Abhinav Shrivastava (PH1)
Domain: Research (Core) Interned at IITD (SURA)
Mode: Offline
Interviewed by: Sachal Dudani
MOTIVATION
I often have my doubts about almost everything going on in my life, but if there was one thing I was crystal clear about right from the start, it would be pursuing a career in research. This was also why I opted for Engineering Physics as a branch. This made life simpler in a sense that I didn’t need to worry and stress out about other aspects one would tick off for an internship in another profile. Just study your courses and pick some projects, and your summer is sorted.
For me, SURA took an edge over other foreign internships because I feel that without previous experience, there is no advanced experimentation you could perform or learn from in an environment like that in a foreign internship. Since it was my first project, I looked for a fostering environment that could be more productive and a better learning experience.
PREPARATION AND APPLICATION PROCESS
After the SURA notification was out, I contacted my professor - Kaushik Sen, in early March. We actually knew each other beforehand, and I had also previously troubled him during our courses. After him teaching quantum mechanics in PYL101, I took his course regarding solid states physics in the 4th semester, during which the project idea was generated. The lectures covered the theoretical aspect, which intrigued me and made me contact the professor to try out the prospect of an experimental project in this field. I have mostly been interested in the theoretical stuff but wanted to try out a new hands-on experience, so I went the offline experimental route to get a taste of it. We started off the project in early May, but created a framework, and presented it to a pane beforehand, which was followed by other subsequent rounds where our project was reviewed by panels of professors. Finally, we were selected for the Summer Undergraduate Research Award (SURA).
INTERNSHIP: WORK AND EXPERIENCE
As a research intern, I delved into a project dealing with thin film preparation for single photon detection. My role was to prepare these thin films of around 10-20 nanometers using ITC superconductors, which were used to prepare nanowires for single photon detection and found various applications in quantum communication.
I was pleasantly surprised by the PhD students and project guides who, along with the professor, guided me throughout the project. They surpassed my expectations and genuinely committed to helping me complete the experiment correctly and gain extensive knowledge in the process. Even the professor came in daily to discuss about the project.
Through such an experience in the lab, you learn to appreciate the time and effort the researchers put in and get to think from a different perspective. My biggest takeaway from the internship would be a change in perspective towards research. I could say that now I am more inclined to think like a researcher. I am more intrigued about researching stuff taught in classes and enjoy doing so.
CHALLENGES: ON AND OFF THE INTERNSHIP
We definitely had a pretty notable roadblock to face during the internship. We had to form a compound that had to be crushed, then put into a furnace, then crushed again, then put into a furnace, and so on….you get the jist of it. In one of those iterations, the furnace broke down, and with the equipment being as infrastructurally complex as they are, the work came to a halt, and it took a good 2-3 weeks to get the machine back up and working.
The redeeming factor, however, was that I still had complete access to the labs. So I would reach there at 10 am and pester other PhD students and ask them about their research and contribute to their experiments. Overall, the professor and the PhD guides ensured that no time was wasted, and even after the setback, the two months were well utilized to my personal and academic satisfaction.
I spent 10 am-6 pm in the lab only. In the off hours, it actually got really dull and gloomy, with just fewer people in the hostel. There was an absence of company while sitting alone in the room and mess. You need to find something you enjoy doing during your off hours to take your mind away from what you did in the lab. My evenings would be spent writing poetry or just heading out and exploring the city.
LEARNINGS AND OUTCOMES
This internship experience transformed me in many ways. In 2nd year, I was sure that I wanted to pursue research, but I would spend a lot of time in extracurriculars, clubs, and societies. Now, from all my learnings, I have come to the conclusion that those ECAs and club activities don't really matter much to me if I head towards a career in research. I still haven't completely cut off the extracurriculars, but I am utilizing my time better and am more focused on research projects and academics that would actually substantially help me in my career.
I had the desire to experience experimental physics and delve deeper into it, but after the internship, I came to the conclusion that it probably just wasn't for me. There is a lot of patience and frustration involved, like the equipment breaking down, for instance. I am more inclined towards the theoretical aspect. Still, the upside was that the overall experience helped me gain the perspective of an experimental researcher, which could help me think deeper about how they would approach stuff when I am pursuing theoretical research.
I built connections with PhD students and other experts in the fields with whom I could discuss anything related or unrelated to research. I now have friends with whom I can talk about the domains I am interested in, which was difficult earlier, even in my branch-where there were only a handful of peers inclined towards research.
TIPS FOR JUNIORS
Looking back, I probably should have had some prior project experience, perhaps during the last summer or winter, before setting out for this intern. It would have given me a clearer perspective about how things work beforehand and allowed me to learn more during this project, utilizing it to the maximum capacity. This was my first project, so I couldn't really explore many avenues, which would perhaps have been easier in the counterfactual. So, my advice to juniors would be to utilize your summers and winters just to EXPLORE.
If one explores different fields like research projects, consults, tech internships, etc., during their vacations, they could make an informed decision based on what they enjoy and not rely on any preconceived notions that may just be completely invalid for them.
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