Australia: A Land That Inspires the Imagination

First International Travel Experience during the Ph.D.:

The Australian Institute of Physics (AIP) Congress hosted a conference from 11th – 16th December 2022 at the Adelaide Convention Centre in Adelaide, Western Australia, Australia titled "The Australian and New Zealand Conference on Optics and Photonics," and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) - Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) of India sponsored me to attend the same. My poster, titled "Tunable Optical Grating in Magnetic Nanofluid," demonstrates how colloidal silica nanoparticles can manipulate the magnetic field and induce chain formations in a water-based magnetic fluid.

Highlights from the AIP Congress 2022:

The AIP Congress 2022 platform is the largest place in the field of optics and photonics where all the people (i.e., school students, school teachers, university students, university teachers, research scholars, postdocs, professors, industry, defence, research institutes, space agencies, and the Australian government) came together on the same platform.

Professorial Interactions:

I spoke with Dr. Alok Kushwaha, a Researcher at the University of Adelaide's Faculty of Sciences, Engineering, and Technology, about the possibility of a research collaboration on using magnetic nanoparticles in sensing and imaging.

During the poster presentation, Associate Professor Mathew Arnold from the Department of Physics at the University of Technology Sydney, Australia, expressed an interest in working together on the theoretical aspects of the chain-formation process. He and I have begun discussing the possibility of using simulation to explore anisotropic optical scattering from magnetic-field-induced chains of magnetic fluid.

In addition, I discussed the tunable monochromator using a magnetic fluid with Professor Dragomir Neshev from the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, Australia. This device exhibits wavelength variations of 100 nm when subjected to an external magnetic field. And he wants to get to work on that right away. Additionally, the Conference has provided me with a forum to discuss potential optical applications of TMDC and magnetic nanoparticles with Professor Sumeet Walia of the School of Engineering at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.

At the AIP Congress in 2022, I had the honour of conversing with Nobel Laureate Professor Donna Strickland about our shared vision for the future of physics.

Home Life:

At long last, Shraddha (She visited India for a week) and I were able to spend some quality time together. We tied the knot in February 2022, and she went back to Australia not long after the wedding so that we could spend more time together. As an international student, I gained insight into the importance of mental and physical health for successful self-sufficiency. She educated me on the ins and outs of Australian culture and provided me with the groundwork I needed to start interacting with the locals. I am deeply appreciative of all the work she put in so that I could attend the Conference and gain knowledge and pleasure from it. In addition, it was great fun to live with her two kids, REX and Keanu. Both of her cats were adopted in 2018.

Learning Outcomes:

The Multidisciplinary Research: I've been to a few plenary sessions, and I've seen that researchers have productive discussions and offer unique perspectives that ultimately advance science and technology. Among other things, Dr Marcus Doherty briefed the Professors on the Quantum Technology needs of the Australian Defense Department. Academics were eventually asked for their input, and the government used that information to craft a policy that would ultimately benefit the populace.

Research and Development: Investment in R&D is a nation's most trustworthy source of economic growth. I learned from talking with other professors that they can register a startup company with the government and use this to create a new technology. After some time, the professor will give this technology to businesses. They would insist on establishing a factory abroad to lessen their impact on the local environment.

Institutional Framing: The government's top priority is to develop and implement policies that benefit its citizens. In the long run, it boosts employment possibilities. The average person should just get to work because the government will take care of everything else. This is simply impossible in the world's least developed and poorest countries.

Plastic Usage: Approximately 130 kilogrammes of plastic is used annually by each Australian, according to a report by WWF-Australia. Only about 1 in 20 of that is reused or recycled. Even scarier is that up to 130,000 tonnes of plastic will eventually end up in our oceans and waterways. However, Indians consume 11 kg of plastic annually per person.

Multicultural Environment: Culture is the key to unlocking the mysteries of other civilizations' rituals, which is especially important in today's multi-ethnic society. Humanity advances when people learn to appreciate one another's unique qualities while recognizing commonalities. As a result, the advanced country opened the door to new experiences and perspectives.

I appreciate you taking the time to learn about my first trip to the land of ideas and creativity. I'm always open to logical suggestions and constructive debate about making Earth a better place for everyone.

sincere regards,

Urvesh