About the LabWhere quantum materials meet integrated optoelectronic circuits.
The Advanced Laboratory for Optoelectronics (ALO) sits at the fertile boundary between fundamental quantum physics and scalable semiconductor technology. We design, fabricate, and characterize atomic-layer devices built to operate at physical extremes.
A laboratory for making light do useful work
A-L-O was established in 2026 in the Department of E&ECE at IIT Kharagpur. We are a dynamic team of doctoral researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and project students operating at the confluence of low-dimensional materials, cryogenic instrumentation, and on-chip silicon photonics.
Our work bridges physics and engineering. We investigate the exact point where an intrinsic quantum material property becomes an engineered device specification, and where that specification translates into a tangible sensor, optical switch, or photodetector.
We collaborate with premier research institutions across India and globally—including A*STAR, NUS, NTU, SUTD, ETH Zurich, NYCU, JNCASR, IISc, and IIT Bombay—as well as semiconductor foundry partners who bring challenges beyond standard textbook theory.
Full Intellectual Project Ownership
Every scholar runs their own primary experimental inquiry and is trained to know the physical physics of their bench more deeply than anyone else in the room.
Empirical Rigor & Reproducibility
We take measurement discrepancies seriously. Surprising anomalies are pursued rigorously, negative bounds are reported honestly, and data is openly critiqued.
Focus Over Clock-Hours
Zero culture of counting clock-hours. What matters is intellectual drive, clean measurement execution, and the thrill of seeing a resonance rise above the noise floor.
Integrated Research Programs
Our experimental endeavors are organized across four interconnected research pillars, advancing light from fundamental sub-atomic interaction to packaged system.
Exciton & Valley Physics
Investigating Coulomb interactions, charged trions, and valley-polarized exciton dynamics in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs).
Explore Theme →Semiconductor Heterodevices
Developing atomically thin field-effect transistors, zero-dark-current photodetectors, and monolithic silicon photonic waveguide couplers.
Explore Theme →Cryogenic Metrology
Custom-built optical spectroscopy down to 4 K (under development) with vector magneto-optics, micro-photoluminescence, and low-frequency Raman probing.
Explore Theme →Toward Applications
Choosing research problems with real-world use in mind and designing for silicon-foundry compatibility, with institute pathways such as STEP-IIT Kharagpur as a future route.
Explore Theme →Key Equipment & Nanofabrication Infrastructure
We believe exceptional science requires unhindered access to high-precision instruments. Researchers at ALO perform measurements directly on dedicated hardware without multi-month waiting queues.
How We Got Here
From foundational physics training to establishing the experimental laboratory at IIT Kharagpur.
- 2026Laboratory Founded at IIT Kharagpur
Dr. Sarthak Das joins the Department of E&ECE at IIT Kharagpur following 4+ years of research scientist work at A*STAR IMRE & QInC Singapore, establishing ALO with advanced optical and cryogenic setups now under development. - 2022–2026A*STAR Singapore & Quantum Innovation Centre
Pioneering experimental work on electrical control of valley-polarized charged excitons, sub-Kelvin magneto-spectroscopy, and CMOS-compatible dielectrics for 2D TMDs. - 2016–2022Doctoral Research at IISc Bangalore
Ph.D. investigating fundamental light-matter interactions, non-linear optics, and optoelectronic devices at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.