Faculty Spotlight: Biplob Barman of UM-Flint Physics
Biplob Barman, PhD, joined the UM-Flint College of Arts & Sciences in Fall 2017 as an assistant professor of physics.
Read below to learn more about him and the field of physics, or join him in one of his Winter 2018 classes:
- PHY 143-01: College Physics I
(held MW, 11:15 a.m. – 1:25 p.m., with Friday lab) - PHY 143-02: College Physics I
(held MW 4 p.m. – 6:10 p.m., with Friday lab)
Students can register at sis.umflint.edu or find more information about upcoming semesters at umflint.edu/register.
In which area of physics are you most interested?
I am interested in experimental condensed matter physics, especially optical spectroscopy of semiconductor nanostructures.
Why are you passionate about your field?
I am passionate about optical spectroscopy because it is one of the most fundamental fields of physics wherein one can study interaction of light with matter. Using this technique, one can use light of varying wavelengths to probe various properties in different types of nanomaterials, which are extremely important from a technological point of view.
How did you fall in love with your discipline?
Travelling down memory lane, I believe it all started while working on physics labs in high school where a prism was used to separate white light into its constituent spectrum of colors. That was the beginning of this journey towards a PhD and I am glad I undertook it, because all along I have always been intrigued by the effect of light on different materials.
What are your favorite courses/subjects to teach?
Besides introductory physics classes, I would love to teach the following courses:
- Semiconductor Physics
- Solid State Physics
- Optics
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic properties of Materials
What is your latest or favorite research project?
One of my favorite research projects has been the study of magnetic quantum dots, particularly their behavior as a function of the location of the magnetic dopants. Another area of research that I worked on was using Terahertz (Electromagnetic radiation between Microwaves and Infrared) time domain spectroscopy to study semiconductor charge carrier (electrons and holes) dynamics.
What do you hope for your time at UM-Flint?
As a Physics faculty member, I hope to be able to nurture a sense of curiosity among the students and enhance their analytical and technical skills. As an educator and a guide, I would like to help the students reach a level where they are competent enough to choose between employment or further studies upon graduation. I hope to secure external funding to start an undergraduate research program wherein I can integrate material science engineering and Physics thereby imparting relevant technical skills necessary for success in their respective careers.
Why were you excited to join UM-Flint and the Flint community?
I have always dreamt of bringing various aspects of cutting edge research accessible to the general public as a means to inspire them. UM-Flint, and the Flint community as a whole, provides the perfect platform to jumpstart a movement wherein I can get together with high school teachers of the community to incorporate STEM at a very early stage. More significantly, the demographics of the community brightens the prospect of organizing workshops in collaboration with local high school teachers to enhance STEM education in the community.
What do you hope for students in your field?
I hope the students can utilize their skillset to excel in whichever career path they opt for and at the same time enlighten every individual they come across with the knowledge they acquired so as to create a society based on the pillars of science and reasoning.
What are three things you think people should know about you?
- Hard-work and honesty
- Never say die attitude
- An avid soccer fan
