Annual report of SPIE Student Chapter- IIT Madras.

Chennai-600036, India.

Name and email address of our SPIE Student Chapter officers:

S.No Designation / Posting Name Email address

1 Faculty advisor Dr. A.R.Ganesan arg@iitm.ac.in

2 President K.Udayakumar udaya.me@gmail.com

1. As part of the chapter activity, we organized an invited talk on Wednesday,

4th

December 2013 by Prof. Nilesh J. Vasa, Head, Department of Engineering

Design from Indian Institute of Technology-Madras. He presented a talk on

“Advances in Optical and Laser Assisted Techniques for Trace Gas Sensing

and Elemental Analysis”

Abstract of the talk: The last decade or so has been a renaissance in the field of

optoelectronics and their applications to industry, communications and medicine.

Although the emphasis is being on the development of optoelectronic devices,

applications of solid-state and diode lasers in sensing, environmental monitoring

instrumentation have increased significantly. In the talk, recent advances in

application of different optical techniques for mixed gas sensing and

environmental monitoring was discussed. In addition, applications of laser

induced breakdown spectroscopy technique for surface characteristics and

element analysis was also discussed

2. We had another invited talk by Prof. Vasudevan Lakshminaraynan, on

Thursday, 13th

March 2014. He started his talk by throwing some light for the

upcoming “International Year of Light”. Then he spoke on “Introduction to

Zernike Polynomials and computational model for Vision” He is a professor

in University of Waterloo, Canada and also a SPIE fellow.

Abstract of the talk: The talk gave an introduction to Zernike Polynomials and

Wavefront aberrations / Adaptive Optics. With this background, a computational

model for predicting visual acuity was presented.

Details of the chapters activities since last report to March-2014:

Invited Talks:

Prof. Nilesh J. Vasa during his talk

From Left: Prof. Vasudevan Lakshminaraynan and Prof M P Kothiyal.

Prof MP Kothiyal giving the memento to Prof Vasudevan Lakshminarayanan.

On 4th

December 2013, we conducted a SPIE SOAP (School Outreach

Activity Program) activity. We visited a government higher secondary school-

Chennai, for two reasons.

We distributed science dictionaries (Physics, Chemistry and Biology) to

the headmistress of the school and requested her to keep that in common

library.

We also organized eye check up for students from the class of 6th

to 8th

standard on behalf of SPIE Student Chapter yearly activity.

Various optical experiments were displayed for the school children along

with the question and answer session followed by distributing prizes to the

enthusiastic children.

There were around 150 students who underwent vision testing. Out of which

48.85% students were found to have refractive errors. According to the

children’s spectacle prescription, spectacles were made. After few days, we

distributed the spectacles to the identified students under SPIE student chapter

activity.

From left: K.Udayakumar, SPIE Student chapter President-IIT Madras and

Principal (I/C), Government School, Ramapuram, Chennai, during the

distribution of free dictionaries.

Event: 1

From left: Optometrist Venkataramana K, a SPIE student member, doing vision

test for a student.

Vision testing for school students

Free spectacle frame display for students to choose.

From left: Prof AR Ganesan, Faculty advisor, SPIE Student Chapter

IIT-Madras during the distribution of spectacles to a girl student in the school.

From left: A school student receiving specs from Prof AR Ganesan, Faculty

advisor, SPIE Student Chapter IIT-Madras during distribution of spectacles.

From left: A girl student receiving specs from Prof AR Ganesan, Faculty

advisor, SPIE Student Chapter IIT-Madras during distribution of spectacles

We have co-sponsored for an Industrial Conclave organized by OSA Student

Chapter of IIT-Madras.

Event: 2

SPIE student chapter in association with OSA student chapter of IIT Madras

organized a one day Symposium on Optics & Photonics-2014. In this

symposium we have invited lecturers by academicians and scientist of

government organizations. The agenda of the symposium was as follows:

Symposium on Optics & Photonics - 2014

Event: 3

Banner for the Symposium:

Speaker 1: Prof. R S Sirohi

Title: Joy of Doing Optical Instrumentation

Abstract: His talk took us through the journey with its bumpy and smooth rides

over the period of 3-decades and relates the contributions made by his colleagues

and students that have left the footprints on the sands of time.

Invited Speakers and their abstract of the talk:

Prof R S Sirohi during his talk:

Speaker 2: Prof R. Vijaya, Department of Physics, IIT Kanpur

Title: Photonic nanostructures and device design

Abstract: Three-dimensional photonic crystals (PhCs) with face-centered cubic

structure can be grown by self-assembling methods with reative ease. However,

such opaline structures are prone to inherent defects during their growth by self-

assembling techniques. Hence, it is important to analyze their characteristics very

well before designing devices from them. The talk will introduce some of the

devices that can be designed with photonic nanostructures. In the case of lasers

made from such structures, features such as the wavelength of lasing, required

gain length and the number of ordered layers essential to observe lasing are not

available from earlier work. However, it is important to understand such

properties. In our work, band-edge lasing is analyzed by modeling the gain

medium with a complex valued permittivity. The possibility of low-threshold

lasing is interpreted as an effect of the reduced group velocity, leading to a

divergence in the reflectance or transmittance. When the appropriate conditions

are satisfied, there is an enhanced distributed feedback from the ordered layers of

the PhC. The effect of the number of layers on the wavelength of band-edge

lasing and the lasing threshold near the first order bandgap in the [111] direction

are analyzed [6]. The tunability of the lasing wavelength with change in angle is

theoretically demonstrated, thus adding a new thrust to PhC-based laser research.

Experimental work reported earlier from our group with dye-doped PhC is

compared with the predictions of this model.

Prof R Vijaya during her talk:

Speaker 3: Prof. P.Senthilkumaran, Dept. of Physics, IIT Delhi

Title: Internal energy flows in optical beams

Abstract : Huygens’s secondary waves are spherical in which the flow of optical

energy is radial and diverging in nature. Is any other type of flow of energy other

than this possible? This talk presents some of the recent research developments

in this area. Decomposition into solenoidal and irrotational components in

optical beams by Helmholtz-Hodge decomposition method reveals such flows.

This solenoidal component is associated with optical phase singularities. Optical

beam containing a phase singularity is called a singular beam. The energy flow

in singular optical beams and the orbital angular momentum of such beams have

become interesting topics of study in recent years. A singular beam draws a line

of absolute darkness as it propagates in space.

The energy flow near this line of absolute darkness is discussed. Generation and

detection of singular beams and how diffraction experiments reveal the internal

energy flows in optical beams are presented in this talk.

Prof P Senthilkumaran during his talk:

Speaker 4: Dr. Annamala Pillai, Group Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space

Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram

Title: Optical techniques for stress analysis and NonDestructive Testing (NDT)

Abstract: With the increase in the complexity of structural components and need

for optimized design, more reliable estimation of the stresses in various

components becomes important. This is all the more important for aerospace

structures where margin of safety is usually low. The estimation of the

stress/strains are required to qualify the design or structure/ component for use.

Even tough a number of powerful numerical methods are available, in many

cases where geometries are intricate and loading is complex, experimental

techniques are resorted to for evaluation.

Optical techniques like photoelasticity, photoelastic coatings,

holography, laser speckle techniques, Digital Image correlation etc. are

increasingly being used for stress analysis and strain measurement. Except

photoelasticity these are all basically surface strain measurement techniques and

can be applied to actual structural components. Photoelasticity provides

complete three-dimensional state of stress at any point on the component. All

these technique are whole field in nature and provides stress/ strain/ displacement

information over large area. Being whole field techniques these are also used as

potential NDT techniques.

In our launch vehicle programs these optical techniques are extensively

used for design qualification, hardware acceptance testing and NDT. The lecture

covers the essentials of the techniques like photoelasticity, holography and

Digital Image correlation with certain real life application to stress analysis and

NDT of aerospace structural components.

Dr Annamala Pillai during his talk:

Speaker 5: Prof. Murukeshan Vadakke Matham, NTU, Singapore

Title: Novel Plasmonic Concepts for Improved Broadband Light Absorption in

Thin Film Solar Cells

Abstract: Plasmonic concepts are introducing a paradigm shift in a wide variety

of engineering fields in the recent past and the most significant applications of

this fundamental physics concepts have been in the applied engineering problems

such as improved broad band light absorption thereby enhancing the conversion

efficiency of thin silicon solar cells. Furthermore, non contact optical

methodologies for writing patterned structures or features have enabled

plasmonic assisted device fabrication and related applications. Optics technology

that focuses on energy sector has seen the impact of the same with a challenging

trend to achieve smaller features or devices with micro- or nano-scale features.

This demands automatically the need for achieving much smaller features beyond

the forecasted sub- 30nm fabrication methodologies and hence the push for

smaller dimension has posed many challenges. In this context, a new branch of

near- field optical concepts for improving patterning resolution has started

developing which have been receiving considerable attention for its ability to

produce high density sub-wavelength features that can find tremendous energy

harvesting applications. This invited talk in this context mainly focuses on the

near field optical concepts and approaches developed by the authors group at

NTU incorporating surface Plasmon waves, both LSPs and SPPs, gap modes as

well as their interference in order to high resolution features and pattern

dimensions at nano-scales. The absorbance of near bandgap light is small and

hence structuring of thin film solar cell is very important for increasing the

absorbance by light trapping. This presentation invited talk will also be covering

the above said aspects and the challenges in achieving improved light conversion

in thin film solar cells. The talk also will be covering on the novel concepts of

generating EUV assisted plasma generation and tapping the higher harmonics for

source wavelength generation at 13.5nm thereby achieving extremely high

resolution features.

Prof. Murukeshan Vadakke Matham during his talk:

Speaker 6: Dr. K.V.Sriram, Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (LEOS),

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Bangalore

Title: Optics Development at LEOS: Technologies for Space Applications

Abstract: Laboratory for Electro Optics Systems (LEOS) is engaged in design,

development and production of Electro-Optic sensors and Camera Optics for

satellites and launch vehicles. The sensors include star trackers, earth sensors, sun

sensors & processing electronics. Optical Systems include both reflective and

refractive optics for remote sensing and meteorological payloads. LEOS is

actively involved in the development of new technologies for present/future

satellites.

The talk will focus on the technology and realization aspects of some of the

telescope optics flown in INSAT, CARTOSAT and CHANDRAYAAN missions.

Latest developments and future scope on the optical systems envisaged shall also

be presented

Dr. K.V.Sriram during his talk:

In the afternoon, we had organized for a poster session. Posters are presented by

the student of IIT Madras working in the field of optics. We have got around 22

posters from various departments of Physics, Electrical Engineering, Engineering

Design, Applied Mechanics, Ocean Engineering and Civil Engineering. All these

posters are examined by the invited speakers, professors of IIT Madras and

students from various departments as well. This poster session may have given

the presenters to experience and share their research work to professors from all

over the country and also internationally. The students might have benefited by

getting introduced and in touch with the professors who are working in the same

field. By this way this, the symposium organized by SPIE and co-sponsored by

OSA, would definitely be a helping hand for students in exploring themselves.

From Left: Prof Prem Bisht from IIT Madras, a student.

Poster Session:

From Left: Prof Raghavendra Sai from IIT Madras, Prof Deepa Venkatesh from IIT Madras

and a student.

From Left: Prof R S Sirohi and a student.

Welcome address by Faculty advisor, SPIE Student Chapter IIT Madras.

Prof A R Ganesan, Faculty Advisor, SPIE Student Chapter-IIT Madras

Vote of thanks by SPIE Student chapter-President, IIT Madras:

K.Udayakumar, President of SPIE student chapter-IIT Madras

Financial Statement 2013-2014

Details of the Chapter’s Bank Account:

Name of the Account : IIT Madras SPIE Student Chapter

Account No : 10620825659

SHIFT SBININBB453 SHIFT CODE: 1055

Bank : State Bank of India, IIT Madras

Branch : IIT Madras

Amount details:

Closing Balance (as on 31.03.2013) : 450230.20

Transaction details:

Income:

Interest Credited on June 2013 : 8932.00

SPIE Annual fund credited on 26th

Dec 2013 : 55638.00

Interest Credited on 31st Dec 2013 : 8363.00

Total : 72933.00

Expenditure:

Vision check-up for school students & issuing of spectacles

August 2013, cheque no: 679777 : 50000.00

For invited talk of Prof Vasa, cash withdrawn

on 2nd

December 2013, Cheque no: 679780 : 6000.00

Vision check-up for school students & distribution of spectacles

13th

December 2013, cheque no: 679781 : 43895.00

For invited talk, Cheque no: 679782 : 5000.00

For Symposium on Optics & Photonics-2014 : 200000.00

Total : 304895.00

Financial status from April 2013 to March 2014.

Opening Balance (as on 31.03.2013) : Rs.450230.20

Income : Rs. 72933.00

Expenses : Rs.304895.00

Closing Balance as on 31st March, 2014 :Rs.218268.20