2023
High-survival lithium imaging
Single 6Li atom imaged 2000 times with 99.950% per-image survival using Λ-enhanced gray molasses. Published in Physical Review Letters.
CV
Curriculum vitae.
A web CV for quick scanning, with the latest PDF available as a direct download.
Education
Academic background
2021 –
2026
2026
Ph.D., Physics
Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana · Hood Lab
Dissertation: cooling and imaging single lithium and cesium atoms in optical tweezers, toward deterministic LiCs molecule assembly. Defended July 2026.
PDF file
Download the current PDF version.
The downloadable file is bundled with this site as assets/Saumitra_Phatak_CV.pdf. The web CV below keeps the high-level research, teaching, and publication information easy to scan before opening the full document.
Research areas
AMO physics, optical tweezers, laser cooling, neutral atoms, LiCs molecules, quantum information.
Experimental skills
Laser systems, AOMs, high-NA optics, fluorescence imaging, optical pumping, vacuum/chamber operation, structured light.
Theory & computation
Lindblad master equations, Lamb-Dicke physics, QuTiP simulations, Python, data analysis, scientific visualization.
Teaching
Modern Mechanics lab, Modern Physics lab (Purdue). AMO mini-course for University of Mumbai M.Sc. students, 2023.
Fellowships & awards
Recognition
2024
Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship Purdue University — awarded for research excellence in AMO physics.
2024
PGSG Travel Grant Purdue Graduate Student Government — travel funding for conference presentation.
Selected achievements
Research highlights
2024
Unified cooling theory
Generalized master-equation framework connecting sideband, gray-molasses, Λ-GM, EIT-like, and Raman cooling for trapped atoms with spin. Published in Physical Review A.
2025
Cesium quadrupole cooling
Background-free imaging and narrow-line cooling with spatially structured light (685 nm vortex beam). Co-first author, Physical Review A.
2023
AMO mini-course
Eight-lecture AMO physics course for University of Mumbai M.Sc. students — combining foundations with current optical tweezer examples.
2026
PhD thesis published
Cooling Lithium and Cesium Single Atoms in Optical Tweezers — dissertation covering laser cooling theory, high-survival lithium imaging, and cesium quadrupole cooling. Read on Purdue Hammer.
Talks & videos