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Dr. Sanjay K. Ram

Associate Professor, Physics, School of Arts and Sciences, Amritapuri

Qualification: Ph.D
sanjaykumarram@am.amrita.edu
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Bio Publications Qualification Awards Key Research Areas Key Skills & Expertise Employment Research Grants Supervision Manuscript Review Services
Bio

Dr. Sanjay Ram, is a semiconductor physicist with more than 25 years’ experience, including extensive work at various prominent European and Indian institutions. Specifically, he has expertise in the fields of thin-film photovoltaics, large area electronics, and nanofabrication, with the last few years’ work focused on nanophotonics, plasmonics, conducting oxides and spectrum manipulation. He has successfully executed and contributed to several European projects while working as a Post-doctoral Fellow, Assistant Professor and Associate Professor in different European countries. After returning to India, in 2018, he joined Dept. of Physics, Amrita University, Kollam, Kerala. Soon after, he received a DST-SERB funded project “LITECON” involving light manipulation at nanoscale for photovoltaic applications.

Dr. Sanjay Ram received his doctoratefromIIT Kanpur and completed his first postdoc in France and his second in Portugal. He is a recipient of Young scientist award from European Materials Research Society. He has worked as Distinguished Guest Researcher in Bologna, Italy, and worked as Associate Professor at Aarhus University, Denmark before joining Amrita University.

Publications

Journal Article

Year : 2022

Investigation of all-oxide thin film solar cell with p-SnOx asabsorber layer

Cite this Research Publication : M. Kumar, S.S. A. Askari, S. K. Ram, and M. K. Das, Investigation of all-oxide thin film solar cell with p-SnOx asabsorber layer, IEEE Transaction on Electron Devices, 69, 1115 (2022).(IF- 2.92)

Publisher : IEEE

Year : 2022

Role of front and back contacts in the performance of TiO2/CuO heterojunction solar cells

Cite this Research Publication : Babu V.T., Nair N., K S P., Panicker B.S., D A., S G., M A., Ram S.K., Role of front and back contacts in the performance of TiO2/CuO heterojunction solar cells, 2022, Materials Today: Proceedings, 65, 408, 415, 10.1016/j.matpr.2022.07.199, Elsevier Ltd, 22147853

Year : 2021

Hybrid Design Architecture and Sensitivity Analysis of Cu Based Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensors

Cite this Research Publication : Anjitha M, N. Nair, V. T. Babu, Nishi G. N, Athulya S, Arya K, D. Desta, R. Kumar and S. K. Ram, Hybrid Design Architecture and Sensitivity Analysis of Cu Based Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensors, in Advances in Materials Science and Engineering, edited by K. B. Kale, B. S. Gandhare, S. S. Kulkarni, Ed. Pune, India:Grinrey Publishing, 2021, ch. 2, pp. 17-34.
ISBN: 978-81-948951-9-0

Publisher : Advances in Materials Science and Engineering

Year : 2021

Evaluation of Indium Tin Oxide Based Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor for Near-IRApplications

Cite this Research Publication : Anjitha M, N. Nair, V. T. Babu, Nishi G. N, Athulya S, Sharika E, T. Ahmed, M. K. Das, R. Rizzoli, C. Summonteand S. K. Ram, Evaluation of Indium Tin Oxide Based Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor for Near-IRApplications, in Advances in Materials Science and Engineering, edited by K. B. Kale, B. S. Gandhare, S. S.Kulkarni, Ed. Pune, India: Grinrey Publishing, 2021, ch. 1, pp. 1-16.
ISBN: 978-81-948951-9-0

Publisher : Advances in Materials Science and Engineering

Year : 2020

Nanomolded buried light-scattering (BLiS) back-reflectors using dielectric nanoparticles for light harvesting in thin-film siliconsolar cells

Cite this Research Publication : D. Desta, R. Rizzoli, C. Summonte, R. N. Pereira, A. N. Larsen, P. Balling and S. K. Ram, Nanomolded buried light-scattering (BLiS) back-reflectors using dielectric nanoparticles for light harvesting in thin-film siliconsolar cells, EPJ Photovoltaics 11, 2 (2020)

Publisher : EPJ Photovoltaics

Year : 2018

Improving the efficiency of solar cells by upconverting sunlight using fieldenhancement from optimized nano structures

Cite this Research Publication : P. Balling et al., P. Balling, J. Christiansen, R.E. Christiansen, E. Eriksen, H. Lakhotiya, M. Mirsafaei, S.H.Møller, A. Nazir, J. Vester-Petersen, B.R. Jeppesen, P.B. Jensen, J.L. Hansen, S.K. Ram, O. Sigmund, M.Madsen, S.P. Madsen, B. Julsgaard, Improving the efficiency of solar cells by upconverting sunlight using fieldenhancement from optimized nano structures, Optical Materials, 83, 279 (2018). (Review Article)(IF- 3.75)

Publisher : Optical Materials

Year : 2017

Efficient light-trapping with quasi-periodic uniaxialnanowrinkles for thin-film silicon solar cells

Cite this Research Publication : S. K. Ram, D. Desta, R. Rizzoli, B. P. Falcao, E. H. Eriksen, M. Bellettato, B.R. Jeppesen, P.B. Jensen, C.Summonte, R. N. Pereira, A. N. Larsen, P. Balling, Efficient light-trapping with quasi-periodic uniaxialnanowrinkles for thin-film silicon solar cells, Nano Energy 35, 341-349 (2017).(IF- 17.881)

Year : 2017

Combining light-harvesting with detachability in a high-efficiency thinfilm silicon solar cell

Cite this Research Publication : S. K. Ram, D. Desta, R. Rizzoli, M. Bellettato, F. Lyckegaard, P.B. Jensen, B.R. Jeppesen, J. Chevallier, C.Summonte, A. N. Larsen, P. Balling, Combining light-harvesting with detachability in a high-efficiency thinfilm silicon solar cell, Nanoscale 9 (21), 7169 - 7178 (2017)(IF- 8.31, Citations – 2)

Publisher : Nanoscal

Year : 2016

Influence of TiO2 host crystallinity on Er3+ light emission

Cite this Research Publication : S. R. Johannsen, S. Roesgaard, B. Julsgaard, R. A. S. Ferreira, J. Chevallier, P. Balling, S. K. Ram, A N. Larsen, Influence of TiO2 host crystallinity on Er3+ light emission, Optical Materials Express 6 (5), 1664-1678(2016).(IF- 3.442)

Publisher : Optical Materials Express

Year : 2016

Novel back-reflector architecture with nanoparticle basedburied light-scattering microstructures for improved solar cell performance

Cite this Research Publication : D. Desta, S. K. Ram, R. Rizzoli, M. Bellettato, C. Summonte, B. R. Jeppesen, P. B. Jensen, Y. C. Tsao, H.Wiggers, R. N. Pereira, P. Balling, A. N. Larsen, Novel back-reflector architecture with nanoparticle basedburied light-scattering microstructures for improved solar cell performance, Nanoscale 8 (23), 12035-12046 (2016).(IF- 8.31)

Publisher : Nanoscale

Year : 2016

Room-temperature rf-magnetron sputterdeposited W-doped indium oxide: decoupling the influence of W dopant and O vacancies on the filmproperties

Cite this Research Publication : I. G. Samatov, B. R. Jeppesen, A. N. Larsen, S. K. Ram, Room-temperature rf-magnetron sputterdeposited W-doped indium oxide: decoupling the influence of W dopant and O vacancies on the filmproperties, Applied Physics A 122, 458 (2016).(IF- 2.584)

Publisher : Applied Physics A

Year : 2015

Directly patterned TiO2nanostructures for light harvesting in thin film solar cells

Cite this Research Publication : S. K. Ram, R. Rizzoli, D. Desta, B.R. Jeppesen, M. Bellettato, I. Samatov, Y.C. Tsao, S.R. Johannsen, P.T.Neuvonen, T.G. Pedersen, R.N. Pereira, K. Pedersen, P. Balling, A.N. Larsen, Directly patterned TiO2nanostructures for light harvesting in thin film solar cells, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 48, 365101 (2015).(IF- 3.207)

Publisher : J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys

Year : 2014

Optimization of Er3+doped TiO2 thin films for infrared light up-conversion

Cite this Research Publication : S. R. Johannsen, L. R Lauridsen, B. Julsgaard, P. T. Neuvonen, S. K. Ram, A. N. Larsen, Optimization of Er3+doped TiO2 thin films for infrared light up-conversion, Thin Solid Films, 550, 499 (2014).(IF-2.183)

Publisher : Thin Solid Films

Year : 2014

Infrared upconversion in radio frequency magnetron sputtered Er-doped zinc oxide thin films

Cite this Research Publication : P. T. Neuvonen*, K. Sigvardt, S. R. Johannsen, J. Chevallier, B. Julsgaard, S. K. Ram, A. N. Larsen, Infrared up conversion in rf-magnetron sputtered Er-doped ZnO thin-films, Appl. Phys. Lett. 104, 102106 (2014). (IF- 3.791)

Publisher : Appl. Phys. Lett

Year : 2012

Ion-induced secondary electrons emissionmeasurement from MgO films deposited on multiwalled carbon nanotubes

Cite this Research Publication : C.B. Singh, S. Sarkar, V. Singh, S. K. Ram, S. Kumar, Ion-induced secondary electrons emissionmeasurement from MgO films deposited on multiwalled carbon nanotubes, Materials Letters 76, 131(2012).(IF- 3.423)

Publisher : Materials Letters

Year : 2011

Silicon thin film solar cells on commercial tiles

Cite this Research Publication : H. Aguas, S. K. Ram, A. Araujo, D. Gaspar, A. Vicente, S. A. Filonovich, E. Fortunato, R. Martins*, I. Ferreira, Silicon thin film solar cells on commercial tiles, Energy & Environmental Science 4, 4620 (2011).(IF- 38.53)

Publisher : Energy & Environmental Science

Conference Proceedings

Year : 2021

Factors influencing mobility in ITO thin films and the consequent effects on optical and NIR surface plasmon resonance properties

Cite this Research Publication : Sharika E., Anjitha M., Arya K., Nair N., Kiran S., Vanagith V., Babu V.T., Ram S.K. Factors influencing mobility in ITO thin films and the consequent effects on optical and NIR surface plasmon resonance properties 2021 Materials Today: Proceedings 49 2131 2135 10.1016/j.matpr.2021.08.325 Elsevier Ltd 2021 Global Conference on Recent Advances in Sustainable Materials, GC-RASM 2021 29 July 2021 through 30 July 2021 22147853

Year : 2021

Influence of the properties of p-a-Si:H layer and the work function of front contact on silicon heterojunction solar cell performance

Cite this Research Publication : Nair N., Babu V.T., Udayan A., Parvathy K.S., Arya B.R., Gopika S., Anjitha M., Ram S.K. Influence of the properties of p-a-Si:H layer and the work function of front contact on silicon heterojunction solar cell performance 2021, Materials Today: Proceedings, 49, 1617, 1624 10.1016/j.matpr.2021.07.421, Elsevier Ltd, 2021 Global Conference on Recent Advances in Sustainable Materials, GC-RASM 2021 29 July 2021 through 30 July 2021 22147853

Year : 2020

Nanomolded buried light-scattering (BLiS) back-reflectors using dielectric nanoparticles for light harvesting in thin-film silicon solar cells

Cite this Research Publication : Desta D., Rizzoli R., Summonte C., Pereira R.N., Larsen A.N., Balling P., Ram S.K. Nanomolded buried light-scattering (BLiS) back-reflectors using dielectric nanoparticles for light harvesting in thin-film silicon solar cells 2020, EPJ Photovoltaics 11 10.1051/epjpv/2019011, EDP Sciences 21050716 Q2 0.95

Book Chapter

Year : 2017

Electrical Transport in Porous Silicon

Cite this Research Publication : S. K. Ram, Electrical Transport in Porous Silicon, Handbook of Porous Silicon, Edited by Leigh T. Canham,Springer International Publishing AG (2014) (2nd Edition in 2017)

Publisher : Springer

Patents

Year : 2022

System andmethod for harvesting broad light spectrum to generate energy and enhance biomass cultivation

Cite this Research Publication : Indian Patent Application Number 202041018235 filed on 28/10/2020; Title of invention: “System andmethod for harvesting broad light spectrum to generate energy and enhance biomass cultivation”;Publication date (U/S 11A) 29/04/2022

Qualification
  • Ph.D. (Physics), IIT Kanpur, India (2006)
    Ph.D. Thesis Title: Influence of microstructure on the electronic transport behavior of microcrystalline silicon films
Awards
  • 2011 Best Poster Paper Award (The European Material Research Society, Poland)
  • 2011 First Prize for Best Presentation (Marie Curie Program CONTACT Summer School, Portugal)
  • 2006 Young Scientist Award (The European Material Research Society, France)
  • 2001 Best Poster Paper Award (The Semiconductor Society of India and IEEE, India)
Key Research Areas
  • Materials: Thin films and nanostructures of semiconductors; metal and transparent conducting oxides
  • Photovoltaics:Silicon thin films PV; All-oxide PV; Building integrated PV; Solar powered bioelectronic devices; Micro-concentrating PV
  • Hybrid energy systems: Agro-photovoltaics and Floatovoltaic systems
  • Nanophotonics: Plasmonic sensors, spectrum Research Interests: Functional oxide thin films, thermoelectric materials, Luminescent materials
Key Skills & Expertise
  • Experimental Physics: Fabrication, characterization, and optimization of semiconductor materials and devices
  • Theoretical Physics: Modeling of optoelectronic devices, optical systems and plasmonic sensors
  • Research Infrastructure Development:
    • Clean Room & Research Laboratory design, development and management
    • Plasma based reactors for material deposition – design, development, and integration
    • Nanofabrication and characterization systems – design, development, and integration
    • Management of interdisciplinary, multi-institutional collaborative research projects
Employment
  • 2018 – Present : Associate Professor, Dept. of Physics, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, India
  • 2016 – 2017 : Associate Professor, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Denmark
  • 2011 – 2016 : Assistant Professor, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Denmark
  • 2012 – 2016 : Distinguished Guest Researcher, IMM, CNR, Bologna, Italy (10 months)
  • 2010 – 2011 : Postdoctoral Researcher, CENIMAT, New University of Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2008 – 2009 : Postdoctoral Researcher, LPICM, Ecole Polytechnique, Paris, France
  • 2006 – 2008 : Senior Project Scientist, Samtel Center for Display Technologies, IIT Kanpur, India
  • 2004 – 2006 : Senior Research Associate, Samtel Center for Display Technologies, IIT Kanpur, India
  • 1998 – 2004 : Research Associate, Department of Physics, IIT Kanpur, India
Research Grants
  • 2023 – 2025 Spectrum upconversionluminescence augmentation by loss-less near-IR plasmonics usingconducting oxides for biomedical sensing and telecommunicationapplications “SPARC, (INR 23.32 Lakhs), funded by Chancellor Seed Grant, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.
  • 2022 – 2027Near-IR Plasmonics in Conducting Oxides for Enhanced Luminescence of Upconverting Materials, (~ INR 35 Lakhs) funding for a research scholar fellowship byDST-INSPIRE.
  • 2020 – 2023 Light Manipulation System using Micro-Optical Concepts -LITECON, (INR 38.1 Lakhs), CoreResearch Grant, Funded by Dept. of Science and Technology, India (Principal Investigator)
  • 2015 – 2019SunTune – High efficiency solar cells by spectral transformation using nano-optical enhancement(INR 22.5 Crores), Funded by Innovations Foundation, Denmark. (Investigator)
  • 2014 – 2016Raman spectroscopy in advanced materials science, Aarhus University, (INR 1.1 Crores), Fundedby Carlsberg Foundation, Denmark (Joint application) (Co-Investigator)
  • 2013 – 2017 Establishment of PECVD System (INR 3.6 Crores), Aarhus University Dean´s Seed Fund, Denmark
  • 2011 – 2016 Thin-film solar cells based on nanocrystalline silicon and structured back reflectors (THINC), (INR 27 Crores), Funded by Danish Strategic Research Council (WP leader, overall execution)
  • 2010 – 2013 Nanostructured silicon tandem solar cells, Funded by Portuguese National Funding Agency for Sc. &Tech. Research (Individual Fellowship)
  • 2010 – 2011High deposition rates of nanomorph solar cells (INR 1.2 Crores), FCT-UNL, Funded by FCT, Portugal (Investigator)
  • 2010 – 2011 Hybrid Si-nanoparticle/polymer layers for solar cells (INR 57 Lakhs), FCT-UNL, Funded by I3N, Portugal (Investigator)
  • 2002 – 2007Travel support grants (received four times) from M.R.S. (USA), E.M.R.S. (France), D.S.T. (India), C.S.I.R. (India) andI.I.T. Kanpur for international conferences in the USA and Europe (approx. INR 6 Lakhs)
Supervision
  • 6 Ph.D. students (1 awarded, 5 ongoing)
  • 35 Masters
  • 9 Bachelors
  • 3Research associates; 1 Postdoctoral fellow.
Manuscript Review Services
  • Springer Nature
  • J. Applied Physics
  • Applied Physics Letter
  • Advanced Materials journals
  • Solid State Sciences
  • Optical Materials
  • Materials Research Bulletin
  • PMC Physics B
  • Surface & Coatings Technology
  • Material Science & Engineering B
  • J.Non-Crystalline Solids
  • Thin Solid Films
  • Applied Surface Science
  • Physica Status Solidi
  • Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids
  • Materials
  • Indian Journal of Physics
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