Ferronematics and Living Liquid Crystals

Dr. Aditya Vats is a post-doctoral fellow with Prof. Miha Ravnik at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. He earned his M.Sc. in Physics in 2017 and completed his Ph.D. in Physics at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, India in 2024 under the supervision of Prof. Varsha Banerjee and Prof. Sanjay Puri. His expertise lies in statistical physics and non-linear dynamics, with a keen interest in pattern formation in complex non-equilibrium systems. His research primarily focuses on the study of liquid crystals with inclusions, specifically exploring the distinctive properties of ferronematics and living liquid crystals. Aditya has contributed to several research papers published in reputed international journals.

Dr. Varsha Banerjee, a Professor in the Physics Department at IIT Delhi, earned her M.Sc. in Physics from Nagpur University in 1985 and later completed her Ph.D. at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore in 1991. Joining IIT Delhi in 2001 as an Assistant Professor, she has since developed a robust academic career withnumerous international collaborations. Her research in statistical and computational physics spans various areas including complex spin systems, liquid crystals with nano inclusions, and nanomagnetism. Employing analytical tools from statistical physics alongside computational techniques like Monte Carlo methods and molecular dynamics, her work is deeply rooted in experimental validation.

Dr. Banerjee's contributions comprise around 70 papers in esteemed international journals, extensive conference presentations globally, and affiliations with institutions like ICTP Trieste. With a strong research group at IIT Delhi and ongoing collaborations with universities in India and abroad, she has led multiple successful sponsored research projects. Dr. Banerjee has supervised numerous graduate and undergraduate projects in the research areas mentioned above.

Dr. Sanjay Puri earned an M.S. in Physics from IIT Delhi in 1982 and later a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1987. Joining JNU's School of Physical Sciences as an Assistant Professor in December 1987, he remains a Professor there, contributing significantly to statistical physics and nonlinear dynamics. His work focuses on pattern formation in nonequilibrium systems, advancing our understanding of phase transition kinetics and granular materials.

Dr. Puri has authored over 250 papers, 1 book, supervised more than 20 Ph.D. theses, and held visiting positions at various prestigious institutions worldwide, including Cambridge University and Kyoto University. He has received numerous accolades, including the S.S. Bhatnagar Prize (2006) and the Distinguished Alumni Award from IIT Delhi (2013), among others. Elected as a Fellow of both the Indian Academy of Sciences and the Indian National Science Academy, his editorial roles include Phase Transitions journal since 2000.