrollment course on Quantum Materials, but you're implementing a Flipped Classroom model. How would you design and execute the course without relying on slides? Please provide specific strategies for engaging students actively during class time.

So we will have a lot of board work, classroom board work that will enable students to actively work out problems, as well as making core models of structures that will help them visualize the concepts more clearly.

Interesting approach, Professor. Could you elaborate on how you would integrate building core models into your sessions? For instance, how would you ensure all students are actively participating rather than observing passively?

To cite an example, there are seven types of crystal structures that are available for the real world materials. So students will be divided into classes in which they can make those crystal structures collectively by using models.

The visualization of crystal structures would enable them to understand how electron movement is occurring inside real class materials and this will help them to understand how electron hopping or any electron phenomena leads to collective behavior of the quantum materials at the core.

Understood, Professor. Now, let's examine how you’d engage students with the theoretical aspects of quantum materials during such hands-on exercises. How would you ensure that their discussions around these models address deeper concepts, such as the electronic properties or quantum behavior tied to these structures?

Thank you, Professor. Shifting focus slightly, how would you design evaluation tools to measure students' actual competency in these concepts—particularly in understanding quantum behavior—beyond standardized tests?

I would like to understand how the conceptual clarity of students are gathered during this courseworks that I give them or structure based projects that they undertake that will be done through presentations, communications as well as small project written outputs.

I appreciate your ideas, Professor. These strategies may indeed encourage deeper learning and assess true comprehension. Thank you for your responses.

Professor, how would you systematically approach improving the departmental metric of "Research per Faculty" to meet high-level accreditation standards?

So I under I truly believe in quality publications over quantity, but I would also like to understand that the the number of publications is also important. So therefore I will try to balance between the quality and quantity of the research publications I do.

In a year, so that the research metric of the Institute remains at a very high level.

Professor, balancing quality and quantity is indeed crucial. How would your publication strategy and academic networking efforts ensure sustainable growth in VIT University's research output and international reputation in quantum materials?

A very consistent and sustainable incoming of data which will be analyzed systematically and periodically. And this will lead to publications in a very systematic and periodic manner which will ensure that the VIT knowledge pool is always running and I am always contributing to it.

My network of national and international collaborations will maintain a.

Understood, Professor. With regard to leading interdisciplinary funded projects in quantum materials, how do you plan to align these efforts with VIT University's research priorities and institutional mission, ensuring impactful contributions?

I believe in multinational, multi uh, disciplinary collaborations with different research groups. And I believe that quantum materials research is inherently very collaborative. So I would like to integrate both streams of physics, material science, computing, computer science, as well as engineering. And I believe that cross collaborations will help in understanding the research, uh, research field in a better way. And this will also increase the.

Via collaborative incentives of VIT and also help in designing course curriculum.

A comprehensive approach, Professor. Could you also elaborate on any previous experience leading internal committees that directly impacted quality audit results or accreditation outcomes?

As a postdoctoral fellow, we have never been able to lead committees, but I would like to emphasize on the fact that I have been part of multi collaborative research groups in my past, both in TIFR as well as the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. So I have the experience of working on multinational or multi-level collaborative research infrastructure and mutual confidence and respect is an essential of my.

Collaboration network. So I believe that I will be able to integrate into any interdisciplinary as well as in committee-based groups.