Awanish Pandey

Nov 19, 2024 | thehindu.com | Adhip Agarwala |Vasudevan Mukunth |Prathmesh Kher |Awanish Pandey

“Can I get a pencil?”“Yes of course,” and the lady at the counter hands me a cigarette. I awkwardly resist and say “I actually do need a pencil.” She judges me a bit and hands me one, probably wondering why an adult might need this. As it turns out, ‘pencil’ is one of many words young adults use to refer to cigarettes, which is unfortunate because a pencil should just mean a pencil. While tables and smartphones are all the fad, some of us still prefer the pencil.

Sep 13, 2024 | thehindu.com | Vasudevan Mukunth |Adhip Agarwala |Prathmesh Kher |Awanish Pandey

When you tune in to the radio, the announcer says, “Welcome to 100.1 FM Gold” or “You are listening to Akashvani at 783 AM”. The terms ‘AM’ and ‘FM’ refer to forms of signal modulation — a method at the heart of modern long-distance communications. Signal modulation simplifies the technologies required to send and receive good-quality signals carrying information, like the news and songs on the radio. How do we ‘measure’ waves? Imagine a vast, quiet lake. The water is as still as a statue.

Mar 12, 2024 | opg.optica.org | Awanish Pandey |Hauz Khas

An optical isolator is reported using a coupled cavity photonic molecule. It is shown that by non-Hermitian modulation of the coupling between the cavities, spectral causal and anti-causal response from the cavity can be obtained allowing the flexibility to regulate power between different Floquet modes. The distribution of optical energy between the Floquet modes is exploited to realize an optical isolator by cascading two modulators with a passive filter in between.

Mar 6, 2024 | thehindu.com | Awanish Pandey

Computers denote data in bits – the famous 0s and 1s – using semiconductors. These are small physical devices that store these values and perform mathematical operations on them. The sum of all these operations is what allows the computer to compute. We have powerful computers almost everywhere around us thanks to a technology called semiconductor lithography – the science of printing intricate circuits with extreme precision.

Jul 31, 2023 | thehindu.com | Awanish Pandey

If you can hear someone on the other side of a wall, then that someone can hear you as well. This is something to keep in mind when you’re snooping on your neighbour – but this straightforward statement also embodies a profound principle of physics called reciprocity. What is reciprocity?