Sajith V Sadasivan
Post : Research Associate, CQTS
I have always been captivated by the power of physics in its ability to explain the microscopic and macroscopic world around me and its impact on day-to-day living. To strengthen my grasp of physics after my higher secondary education, I joined St. Thomas' College, Thrissur, Kerala, one of the esteemed degree-granting institutions in India, for B.Sc. course in Physics. There, I enjoyed the literature, library, and conversations with instructors and fellow students about the wonders of physics and passed out as the university's rank holder in physics. During the same period, I was selected among the top 20 students in the state-level Talent Search Examinations (TSE) conducted exclusively for physics students by the Association of Physics Teachers (APT), Kerala, India. This motivated me to learn physics further, and with this interest, I joined the Department of Physics, University of Calicut in Kerala, India, to pursue my Master's degree (M.Sc. Physics). I was inspired to gain a deeper understanding of theoretical physics (especially quantum mechanics) by the guidance I received from the luminaries in the department. During the internship program (as a part of M.Sc. course) at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Satellite Centre, Bangalore, Govt. of India, I got an opportunity to work with the ISRO scientists as a part of the High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS) payload employed in the Aditya L1 Mission (India's first space-based solar mission to study the Sun). This inspired me to think outside the box and instilled the idea of collaborative efforts.
Upon completion of my Master's degree, I enrolled in the Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) program at University of Calicut, where, I focused on advanced nuclear physics and developed a taste for conducting research. Simultaneously, I qualified various prestigious national entrance exams conducted for entry to doctoral programs and for the award of a lectureship. Fueled by my passion for theoretical physics and the potential applications of quantum mechanics, I decided to delve deeper into its intricacies, meticulously examining them by embarking on my Doctoral Research journey at the prestigious Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Department of Space, Govt. of India. Here, I specialized in solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy under the mentorship of Dr. S. Jayanthi, Department of Physics. Entering the complex world of spin dynamics in solid-state NMR experiments involving quadrupolar nuclei, I worked out the quantum mechanical and tensorial calculations, with a strong emphasis on the theory supported by numerical simulations. Later, I joined the Central NMR Facility at the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune, India, as a Project Associate, where I delved into experimental solid-state NMR, further expanding my expertise in experimental techniques.
During my Doctoral studies, I became interested in the revolutionary field of Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) because of its potential and recent advancements. To advance my research career and pursue my passion fueled by this interest, I joined as a Research Associate in the Interdisciplinary Quantum eXploration (IQX) Lab in October 2023 with Dr. Asif Equbal, Center for Quantum and Topological Systems (CQTS), New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) campus. Here, I have been primarily working on quantum sensing using optically activated DNP techniques to dramatically enhance NMR/ Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) sensitivity by several orders of magnitude, ultimately leading to revolutionary advances in scientific research and healthcare. I am incredibly curious and passionate about investigating the interdisciplinary aspects and combining theoretical, numerical, and experimental knowledge under one umbrella. By employing an interdisciplinary approach to push the boundaries of knowledge and innovation, I hope to significantly contribute to the rapidly evolving fields of science and medicine.