Dr Raj Pandya

Assistant Professor

raj.pandya@warwick.ac.uk
+44 (0)2476 1 50172
iCCD LabLink opens in a new window

About Me

Summary

My research focuses on using light to visualise and control the quantum dynamics of atoms and electrons inside materials. To achieve this, my team and I build and apply advanced laser spectroscopy/microscopy experiments (visible-IR, THz and X-ray wavelength ranges), as well as tools & theories to interpret them. Currently, we are particularly interested in how we can follow random processes (such as ion hopping in battery relevant materials); exploit entangled photons and twisted light to access different molecular states in organic semiconductors; and study the individual femtosecond electronic-transfer steps in non-light driven reactions (e.g., electro-catalytic cycles). Work in the group is highly interdisciplinary/collaborative, with students exposed to a wide range of techniques from non-linear optics and signal processing/coding to nanomaterials chemistry.

Biography

I studied Chemistry as an undergraduate at Oxford (Part II with Andrew Goodwin, FRS). I then moved to Cambridge for a PhD on the physics of optoelectronic materials (with Akshay Rao). Following this I was awarded an EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowship and Junior Research Fellowship by Clare College, Cambridge which I mostly spent in Paris at the Ecole Normale Supérieure, working on imaging in complex environments (with Sylvain Gigan, Hilton Barbosa and Hugo Defienne’s teams). In 2024 I joined Warwick Chemistry as an Assistant Professor.

2024-present Assistant Professor (Head of iCCD Lab), Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, UK
2020-2023 Junior Research Fellow, University of Cambridge, UK/Ecole Normale Supérieure (Paris), France
2016-2020 PhD., (Optoelectronics Group, Department of Physics) University of Cambridge, UK
2012-2016 MChem., University of Oxford (Undergraduate)

Research interests

Research in the group is divided into three main areas:

Tools for ultrafast science and imaging

Femtoseconds (and faster) are the natural timescale for the elementary electronic, ionic, vibrational, etc processes that lie at the core of many functional materials and devices. We are building laser spectroscopy/microscopy tools to image and control nanoscale chemistry in this regime. We are particularly focussed on exploring ways to capture random dynamical processes in materials (e.g., individual ion hops) and reactions that have traditionally be in-accessible with ultrafast optical methods (e.g., organic and organometallic catalytic cycles).

Quantum nanomaterials and photonics

The properties of a material at the nanoscale often deviate from those in the bulk. This is especially true when the atoms are 'confined' to particular spatial dimensions. Examples of such materials include: 0D colloidal nanocrystals, 1D organic polymers, and 2D layered (van der Waals) systems. We are interested in how we can use light to manipulate electronic/magnetic properties in such nanosystems particularly at surfaces or edges. We also like to play with the 'nature' of light, e.g., photon-pair entanglement, optical confinement (polaritons) or photon orbital angular momentum, to access and control hidden material properties.

Clean energy materials

Technologies like water electrolysers, solar cells, batteries, neuromorphic computers, etc are revolutionising the world we live. But to meet the growing demands for green and sustainable energy these devices need to continue to improve. While we believe gaining a fundamental understanding of electronic dynamics in materials is key to this, we are equally conscious of the ultimate ‘device’ optimisation goal. We hence work closely with others/industry and often in-situ to ensure our tools and insights can be rapidly translated to impact.

For further details see: https://www.iccd-lab.com/research

Publications

Key recent publications

1. Pandya et al., Three-dimensional operando optical imaging of particle and electrolyte heterogeneities inside Li-ion batteries Nat. Nanotechnol., 18, 1185–1194 (2023) [Link]

2. Degoulange, et al., Direct imaging of micrometer-thick interfaces in salt–salt aqueous biphasic systems Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 120 (17), e2220662120 (2023) [Link]

3. Ashoka et al., Room Temperature Optically and Magnetically Active Edges in Phosphorene Nanoribbons arXiv:2211.11374 [cond-mat.mes-hall] (2022) [Link]

4. Pandya et al., Microcavity-like exciton-polaritons can be the primary photoexcitation in bare organic semiconductors Nat. Commun., 12, 6519 (2021) [Link]

5. Pandya et al., Exciton–Phonon Interactions Govern Charge-Transfer-State Dynamics in CdSe/CdTe Two-Dimensional Colloidal Heterostructures J. Am. Chem. Soc., 140, 43, 14097–14111 (2018) [Link]

For full list see: Google Scholar

Join Us

Open positions

We have guaranteed funding for at least 1 (UK) PhD student starting in October 2024. Please see here for further details and email me to arrange a chat if interested: https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DFK090/phd-studentship-ultrafast-quantum-dynamics-in-next-generation-energy-materials

Outside of this we are also generally happy to hear from people interested in pursuing a Summer Projects/Masters Projects/a PhD/postdoc in any area related to the work of the group. Every effort will be made in crafting exciting & unique projects together and finding suitable funding.

Group philosophy

I firmly want students to have lives outside the lab (I am not interested in counting hours, more your enjoyment); am aiming for the most diverse possible set of expertise and backgrounds in the team (be that in race, nationality, gender, physical ability or sexual orientation); am striving for an environment where your mental/physical well-being and ambitions will be fully supported; and want us to work with each other and other groups to make impactful discoveries (regardless of external metrics).

General Note

Students have freedom to work in any of the group's research areas from ultrafast (quantum) dynamics through to nanomaterials synthesis and characterisation. Projects will always be tailored to your research interests and ambitions. Both fully experimental and theoretical/computational projects are available (as well as ones involving a bit of both). We build a lot of our custom experiments (and the tools to understand them) in-house, but also collaborate closely with colleagues in Europe and the US. So, if you like to travel there is always room to spend extended periods abroad. We only care about your enthusiasm and no experience in the groups research areas is required to do a PhD (or Masters/Summer project with us).

For postdocs we want to learn from you and you from us. But some background in e.g., light-shaping, (ultrafast) non-linear optics, signal processing, coding, XFELs/THz can be useful. Similarly, some comfort with basic device assembly, materials synthesis/handling can also be advantageous. But projects will always be tailored to what you want to learn and we have lots of cool & unique tools to play with.

Teaching and Supervision