Having more than two decades of experiences in teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and research, my specified task is to foster excellence in teaching, learning and research within the framework of the education system of a university. In general, my goal is to produce highly acclaimed science graduates with both strong base of Physics and the complementary skills needed to be a successful researcher or teaching professional. I always prefer interactive teaching. My main research interests are in Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science. I conduct experimental research on the development of thin solid films and nanostructured materials based on new compounds whose constituent elements are earth abundant and exhibit favourable optical and electrical properties for photovoltaic device (solar cell and photodetector) applications. During my Ph.D. (1988-1993) and Post Doctoral (1993-1996) work at IIT, Kharagpur I had been trained and motivated towards the search and development of new and potential materials for industrial uses. Many major research projects funded by DST, CSIR and UGC have been completed successfully. I am striving to build up a nationally competitive research laboratory here at the department of Physics.
- M.Sc.(5 year integrated) Physics (IIT, Kharagpur, 1987)
- Ph.D. (Materials Science, IIT, Kharagpur, 1993)
I did my graduation from the Department of Physics, IIT Kharagpur and Ph.D. from Materials Science Center from the same Institute (IIT). My Ph.D work was on the preparation and characterization of thin films of II3-V2 group compound semiconductors for photovoltaic devices and solid state lasers. I had started my teaching carrier in 1996 as a Lecturer of Physics at the North Eastern Regional Institute of Science & Technology, Itanagar, AP before I was joined in the West Bengal Educational Service in the year 1997. My main research activities include the synthesis and characterization of various types of advanced electronic materials namely, compound (binary & ternary) semiconductors, diamond-like carbon (DLC) films, nanostructured germanium material for light source & flash memory devices, nanocrystalline zinc oxide (ZnO), organic-inorganic hybrid nanocomposites and related materials at the nanoscale for photonic device applications. I have published more than 40 research articles in the journals of international repute. I have also completed three major research projects funded by DST, Government of India and CSIR, New Delhi and UGC.
My present research is primarily based on the growth of various materials like, Ge nanocrystals, zinc oxide nanocrystals, zinc-tin-phosphide chalcopyrites thin polycrystalline films using ionized cluster beam deposition (ICBD) techniques and studying of their structural, electrical & optical properties.
Research Interest:
- Experimental Solid State Physics & Materials Science
- Development of Ge and ZnO-based nanomaterials
- Diamond & Diamond-Like-Carbon Films
- Polymer-Inorganic Hybrid nanocomposites
- Multiferroic Materials
- Development of Photodetectors, Multi-Junction and Quantum Dot solar cells
I am keenly interested to teach all branches of Physics at the undergraduate level and Condensed Matter Physics, electrodynamics, Mathematical Physics or related subjects at the post graduate level. I also conducts general and advance laboratory classes at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Name of the Ph.D students (JRF) working under my supervision:
1. Tamaghna Maitra (UGC Fellow)-Awarded
2. Sukhendu Mukherjee (UGC Project Fellow)-Awarded
3. Banasree Sadhukhan (Awarded)
4. Md. Mohsin
I am interested in supervising post graduate students in the area of experimental condensed matter physics and materials science, mainly to develop nanostructured materials and thin films. I am well capable of handling various sophisticated and modern analytical instruments in the laboratory.
- Materials Research Society of India (MRSI)
- IACS, Kolkata
- Nayak, A., Rao, D.R., and Banerjee,H.D. (1991) Derivative Spectra of Polycrystalline Zn3P2 Thin Films. Solid State Comm., Vol. 78(2), P.149 – 151.
- Rao, D.R., Nayak, A.(1993) Preparation and Characterization of Cd3P2 Thin Films. J. Appl. Phys., Vol. 74(1), P. 214 - 218.
- Nayak, A. and Rao, D.R. (1993) Photoluminescence Spectra of Zn3P2 – Cd3P2 Alloy Films. Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 63(5), P. 592 – 593.
- Nayak, A. and Banerjee, H.D. (1997) Photoluminescence Spectroscopic Investigation on the Quality of Diamond Films Grown in Oxy-Acetylene Combustion Flame. Thin Solid Films, Vol. 298, P. 14 – 21.
- Nayak, A. and Banerjee, H.D.(1999) X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy of Zinc Phosphide Thin Films. Appl. Surf. Sci., Vol. 148, P. 205 – 210.
- Halder, S.R., Nayak, A., Chini, T.K. and Bhunia, S.(2010) Strong temperature and substrate effect on ZnO nanorod flower structures in modified chemical vapor condensation growth. Current Appl. Phy., Vol. 10, P.,942 – 946.
- Sadhukhan, B., Bandyopadhyay, S., Nayak, A., Mookherjee, A. (2017) Effect of Disorder on the Optical Response of NiPt and Ni3Pt Alloys. Computational Mater. Sci. Vol. 140, P. 1-9.
- Sadhukhan, B., Singh, P., Nayak, A., Datta, S., Johnson, D.D., Mookherjee, A. (2017) Band-gap Tuning and Optical Response of Two-dimensional SixC1-x: A First-principles Real Space Study of Disordered 2D Materials. Phys. Rev. B. 96, P. 054203-1:8.
- Mukherjee, S., Maitra, T., Nayak, A., Mukherjee, S., Pradhan, A., Mukhopadhyay, M.K., Satpati, B., Bhunia, S. (2018) Microstructural and light emission properties of ZnSnP2 thin film absorber: study of native defects, Mater. Chem. Phys., Vol.204, 147-153.
- Mukherjee, S., Maitra, T., Pradhan, A., Mukherjee, S., Manna, G., Bhunia, S., Nayak, A. (2019) Rapid responsive Mg/ZnSnP2/Sn photodetector for visible to near-infrared application. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells. Vol. 189, P. 181–187.
Maitra, T., Pradhan, A., Mukherjee, S., Mukherjee, S., Nayak, A., Bhunia, S. (2018) Evaluation of spontaneous superlattice ordering in MOCVD grown Al x Ga 1−x As epilayer on GaAs (100) using X-ray reflectivity and rocking curve analysis. Physica E: Low-dimensional Systems and Nanostructures. Vol. 106, P. 357-362.
Mukherjee, S., Maitra, T., Pradhan, A., Mukherjee, S., Manna, G., Bhunia, S., Nayak, A. (2019) Fast responsive Mg/ZnSnP2/Sn photodetector for visible to near-infrared application. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells. Vol. 189, P. 181–187.
Mukherjee, S., Maitra, T., Pradhan, A., Mukherjee, S., Bhunia, S., Nayak, A. Probing bias and power dependency of high-performance broadband Mg/ZnSnP2/Sn back-to-back Schottky junction photodetectors. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells. Vol. 208, P. 110386 (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2019.110386.
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