Dr. Mukesh Kumar is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, Punjab, India. In 2010, he earned his Ph.D. in Physics from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi for his research on numerous aspects of transparent conducting oxide nanostructures. He then moved to South Dakota State University, SD, USA in Feb 2010 for his post-doctoral research where he worked to develop novel scanning probe microscopy facilities for nanoscale charge transport in organic solar cell materials. Since Dec 2011, Dr. Kumar was working with Colorado School of Mines and National Center for Photovoltaics, National Renewal Energy Laboratory, Colorado, USA for the development of reliable and flexible thin films for next generation flexible solar cells and cathode materials for lithium ion batteries. Before joining at IIT Ropar, Dr. Kumar was working for Hysitron Inc., USA. Dr. Kumar has received many prestigious awards like Young Scientist Research Awards from Department of Atomic Energy; Bhaskara Advanced Solar Energy Fellowship from Indo-US Science and Technology Forum; Young Achiever Award from Bhabha Atomic Research centre; Faculty Research and Innovation Award from IIT Ropar (Early career) and Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Fellowship from US-India Education Foundation. Dr. Kumar is also a member of Indian National Young Academy of Science and The National Academy of Sciences, India.
Functional materials, solar cells photovoltaics
The supply of secure, clean, sustainable energy along with a clean environment is the most important scientific and technical challenge facing the 21st century. Functional and Renewable Energy Materials Laboratory, Department of Physics is working hard in the direction of Experimental Condensed Matter Physics to study the fundamental science of numerous materials for photovoltaic, broadband photodetectors and hazardous gas sensor. The group is focused to develop earth-abundant and cost-effective Cu-Zn-Sn-S solar cells by optimizing the secondary phases and interface engineering. Recently, the group has achieved a champion solar cell with a photoconversion efficiency of 6.1%. As an alternative and clean source of energy, hydrogen is an efficient source of energy and produces zero pollution when burned with oxygen or air. Nonetheless, hydrogen is explosive in nature when mixed with air even in a small concentration (4%). Hence, the fast detection of hydrogen gas well below the critical concentration is very crucial for the safety purpose of next-generation clean energy production and regulation. We are working to develop a fast and reliable hydrogen sensor. These sensors have potential applications for next-generation clean fuel hydrogen vehicles. The group is also focused to develop other hazardous gas sensors for environmental monitoring. Broadband photodetector has lots of applications. As sun emits a broad range of radiation including UV light which is at the same time important and dangerous for life on Earth, depending on its exact wavelength. We are working to develop 2D materials and its heterojunction based IR photodetector and gallium oxide-based UVC photodetectors for civil and military applications.
PhD students:
