UNews - Saurya Das

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers secure support through Alberta’s Major Innovation Fund

caroline.zentner — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 17:13:11 +0000

From using robotic systems in health-care delivery and building on quantum technologies to adapting highly sensitive space instruments to space and defence applications, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers are involved in a host of projects receiving grants through Alberta’s Major Innovation Fund.

The Honourable Nate Glubish, Minister of Technology and Innovation, announced today an investment of $27.3 million into innovative research in Alberta’s post-secondary institutions. The funding is designed to accelerate research and commercialization in medical devices, electronic and mobile health, clean energy and space and defence technologies. The funding goes to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta (U of A) and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary (U of C) to lead four province-wide strategic initiatives. ULethbridge and Athabasca ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ are partners in the projects.

“Supporting fundamental research and initiatives that commercialize new technologies is critical to strengthening and diversifying the Alberta economy,” says Dr. Dena McMartin, ULethbridge vice-president (research). “This investment will encourage new and traditional sectors to grow, improving the economic prospects and quality of life for all Albertans.”

Led by the U of C under the Space and Defence Technologies theme, Drs. David Naylor and Locke Spencer, professors in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, will be involved in migrating the technologies developed by the Astronomical Instrumentation Group (AIG) at ULethbridge. Advances made by the AIG resulted in the most sensitive instruments to be deployed in space.

“The announcement of the Major Innovation Fund for the Space and Defence Technologies theme is reflective of our increasingly more complex world,” says Naylor. “The MIF funding will allow us to migrate the technologies in which we are recognized as world leaders and develop them to meet the broader needs of the space and defence community.”

Another project led by the U of C is centred on quantum technology innovations and ULethbridge’s Dr. Saurya Das, a professor in the physics and astronomy department, is one of nine principal investigators.

“The second quantum revolution is on, which will change the way one thinks of computers and computation and will revolutionize communication and commerce,” he says. “Alberta researchers are key players in this, and their research will help diversify Alberta’s economy, create jobs, develop made-in-Alberta quantum technology, and make it accessible to end users in Alberta and beyond. ULethbridge researchers have been working on problems in Quantum Computation and Quantum Sensing and have made significant contributions to the project. In the process, they have published papers in top-rated international journals and trained students and postdocs.”

Dr. Matthew Tata, a professor at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, is the ULethbridge lead for a U of A-led project. A-MEDICO is a pan-Alberta network of researchers, industry and health-care professionals working on medical technologies for broad applications, especially for underserved populations. Tata was previously involved in a MIF project that focused on medical robotics, image-guided surgery and machine intelligence-based solutions for medicine.

“In both of these projects, my team is focused on applying state-of-the-art machine learning techniques for audio processing,” says Tata. “We have been developing audio AI for human-robot interaction in health care and industrial scenarios.”

PUBlic Professor Series talk delves into the mysteries of the Universe

trevor.kenney — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 17:13:47 +0000

Humankind has always wondered about the fundamental contents, evolution and fate of our Universe. Fortunately, observations over the last couple of decades have provided us with many of the answers, namely that it was very small in the past, it is expanding at an accelerating rate now and that 95 per cent of its contents are dark, i.e. cannot be observed directly. Yet important questions remain.

Dr. Saurya Das of the Department of Physics & Astronomy.

On Thursday, November 24, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge physics and astronomy professor, Dr. Saurya Das, will present Our Universe: its beginning, flow and end as the latest instalment of the PUBlic Professor Series. The free event runs from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Sandman Signature Lethbridge Lodge and is open to the public.

In this talk, Das will explain what is known about our Universe and present some new ideas to address the unknowns.

Das received his BSc in physics from Presidency ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Kolkata, India and his PhD in theoretical physics from The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai, India in 1998. He joined the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 2003. His group was one of the first to compute universal corrections to certain black hole observables and to show that quantum gravity effects should be present and potentially detectable in practically all quantum systems. Das has published over 130 research articles in international journals and co-authored a book on symmetry, relativity and quantum mechanics. His research has been continuously funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and other sources.

Learn more, visit: ulethbridge.ca/artsci/pps-das

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Quantum Alberta researchers pushing towards a second quantum revolution

trevor.kenney — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 18:16:11 +0000

You likely never think about how your new mobile phone is twice as fast as your last, why you now feel secure making bank transactions remotely, or how Google and Alexa now plan your days — it’s just the world in which we live. The technology, the security, the communicative ability can all be traced to research, and the future of these advances is even brighter thanks to work being done right now by Quantum Alberta researchers, a fifth of whom are based at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Dr. Saurya Das of the Department of Physics & Astronomy.

Dr. Saurya Das, in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Department of Physics & Astronomy, is a theme leader of Quantum Alberta, a province-wide platform of more than 35 quantum researchers from the Universities of Lethbridge, Calgary and Alberta. It is made up of physicists, chemists, computer scientists, mathematicians and engineers and promotes and strengthens collaboration between researchers and institutions in quantum science and technology.

Quantum technology is an emerging field of physics and engineering that relies on the principles of quantum physics. Applications of quantum technologies include highly accurate sensor technology (for use in oil and gas or construction, for example) and secure communications and computing (for computer optimization, machine learning uses and for creating a quantum internet).

Recently, the Government of Alberta renewed its support of Quantum Alberta in terms of the five-year $12-million Quantum Major Innovation Fund Project (QMP). Das is the principal investigator of the project from the U of L. His group and the users of the project at the U of L have received nearly $1 million ($400,000 from the provincial government and the rest from other granting agencies) for their part.

“This shows the confidence of the government in our researchers and the other universities that they will deliver the project as promised, and in particular advance quantum technologies, innovation and jobs,” says Das. “The project has already supported many Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) at the U of L, the majority of whom were attracted to Alberta from outside, which would not have been possible without the grant.”

Indeed, the provincial government sees quantum technology as a major driver of economic diversification.

“Diversifying our economy has never been more important,” says Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation. “Establishing Alberta as a leader in quantum technologies will give a competitive boost to our economy and create new jobs today and for the future.”

The main areas of research at the U of L in support of Quantum Alberta are in the studies of quantum gravity, quantum sensing and quantum computation. Joining Das as part of Quantum Alberta are fellow researchers Drs. Mark Walton and Pasquale Bosso (physics & astronomy); Daya Gaur, Robert Benkoczi and Shahadat Hossain (mathematics & computer science); and Stacey Wetmore (chemistry & biochemistry). The QMP Lethbridge team consists of most of the above researchers as well as Dr. Athanasios Zovoilis (chemistry & biochemistry).

“Quantum technology will deliver the second quantum revolution in the 21st century in terms of quantum devices, quantum computers, quantum internet and so on,” says Das, adding the first revolution was in the early 20th century. “It is not surprising that academia, industry and the provincial and federal governments are prioritizing quantum technologies and providing the necessary resources for advancing the field. The future of the world is quantum!”

U of L researchers awarded more than $1.8 million in NSERC funding

caroline.zentner — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 16:47:48 +0000

Eleven ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers have been awarded Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Discovery Grants worth approximately $1.8 million, payable in instalments of anywhere from one to five years.

“��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers were very successful this year, with 11 out of 14 applications being awarded funding,” says Dr. Erasmus Okine, U of L vice-president (Research). “This funding of almost $2 million demonstrates the calibre of research our scientists are engaged in and I congratulate each one of them.”

Dr. Gerlinde Metz, a neuroscience professor, received the U of L’s largest grant worth a total of $510,000. She and her research team will continue exploring early life stress and its effects on brain plasticity. They’ll examine how early life stress alters brain development, connections between neurons, and behaviour. They’ll also look at whether factors such as age and sex determine the response to early life stress and whether early life stress affects subsequent generations.

Dr. Theresa Burg, a biology professor, studies how the evolution of high-latitude species is linked to historical and present-day environmental changes. Examining how landscape features and past climate changes have shaped today’s populations can further the understanding of population dynamics and help predict how these species might respond to future climate change.

Dr. Dmytro Yevtushenko, a professor in the Department of Biology and Research Chair in Potato Science, was awarded an early career researcher supplement in addition to a Discovery Grant. Yevtushenko will conduct research into the natural defense mechanisms of potato plants. His work could lead to higher crop yields, less crop loss, increased food safety and could help point the way to improving disease resistance in other crops.

Dr. Borries Demeler, Canada 150 Research Chair and a professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, is a leading biophysics scientist with expertise in analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC). AUC is used to analyze molecules in solution. He has established the Canadian Center for Hydrodynamics, which is equipped with three unique AUC instruments to accelerate biophysical research in Canada. He hopes to develop new analysis protocols and software tools that will benefit basic research in biochemistry, physics and material science.

Other U of L researchers who received grants include Dr. Jon Doan (kinesiology and physical education), Dr. Stewart Rood (biology), Dr. Lawrence Flanagan (biology), Dr. Anthony Russell (biology), Dr. Hadi Kharaghani (mathematics and computer science), Dr. Matthew Tata (neuroscience) and Dr. Saurya Das (physics and astronomy).

Physics students shine at CAP annual congress

trevor.kenney — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 19:55:22 +0000

A pair of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge physics students managed impressive results at the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) annual congress that took place in Edmonton in June. Matthew Robbins (BSc ’15) and Jeremy Scott (BSc ’15) each won second place in their categories for student oral presentation and student poster presentation respectively.

“Both students presented undergraduate research at the national level and managed to beat students, some of which were graduate students, from the country’s largest schools,” says U of L physics and astronomy professor Dr. Locke Spencer. “This speaks very highly both to the quality of the students, and to that of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s physics research programs.”

Jeremy Scott (BSc ’15, left) and Matthew Robbins (BSc ’15) each won second place in their categories for student poster presentation and student oral presentation respectively.

Robbins (a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Undergraduate Student Research Award winner studying under Drs. Saurya Das and Mark Walton) received second place in his division for his oral presentation, Modifications of Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle Motivated by Quantum Gravity. He was competing in the Theoretical Physics Division against undergraduate and graduate students across Canada.

“As it is currently not possible to access the natural energy scale of quantum gravity (the Planck scale), it is important to look for low-energy effects,” says Robbins, summarizing his presentation. “One such avenue of approach is by studying the corrections to the Schrödinger equation via the Generalized Uncertainty Principle (GUP) proposed in various candidate theories of quantum gravity. After finding the GUP-modified wave function for the simple harmonic oscillator, I then determined a corresponding function (Wigner function) in phase space. The modifications induced by GUP to the simple harmonic oscillator were demonstrated by analyzing the perturbations, the probability distributions for the position and momentum, and the energy levels.”

Robbins plans on pursuing a Master of Science under the guidance of Das and Walton, beginning in Fall 2015.

Scott (also a former NSERC USRA student) began his Master of Science under Spencer in May 2015 and received second place in his category for his poster presentation, Prestellar Cores in the Aquila Rift. He was competing against undergraduate and graduate students from across Canada in the Atmospheric and Space Physics division.

Due to last-minute scheduling problems, Scott also had the opportunity to present a talk on behalf of Spencer about far-infrared astrophysics and the U of L's involvement in this field.

“My poster was comprised of some of the work I did during my last year as an undergraduate student, and it focused on analyzing starless and pre-stellar cores in the Aquila Rift, a region of active star formation,” says Scott. “This work combined photometric data from Herschel (both the Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE) and the Photoconductor Array Camera (PACS) instruments) with high resolution heterodyne spectroscopy of CO emission recorded with the instrumentation suite at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT). I generated spectral energy distributions (SEDs) by employing four distinct photometry methods. These SEDs were then fit to a modified black body curve from which important parameters such as dust mass, temperature and emissivity were extracted. The CO emission spectra allowed the determination of the distribution and relative velocity of cold gas in these starless and pre-stellar cores. This work gives insight into the conditions and processes taking place in the early stages of star formation.”

Both Robbins and Scott are delighted to have received this recognition and are excited about the prospects of continuing their research through graduate studies in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Undergraduate student earns prestigious summer school appointment

trevor.kenney — Fri, 23 May 2014 18:03:33 +0000

Matthew Robbins, a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge undergraduate student majoring in physics, is one of only 20 international students selected to attend the Undergraduate School on Experimental Quantum Information Processing (May 26 to June 6, 2014) at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Waterloo.

The summer school is a two-week program based on the theoretical and experimental study of quantum information aimed primarily at students completing their third undergraduate year. Successful applicants were chosen on the basis of an application letter, academic transcripts and reference letters. The program covers all expenses, including accommodation, meals and travel expenses.

The summer school is staffed by the faculty of the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC), a multidisciplinary research centre at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Waterloo, and an internationally recognized leader in the development of quantum information processors. The two-week program will consist of lectures introducing quantum information theory and experimental approaches to quantum devices, followed by hands-on exploration of Quantum Information Processing (QIP) using the experimental facilities of the institute.

Robbins is currently working with Drs. Mark Walton and Saurya Das, supported by an NSERC Undergraduate Summer Research Award and the George Ellis Research Scholarship.

UNews - Saurya Das

��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers secure support through Alberta’s Major Innovation Fund

Related Topics

PUBlic Professor Series talk delves into the mysteries of the Universe

Related Topics

��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Quantum Alberta researchers pushing towards a second quantum revolution

Related Topics

U of L researchers awarded more than $1.8 million in NSERC funding

Related Topics

Physics students shine at CAP annual congress

Related Topics

Undergraduate student earns prestigious summer school appointment

Related Topics

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers secure support through Alberta’s Major Innovation Fund

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Quantum Alberta researchers pushing towards a second quantum revolution