Latest news with #RamanResearchInstitute
New Indian Express
21-07-2025
- Science
- New Indian Express
Raman Research Institute develops device to scan brain signals anywhere
BENGALURU: In a breakthrough that could shrink brain-scanning MRI-like machines from room-sized setups to something that may fit anywhere, scientists at Raman Research Institute (RRI) have developed a compact magnetometer that can detect magnetic fields with extreme precision even in noisy, real-world environments. This innovation in future could offer a quieter, portable, and more affordable alternative to MRI-like scans, especially in smaller clinics, mobile units, or rural healthcare settings. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) works by detecting tiny magnetic signals from inside the human body, especially the brain. These signals are incredibly weak, which is why MRI machines need heavy shielding and 'ultra silent' rooms to function. But the new device does not need any of that. It's a fully optical, shield-free magnetometer — a small, light-based tool that can sense magnetic fields in noisy, real-world settings like clinics, outdoor sites, or even spacecraft. Magnetometers, in general, are used to measure magnetic fields and have applications in navigation, geology, medical imaging, physics, and space research. But the most accurate types — like Optically Pumped Atomic Magnetometers (OPAMs) and Spin Exchange Relaxation-Free (SERF) magnetometers- come with limitations. While they are extremely sensitive to weak magnetic fields, they only work well in shielded, stable environments and have a narrow dynamic range, meaning they can't handle magnetic fields that are too strong. What did the RRI do differently? RRI researchers developed -- Raman-Driven Spin Noise Spectroscopy (RDSNS) technique which works by using laser beams to 'listen' to the natural quantum jitters — known as spin noise — in rubidium atoms. These atoms behave like tiny bar magnets. When they're exposed to a magnetic field, their spin noise patterns change slightly. By analysing these changes with laser light, the RRI team is able to measure the strength of the surrounding magnetic field without touching or disturbing the atoms. This all-optical method is fully immune to common sources of interference like electricity, vibration, and radio signals.
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
In quantum, noise may not be the villain after all
BENGALURU: Indian researchers have found that quantum noise — the random disturbances often seen as a threat to fragile quantum systems — can sometimes help, rather than harm. This surprising insight could change how scientists build quantum technologies. At the core of the study is quantum entanglement, the phenomenon Albert Einstein once famously called 'spooky action at a distance.' In normal circumstances, quantum noise is seen as the enemy of entanglement. It causes decoherence, where the special link between particles breaks down. However, scientists at the Raman Research Institute ( RRI ), Bengaluru, working with collaborators from IISc, IISER-Kolkata and the University of Calgary , have discovered a twist. A lesser-known form of entanglement, called intraparticle entanglement, where different properties of the same particle are entangled, can actually survive, revive, and even be created by noise. 'Noise does not always destroy quantum correlations. Under the right conditions, it can build them too,' said Animesh Sinha Roy, lead author and post-doctoral fellow at RRI. The team derived an exact mathematical formula to predict how this intraparticle entanglement behaves in the presence of noise, specifically amplitude damping, which is similar to energy loss in quantum systems. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Viral wajah Jokowi membengkak dan ruam menghitam saat ultah ke-64, sakit serius atau hanya alergi? CNA Indonesia Baca Undo When the same tests were applied to the usual interparticle entanglement between two separate particles, the entanglement simply decayed. No revival or creation was seen. This robustness of intraparticle entanglement under noise could help scientists develop more stable and practical quantum systems, useful for technologies like quantum computing and communication. 'Our next step is to build an experiment using single photons to explore this further,' Prof Urbasi Sinha, head of the Quantum Information and Computing lab at RRI, said. The team's findings, published in Frontiers in Quantum Science and Technology, used the Global Noise Model, where the particle is treated as a whole. This approach is more realistic because, in real life, all parts of a particle interact with the same environment. The work is part of the India-Trento Programme on Advanced Research and is supported by the National Quantum Mission. Prof Dipankar Home from the Bose Institute, Kolkata , called the research a breakthrough, noting that it opens new possibilities for building quantum technologies that can work in noisy conditions.
New Indian Express
13-07-2025
- Science
- New Indian Express
Raman Research Institute develops sleek, portable MRI machine
BENGALURU: In a breakthrough that could shrink brain-scanning MRI-like machines from room-sized setups to something that may fit anywhere, scientists at Raman Research Institute (RRI) have developed a compact magnetometer that can detect magnetic fields with extreme precision even in noisy, real-world environments. This innovation could offer a quieter, portable, and more affordable alternative to MRI-like scans, especially in smaller clinics, mobile units, or rural healthcare settings. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) works by detecting tiny magnetic signals from inside the human body, especially the brain. These signals are incredibly weak, which is why MRI machines need heavy shielding and 'ultra silent' rooms. But the new device does not need any of that. It's a fully optical, shield-free magnetometer — a small, light-based tool that can sense magnetic fields in noisy, real-world settings like clinics, outdoor sites, or even spacecraft. Advanced magnetometers offer accuracy Magnetometers, in general, are used to measure magnetic fields and have applications in navigation, geology, medical imaging, physics, and space research. But the most accurate types — like Optically Pumped Atomic Magnetometers (OPAMs) and Spin Exchange Relaxation-Free (SERF) magnetometers — come with limitations. While they are extremely sensitive to weak magnetic fields, they only work well in shielded, stable environments and have a narrow dynamic range, which means they can't handle magnetic fields that are too strong. RRI researchers developed Raman-Driven Spin Noise Spectroscopy (RDSNS) technique, which works by using laser beams to 'listen' to the natural quantum jitters, known as spin noise, in rubidium atoms. These atoms behave like tiny bar magnets. When they're exposed to a magnetic field, their spin noise patterns change slightly. By analysing these changes with laser light, the RRI team is able to measure the strength of the surrounding magnetic field without touching or disturbing the atoms. This all-optical method is fully immune to common sources of interference like electricity, vibration, and radio signals. Most magnetometers have to choose between high sensitivity — the ability to detect extremely weak magnetic signals or wide dynamic range — the ability to measure both weak and strong magnetic fields accurately. Devices with high sensitivity can detect extremely weak fields but only in a narrow range of strength and only in very quiet conditions. Magnetometers with a wide dynamic range can handle various field strengths.
The Hindu
29-05-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
RRI team find new code for detecting hidden properties of exotic materials
A team from the Raman Research Institute (RRI) found a new code for detecting hidden properties of exotic materials. According to the Department of Science and Technology, scientists have found a new way of spotting a property of topological space called 'topological invariant' in quantum materials, which remains unchanged under continuous deformations or transformations. Topological materials are at the forefront of next-gen technology — quantum computing, fault-tolerant electronics, and energy-efficient systems. 'But detecting their exotic properties has always been tricky. Topological invariance implies that if you can deform one shape into another without cutting or gluing, any topological invariant will be the same for both shapes,' department said. It added that in certain materials like topological insulators and superconductors, strange things happen. 'Electrons behave differently depending on how the material is 'shaped' at the quantum level. These shapes are defined not by their appearance, but by something deeper—topological invariants, such as winding numbers (in 1D systems) and Chern numbers (in 2D systems). These numbers are like hidden codes that determine how particles move through a material,' it added. Spectral function The RRI team found a new way to detect this hidden code using a property called the spectral function. Professor Dibyendu Roy and PhD researcher Kiran Babasaheb Estake have carried this out by analyzing the momentum-space spectral function (SPSF). Traditionally, scientists used techniques like ARPES (Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy) to study electron behaviour. The new research published in Physical Review B. showed that the same spectral function holds clues to the material's hidden topology—a revolutionary way to see the structure without directly observing it. 'The spectral function has been used for many years as an experimental tool to probe the physical quantities such as density of states and the dispersion relation of electrons in a system through ARPES. It was not seen as a tool to probe topology or topological aspects of an electronic system.' said Kiran Babasaheb Estake, PhD student in theoretical Physics at RRI and the lead author. Universal tool The study potentially offers a universal tool to explore and classify topological materials, that could pave the way for new discoveries in condensed matter physics that could be useful for quantum computers, next generation electronics, and facilitate energy-efficiency.
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Jayant Narlikar: The Indian astrophysicist and sci-fi writer who challenged ‘Big Bang'
Dr. Jayant Narlikar, one of India's most distinguished astrophysicists who combined profound theoretical insight into cosmology with a lifelong commitment to science communication, passed away at his residence in Pune on Tuesday (May 20. 2025). He was 86. Describing what made Dr. Narlikar one of the 'greats', Dr. Tarun Souradeep, Director of the Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bengaluru, told The Hindu that it was his 'sense of justice and equality,' and his 'unwavering commitment' to popularising science and combating 'non-science-based superstition and astrology,' that set him apart. As a gifted institution-builder, Dr. Narlikar played a pioneering role in establishing the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, where he served as Founder-Director. Under his stewardship, IUCAA emerged as a globally recognised centre for theoretical physics, cosmology, and astrophysics. 'He spawned a number of leading scientists who set new directions and schools: Thanu Padmanabhan (Cosmology, Gravitation and Quantum Gravity); Sanjeev Dhurandhar (Gravitational Waves); Ajit Kembhavi (Data-driven observational astronomy), to name a few,' Dr. Souradeep, who completed his doctoral research under Dr. Narlikar's guidance, said. A prolific writer and science populariser, Dr. Narlikar once recalled in a blog post 'playing table tennis with Stephen Hawking (prior to his muscular atrophy)' when they were both students at the University of Cambridge. Dr. Narlikar first gained international recognition when, alongside the British astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle, he proposed the 'steady state' model of the universe - a theory positing a timeless cosmos in which matter is continuously created. This stood in contrast to the dominant 'Big Bang' model, a term ironically coined by Hoyle to disparage it, which posits that the universe began at a single point in time. Although subsequent observational evidence has since firmly supported the Big Bang theory, Dr. Narlikar remained a persistent and vocal critic of it, adapting and refining the steady state view throughout his career. 'He wore his remarkable learning in various disciplines very lightly and he combined to an unusual degree formidable scholarship with humility. He was well and truly a most luminous star of Indian science, who reflected the noblest of our civilisational traditions,' Congress communications in-charge and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh tweeted. He also shared an excerpt from the 1964 edition of Yojana - a Planning Commission publication - which debated whether India should lure the young Narlikar back from Cambridge. In a rare feat, Dr. Narlikar was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1965, even before formally beginning his career in India at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai. He later received the Padma Vibhushan in 2004. Among his many accolades were the UNESCO Kalinga Prize for the popularisation of science in 1996 and the prestigious Prix Jules Janssen from the French Astronomical Society in 2004. Dr. Narlikar was also widely admired for his literary contributions. His science-fiction story Dhoomaketu (The Comet) was adapted into a film, while his autobiography Chaar Nagarantale Maze Vishwa (My Tale of Four Cities) was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Prize. His writing - marked by clarity, an avoidance of jargon, and philosophical depth - explored themes ranging from alien encounters to the moral quandaries arising from rapid technological progress. He was frequently featured in science programmes on television in the 1990s and credited Carl Sagan's outreach work, as well as the fiction of Sir Hoyle, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Ray Bradbury, as key influences in his approach to communicating science. Born to eminent parents - Vishnu Vasudev Narlikar, a mathematician at Benares Hindu University (now IIT-BHU), and Sumati Narlikar, a Sanskrit scholar - Dr. Narlikar received his early education in Varanasi before moving to the University of Cambridge, where he completed his Ph.D. under Sir Hoyle's mentorship.
