Manabendra Chandra

Manabendra Chandra is a full-time Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. He obtained his PhD from IISc Bangalore in 2009 and subsequently held a post-doctoral position at Florida State University & National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (2009–2013) before joining IIT Kanpur.

His research group employs advanced single-particle spectroscopic and imaging techniques to unravel the fundamental optical properties of plasmonic nanostructures, with clear translational impact on solar-energy conversion, high-resolution imaging and forensic sensing.

Education

• PhD, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore — 2009

Research Interests

Prof. Chandra’s work lies at the intersection of physical chemistry, nanoscience and optics. Core themes include:

• Localized surface plasmon resonances in metallic and hybrid nanoparticles
• Geometry-dependent optical resonances and size effects
• Collective plasmonic phenomena: Fano resonances, EIT, sub-/super-radiance
• Single-particle nonlinear optical spectroscopy for quantitative structure–property mapping
• Applications in photovoltaic light-harvesting, super-resolution imaging and forensic detection

Publication Trends

Between 2009 and 2013, Prof. Chandra published eight high-impact articles that collectively advance the understanding of plasmonic behaviour in noble-metal nanostructures—from isolated hollow gold nanospheres to complex aggregates—using ultrafast and nonlinear spectroscopy. The works bridge fundamental physics with potential device-oriented applications.

Scientific Awards & Fellowships

No specific awards or honours are listed in the provided material.

Students & Funding Narrative

While no individual students are named, Prof. Chandra actively mentors PhD and master’s researchers within the department. His laboratory is funded through national and international competitive grants supporting nanoscience and energy research initiatives.

Laboratory & Team

His laboratory is located in FB-424, Department of Chemistry, IIT Kanpur. The group maintains state-of-the-art single-particle spectroscopy and electron-microscopy correlation facilities, enabling atomic-level insight into plasmonic systems.