معرفی
Arkajit Mandal is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University, where he leads the Mandal Group focusing on theoretical and computational approaches to quantum phenomena. His research combines tools of theoretical chemistry, quantum optics, and quantum dynamics to understand and exploit exotic physical and chemical phenomena enabled by quantum mechanical interactions of light and matter.
Mandal received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Rochester in 2021, following Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Chemistry from Visva-Bharati University in 2014 and 2016, respectively. He completed postdoctoral research at Columbia University from 2021 to 2024 before joining Texas A&M.
His research interests center on light-matter interactions, with particular focus on quantum materials, solar energy conversion, quantum information science, plasmonic catalysis, and plasmonic chemistry. Mandal's group develops theoretical frameworks to describe phenomena such as exciton-polaritons, polaron-polaritons, and vibrational polaritons, exploring how these quantum states can be harnessed for next-generation quantum devices and energy applications.
The group's recent publications demonstrate sophisticated approaches to modeling quantum systems beyond traditional approximations, particularly in optical cavities where light-matter coupling creates hybrid quantum states. Their work bridges theoretical chemistry with practical applications in quantum information and materials science, showing particular strength in developing analytical models for complex quantum phenomena.
- Outstanding Dissertation Award, University of Rochester (2022)
- American Chemical Society Chemical Computing Group Excellence Award (2021)
- American Chemical Society Graduate Award in Theoretical chemistry (2020)
Mandal advises several graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, including Logan Blackham (NSF GRFP awardee), Saeed R. Koshkaki (Löwdin Postdoctoral Research award winner and APS Postdoc Travel Award recipient), Pritha, and Arshath. His group has secured funding from sources including the Research Corporation for Science Advancement, as evidenced by his participation in the Scialog: Quantum Matter and Information initiative that supports sixty early-career researchers across multiple disciplines.
The Mandal Group maintains an active research program with multiple ongoing projects focused on quantum phenomena in materials. The group collaborates with researchers across disciplines and has established connections with institutions including Columbia University and Microsoft Quantum/Rice, as evidenced by visits from researchers like Dr. Chong Sun. They maintain an active presence on social media through their Bluesky account (@mandalgroup.bsky.social) with 458 followers, sharing updates about their research, students' achievements, and publications.
