Dr. Somnath Biswas | Physical Chemistry | Young Scientist Award

Tata Institute of Fundamental Research| India

Somnath Biswas, born in early December nineteen ninety-two, is an Indian physical chemist and Reader/Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, specializing in ultrafast spectroscopy to probe electronic, spin, and structural dynamics in complex materials; with an academic journey through IIT Kanpur, The Ohio State University for his doctorate in physical chemistry, and postdoctoral research at Princeton University and the University of Washington, he has authored impactful publications in Nature Materials, JACS, and PRB, developed cutting-edge pump-probe X-ray absorption and attosecond spectroscopy setups, received prestigious global recognitions including selection as a Lindau Nobel Laureate Young Scientist, and contributed extensively to teaching, mentoring, outreach, and cultural initiatives; beyond academia, he is an accomplished tabla player and co-founder of music bands, representing a rare blend of scientific rigor, artistic creativity, and community engagement

Profile

Orcid

Education

Somnath earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira with top distinction, followed by a Master of Science in Chemistry at IIT Kanpur under the mentorship of Professor Pratik Sen, where he graduated with the highest grade point average and multiple academic excellence awards; he then joined The Ohio State University for his doctoral studies in physical chemistry with Professor L. Robert Baker, focusing on ultrafast extreme ultraviolet spectroscopy to study electron dynamics at surfaces, completing with near-perfect academic standing and earning the prestigious Presidential Fellowship; his postdoctoral training included research at Princeton University with Professor Gregory D. Scholes, advancing exciton-phonon coupling and topological material studies, and at the University of Washington with Professor Munira Khalil, pioneering femtosecond proton transfer research; in the mid-twenty-twenties, he joined TIFR as Reader/Assistant Professor, returning to India with exceptional global expertise.

Experience

Somnath’s professional path reflects excellence in research, teaching, and outreach: Reader/Assistant Professor at TIFR; Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Washington, leading femtosecond proton transfer studies; Postdoctoral Researcher at Princeton University, developing tabletop attosecond high-harmonic generation systems and investigating exciton-phonon interactions; Lecturer and Preceptor at Princeton University; Teaching Faculty at the WEB DuBois Scholars Institute; Doctoral Researcher at The Ohio State University, designing pump-probe extreme ultraviolet spectrometers and advancing surface-specific ultrafast spectroscopy; Graduate Research and Teaching Associate at Ohio State; active science communicator with Princeton Quantum Initiative and Padakshep; delivered over fifty invited talks worldwide, published more than twenty peer-reviewed papers, contributed to competitive grant proposals from major US funding agencies, and served as reviewer for high-impact journals, making significant contributions to global ultrafast science.

Awards & Honors

Somnath has earned prestigious accolades including seed funding for research from Princeton PCCM, nomination for the CGS ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award, the Presidential Fellowship at Ohio State, Academic Excellence in Solar Photo-Physics recognition, selection as a Young Scientist for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, the Dow Graduate Student Seminar Award, fellowship at the Erice Attosecond School, the Excellence in Chemistry Award at Ohio State, the Government of India’s INSPIRE Fellowship, the Academic Excellence Award at IIT Kanpur, the Junior Research Fellowship from CSIR, and multiple undergraduate merit awards at Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira; these honors reflect his consistent academic brilliance, pioneering innovations in spectroscopy, and sustained global recognition in ultrafast physical chemistry and materials science.

Research Focus

Somnath’s research integrates ultrafast spectroscopy methods—pump-probe X-ray absorption, impulsive stimulated Raman, surface sum-frequency generation, and high-harmonic generation—to study electronic, spin, and structural dynamics in advanced materials; he explores photocatalyst and magnetic surface states, exciton-phonon interactions in two-dimensional perovskites, and ultrafast phenomena in topological semimetals; his goal is to control material properties via light-matter interaction on femtosecond to attosecond timescales, enabling breakthroughs in solar energy conversion, quantum materials, and optoelectronics; current projects include developing solid-state attosecond HHG sources, mapping vibronic coherence in proton transfer, and probing carrier relaxation in emerging semiconductors; blending experimental innovation, spectroscopic theory, and computational modeling, his work bridges physical chemistry, condensed matter physics, and materials science for transformative insights into ultrafast processes.

Publications

1. Ultrafast Electron Trapping and Defect-Mediated Recombination in NiO Probed by Femtosecond Extreme Ultraviolet Reflection–Absorption Spectroscopy

Year: 2018

2. Elucidating Ultrafast Electron Dynamics at Surfaces Using Extreme Ultraviolet (XUV) Reflection–Absorption Spectroscopy

Year: 2018

3. Highly Localized Charge Transfer Excitons in Metal Oxide Semiconductors

Year: 2018

4. Hole Thermalization Dynamics Facilitate Ultrafast Spatial Charge Separation in CuFeO₂ Solar Photocathodes

Year: 2018

5. Identifying the Acceptor State in NiO Hole Collection Layers: Direct Observation of Exciton Dissociation and Interfacial Hole Transfer Across a Fe₂O₃/NiO Heterojunction

Year: 2018

Conclusion

Dr. Somnath Biswas is an exceptionally strong candidate for the Young Scientist Award, combining groundbreaking experimental research, international recognition, and leadership in mentoring and outreach. His career trajectory points to continued transformative contributions in physical chemistry and materials science. With minor enhancements in application-oriented framing and public engagement, he would not only meet but surpass the expectations of this honor, embodying the spirit of scientific excellence and innovation the award seeks to celebrate.