Good day, Dr. Abhigyan Ojha. 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?

Yes.

Could you please introduce your professional journey in academia?

Yeah. So I am Doctor Aditya Noja. I've completed my PhD in Materials Engineering from IIT Bhuvneshwar in June 2025.

My research experience My research has been primarily focused on development, developing high performance thermoelectric materials.

For efficient energy conversion.

My Basically, I have published 11 research papers during my first author research paper during my PhD journey and two are already accepted.

Before the plan I have already published, I have already further I have already received one MSME project was Rupees 15,00,000 from Government of India and that is right now the project is going on.

And prior to that I have done my masters for my SD Shivpur and Btech in electrical engineering.

Currently, I'm serving as an assistant professor in Assad University Warrenville in the Department of Electronics Engineering.

Thank you for sharing that, Professor. Let's continue—we'll explore some foundational aspects of your experience and expertise. To start, can you briefly explain the fundamental working principle behind thermoelectric materials for energy conversion?

The fundamental principle behind the thermoelectric material is.

It the IT governs by uh, CBEC effect.

It is nothing, but when two different materials are into are placed with two different temperature, then there is an electric voltage placed at developed across the circuit.

This basically happened due to when two different when the hot side and cold side. When the two different metal is placed, the carrier diffusion takes place from higher hotel side to colder side due to.

This carrier diffusion, there's a carrier, the segregation of charge happened as a result, the potential difference is developed across the circuit. So this is the basic principle behind thermoelectric effect.

Understood, you’ve summarized the Seebeck effect well as a key mechanism behind thermoelectric materials. How would you optimize thermoelectric materials to enhance their energy conversion efficiency, particularly regarding the dimensionless figure of merit (ZT)?

Yeah. So they basically this uh, ZT is nothing, but it's a thermoelectric efficiency parameter, which actually described by a mathematical equation. It's the product of electrical conductivity and square of the seeback coefficient.

Ratio of Sigma squared by KK is nothing but lattice thermal. There is a total thermal conductivity and this total thermal conductivity basically consists of two more component which is electronic thermal conductivity and lattice thermal conductivity. So to enhance the performance of this CBE coefficient we have to optimize Sigma and South because this is directly proportional to ZT. So Sigma and South should be.

Dependent, linearly dependent Sigma S should be increased at the same time the K should be decreased. But the main challenge here is Sigma and K is dependent directly dependent. So if we increase one Sigma, other K is also increase. So to decouple this thermoelectrical and thermal property is one of the challenging factor. But yeah some approach is there which definitely enhance this performance such as nanostructuring, alloying point defect engineering. So these are the things.

Which we can do to enhance the performance over the performance of this.

Thermo. Thermoelectric materials.

Thank you for that detailed explanation, Professor. It's clear you have a strong grasp of optimizing thermoelectric materials. Could you elaborate a bit on how nanostructuring specifically contributes to reducing lattice thermal conductivity without significantly affecting electrical conductivity?

Yes.

The nanostructuring basically happened when we.

In nanostructuring, basically the grain boundaries, the grains, we are increasing the grain boundary and that nanostructuring can be done through, uh, several mechanisms such as ball meaning technique in uh, in uh, uh, experimental analysis. So when we increase the grain boundaries, it means the phonon scattering, the number of phonon scattering takes place. the IT is, it enhance means more number of phonons scattering will takes place.

As a result, the mean free path of the phonons gets increased or sorry, the mean free path will decrease. Therefore, KL which is a lattice thermal conductivity is a proportional directly proportional to the mean free path. When mean free path gets reduced, the lattice thermal connectivity will automatically reduce but at the same time the electrical conductivity. It's that the mobility of that electron, the mobility of the system is not that much drastically reduced.

Since it has a path described by the, there is a path associated with. This is a significant path is associated for the electrical conductivity. So the electrical conductivity is not that much reduced. Yeah it has some effect but lattice part will be drastically reduced because KL and KEKE is an intrinsic property while KL is a basically lattice part which is a majority part contributions in the thermal conductivity. So the reduction.

Of lattice is more than the reduction of Sigma.

Thank you for the in-depth explanation regarding nanostructuring and its impact on phonon scattering and lattice thermal conductivity. You've articulated the balance between minimizing lattice thermal conductivity and preserving electrical conductivity quite well. Let’s shift gears slightly—could you outline a potential teaching strategy for explaining these thermoelectric principles to undergraduate students who may not yet be familiar with advanced concepts like phonon scattering or ZT?

Yeah. For the for undergraduate student, we start through the basic foundations of thermoelectric effect like CBEC coefficient and these things. And we, we give some I, I, I'll try to give some basics understanding of all the phonon scattering processes, OK, at the same time. The for the student purpose, for the for the means for the teaching of B.Tech student, our main the main centric area is to understand the device in understand the materials physics.

Dentist how the materials, how this nanostructuring and how this phonon scattering is basically takes place in the materials and how can we help? So in this regard, we are giving some practical investigations like some theoretical, some practical investigations such as we should take the ***** student to the lab so that we can see that how ball milling will take initially the top suppose from the scratch if you see the raw powder.

Then we see that what is the effect of raw powder and then after ball milling what is the effect of that order it too. Well, we are using that into the practical device applications. So from basics UG student we can easily take the practical purpose to the device level engineering.

That’s a thoughtful approach, Professor. Setting strong theoretical foundations and complementing them with practical lab investigations provides a balanced way to engage undergraduate students. Guiding them from material behavior to device-level applications indeed fosters a deeper understanding and appreciation of these principles. Let us now examine your teaching experiences further. Can you describe how you assess student understanding during your lab courses or theory classes to ensure effective learning outcomes?

Yeah, doing lab courses, we are actually our main plan is my main plan is that to introduce.

All the equipment first to introduce, to recognize, to understand all the equipment, how this equipment works and how the sample, why we are using that equipment to understand, that is the first priority.

And second one is that for which instrument? Because the instrument the two to apply that technique to apply that technique for a particular measurement like for say for example, if I want to measure electrical conductivity of a sample. So the first thing is that we have to use that 4th row technique. So we should understand why why we not use to prove technique rather than for probe technique. So there there is a concept of electrical. Engineering like.

Resistance of the wire and these things we should understand. So in practical when we are doing we have to understand little bit of foundation grasp in the theoretical aspect so that we can easily handle all the problems, all the challenges associated in the lab. Because whatever the theory class we have doing in initially that same will be implemented in the practical. But the equipment which is using to measure the property such as like for example like electrical conductivity and then.

Resistivity so we should apply that concept by using the theoretical knowledge but at the same time to for the practical we have to make sure that these.

A concept should be validated experimentally, properly.

So this way we can easily simulate these two things.

Thank you, Professor. Your emphasis on bridging theory and practice in lab teaching is commendable, particularly introducing foundational concepts for instrument use and linking them to both theoretical grounding and experimental validation. This integrative approach will undoubtedly cultivate both technical competence and critical thinking in your students. Moving forward, can you share an example of how you’ve guided students on research or academic projects, especially in areas overlapping with renewable energy or thermoelectrics? How do you enable their independent thinking while mentoring them?

Yeah, First of all, the interdisciplinary area that we should means I, I basically the student should be that much profound to understand the inter interdisciplinary concept because in this renewable energy whatever the in vit center also it offers it's a very good it's a vast experimental exposure, a vast research exposure. So the first thing is that the interdisciplinary research basically is very much less in India. There is a very much less center is there out of which.

VIP is one of them. So yeah in this concept for the student for research purpose, I encourage the student to do interdisciplinary means. They should have some basic knowledge in electrical as well as energy engineering, materials engineering as well as mechanical system Also they should have designed. So first the literature survey of the student should be very good in this regard. The people that the students should be encouraged for the. For what are the right now? What are the main hot topic is going on?

So that the latest and that is not like a publication point of view, it should be the device prototype and device purpose. The student should be able to understand how this material, how these systems whatever they are doing going to do like solar cells or batteries management systems or thermoelectric regarding research, they should be able to do that into a product based type.

For that, the concept fundamental concept regarding this interdisciplinary should be very high and I will be highly encouraged for these things to do so that the student can easily learn all the things and can be.

Applied in the real-world challenge.

Thank you for sharing that, Professor. It’s admirable that you emphasize interdisciplinary research and encourage students to go beyond academic publication and focus on practical, device-oriented outcomes. This approach aligns well with advancing real-world applications, especially in renewable energy. Let’s now delve into your research oversight. Can you discuss how you've approached developing and securing funded research projects, such as your MSME-supported project? What strategies or methods do you employ to identify and prepare research proposals that align with institutional or national priorities?

First of all, for these proposal I was the main aim is that there is a some thematic area which the MSME or whatever the funded project is. Basically they are, they are the when they, when they started the applications, they give some thematic areas that in which area they are actually focusing on. So that thematic area should be right now the majority is climate change, sustainable technology and then it's a carbon footprint. These things are very much hot topic.

Now and the people who are working in this renewable energy sector, so there that people are whatever whoever is working in this, they are very much eager to write that proposal. So the first thing is to write the proposal is to identify the problems which is real, that is real problems to identify where the people are actually suffering right now. So that's the first step on suppose this waste hit concept in thermoelectric for example, I'm taking the thermoelectric concept. Well, yeah, it's a real problem that it's 70% of the most major 70% of the heat is.

Basically wasted in form in any in any form like if you use that automobile.

30 to 40% rest of the heat is wasted. Similarly for the cooking during cooking purpose also our majority heat is wasted. So if anyhow this problem can be this waste heat, it can somehow can be trapped 1 to 2% if you can trap and the efficiency of the system is drastically increase. So in this is a real problem. So in that way if I think that for the off script people location off grid locations still India means in India a lot of villages are there with the 24 hour supply electricity.

Then only we can use.

Not there so yeah so in that way in but but the mobile phones and dischargers are the still suffering to get the charge hundred that uh 24 hours charging. So this is the area which is actually right now people is means the the we can we can solve this problem by using this thermoelectric device for the off grid locations by considering these are the real problems. Similarly for carbon footprint. If we say that yes, pollution right now it's a very much one of the.

Pollution control filters or something by design thinking it's a real problem can be solved and that this type of thinking can easily achieve this proposal is a very much chance to get accepted because these real problems and addressing the real problems. So this is one of the area where this type of approach can be useful for the accepting these proposals.

Big climate reason. So if I if I makes.

Thank you, Professor, for detailing your strategic approach to identifying real-world problems and aligning them with thematic priorities set by funding bodies like the MSME. Your focus on tackling waste heat management, off-grid energy challenges, and pollution control as practical applications demonstrates a strong alignment with sustainable development goals and addresses pressing societal needs. Moving forward, let’s focus on your contributions to academia and research dissemination. Could you elaborate on how your publications and reviewing activities further the advancement of knowledge in renewable engineering and related fields? How do you ensure quality and relevance in the research you contribute or review?

Quality and the trip for review purpose that, uh, uh, that first of all thing is that, uh, the strategic approach should be there that whether the, uh, paper is actually, uh.

What publication for publication point of view you have thinking then whether the paper is actually the data. If if this is experimental work, then we have to think about the data whatever the whatever the fundamental is correct or not. Suppose if I review the paper and it is a data data oriented the experimental paper, then we have to think whether suppose the data is given in the paper and we have to think that whether this is actually aligning with the principles or not. Suppose some I'm taking.

That is very rare right now ZT is more than one is very rare. So yeah, we have to think what factor suppose one approach they are using, whether this is a new approach. Suppose you're they're using nanostructuring approach. So we have used nanostructuring approach lot of things so fast. We have to see the materials whether which materials they are using, OK, it is a inherent property of materials or it is the approach which makes centuries greater than 1. So then we all think that OK, maybe this Sigma will be high or see back will be high or that K should be very low.

Full of thermoelectric material. In context of thermoelectric. Suppose someone claiming that Jetty is, uh, more than one.

And.

Research, we can easily review that entire things.

Thank you, Professor. Your meticulous approach to reviewing research, especially in ensuring experimental data aligns with fundamental principles, reflects a strong commitment to maintaining the integrity of published work. Your emphasis on critically evaluating claims, such as ZT values exceeding conventional benchmarks, highlights your rigor in validating new approaches and results. Let’s now proceed to review your experience with guiding industrial collaborations or consultancy projects. Could you share an example where your expertise was leveraged in an industrial context, and how you ensured the successful application of your research findings in real-world scenarios?

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

Industrial for the industrial project, we have to think first of all the industrial problem. We have to 1st, uh, we have to see what is the real industrial problem right now. As, as I, as I already mentioned that, uh, in the context of thermoelectric material, the real application in industry is very much open. And already the thermoelectric material has been continuously used in space applications like in 19 during 1970s. We are seeing that we have already been observed that.

The casino and this Voyager's all the space applications they're using uh, TG applications. So tegs as we already been used since 1990, since 1960s for the this space applications. But in when, when it, when it comes in the commercial applications in our domestic use, yeah, it is, it is right now it is far behind. The thing is that because the material which is used in space like Pvt. and that the temperature is very much different, but in, in our domestic use, the temperature in that.

Can't catch a zone like in the 400 to 600° temperature zone where the maximum heat is available. No counter material, no counter such material available for this till now. So like because we need two different materials P&N type semiconductors to observe this effect. So right now that type of material it didn't observe whether if one material we found anyhow then the second material is struggling because not only material for the device integration purpose also we.

The compatibility issue, device integration issue, a lot of things you need. So these things actually in industry, industries, industry people are working looking for that that which materials or which you know the optimization process helps us. So in lot of right now the people are working and in India very few companies are there which we they are working actually. But in internationally also the people are like Japan also the people are working in that. In bulk material right now, the success is not, yeah, it's not that much, but still.

Like this uh, small power charger, small like portable mobile chargers and we can see that like what little like 5 Watt bulb, 2 Watt bulb, whatever the LED bulb is there. We can easily operate these things easily by integration of this in series and parallel like all. If I, if I hybrid mode, if I use like thermoelectrics 4/5 inch series 45 modules in series, then the power output will be definitely increased because the current will be the voltage will be increased in that regard if I use this.

And if I take the help of some industry people, which ha actually the genuine problem is there, and if I make the thermal management properly, there's a chance of getting this wide widespread applications of thermoelectric materials.

Yeah. First of all, this, uh, the future of this is very, very much positive. If, if you see the future is very bright for this thermoelectric material in terms of right now, it is not that much successful. But still if we see that the hybrid one, one of the concept, if you see the hybrid natures like if we use that uh, photovoltaic cell along with this Teg or Teg along with piezoelectric, these type of things can be one of the approach which definitely enhance.

Thank you, Professor. Your insights into the industrial challenges of thermoelectric materials highlight your deep understanding of the field, particularly the gap between space-grade materials and commercial applications for mid-temperature ranges. Your focus on optimizing materials, addressing integration issues, and collaborating with industry for practical thermal management showcases your ability to bridge research and industrial needs effectively. We've covered a lot of ground. How do you view the future of renewable engineering, and what potential contributions would you like to make as an academic and researcher in this evolving field?

Is a minimum gain. But yes, the utilization of energy will be very good and there's a chance of getting the efficiency factor. And if we use this one in a good thermal management, proper thermal management, there's a chance that this will be a very better future.

No, thank you. Thank you so much.

Thank you, Professor, for sharing your vision. Your perspective on hybrid systems and addressing energy utilization through effective thermal management underscores promising directions for advancing renewable engineering. With that, we've covered several important dimensions of your expertise—from research to teaching and industrial applications. Is there anything you'd like to add or ask before we close?

You're welcome, Professor. It was a pleasure speaking with you and learning about your work. I wish you the very best in your academic and professional endeavors. Thank you for your time.

Our scheduled time for the interview is now up. Before we conclude, do you have any questions related to the role or the company?

Right. No, no, no. I have no question.