The smaller in scale you go, the more impactful every little detail becomes, and no example is more illustrative than that of nanotechnologies. When developing metasurfaces, scientists aim to achieve a highly specific light response from a material with a myriad of properties, each with its own effect on the final outcome. This is meticulous work that requires a great deal of honed expertise.

Today, AI-based solutions seek to simplify the process, but have been falling short of the target – until now. MetaDiT, a new ITMO-developed AI model for nanomaterials development, uses a multi-stage workflow to analyze the requirements for a metasurface and then construct a suitable material without “cutting corners” when it comes to calculations.

Read more: ITMO Researchers Present World’s First AI Model for Supersensitive Optics Design

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He has studied, taught, and done research all over the world; now, his scientific endeavors have brought him to St. Petersburg. Dr. Praveen Chandrasekar is a highly accomplished organic chemistry scholar who wants to move solar cell technology away from the constraints of silicon and towards cheaper and more practical materials. ITMO NEWS sat down with the scientist for a chat about his work, his choice of science, and staying relevant as a researcher.

Read more: Russia Is Cold, But Its People Are Not: Indian Chemist Praveen Chandrasekar on Working in St. Petersburg and Achieving Scientific Recognition

Education

To many aspiring physicists, getting to work on a megascience project is a dream come true. This year, a new megascience-centric Master’s track at ITMO is offering students a chance to do just that. Launched within the Advanced Quantum and Nanophotonic Systems program, the track will include internships at large-scale scientific facilities: telescopes, colliders, synchrotrons and many others, both in Russia and abroad. The curriculum will also involve mastery of AI algorithms for analysis of experimental data.

Read more: ITMO and Joint Institute for Nuclear Research Launch New Master’s Track in Megascience

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Another new option for young physics scholars will focus on photonics and optoelectronics. Students of the Integrated Photonics Technologies track will learn to develop technologies for AI systems, data centers, and the telecom industry, and not just in theory: studies will involve practical training from the first semester.

Read more: ITMO Now Offers New Master’s Track in Photonics

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