Aditi Sen De
Who is Dr. Sen De?
Dr. Aditi Sen De is a computational physicist at Harish Chandra Research Institute in Uttar Pradesh, India
Her research focuses on various aspects of quantum communication, a field that uses the laws of quantum physics to protect data
She is the recipient of the 2018 Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in Physical Sciences, the most prestigious award awarded to a scientist by the Indian government
She has also collaborated with scientists from around the world, and published over 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals!
Education
She initially worked as a teacher, but decided to pursue a BSc in mathematics at the University of Calcutta, India
PhD at University of Gdańsk, Poland
Research Fellow at Leibniz University, Germany
Researcher at Institute of Photonic Sciences in Barcelona, Spain
Currently a Physics professor at Harish-Chandra Research Institute
Research
Quantum communication and information science
Security of quantum cryptography
Quantification of quantum correlations
Condensed matter physics
The interface of quantum many-body physics with computation
What is quantum computation?
In modern computers, transistors - parts of that relay information - are becoming smaller and smaller, and are developed at a nanoscale.
As these approach the size of atoms, the behavior of subatomic particles like electrons (whose flow is called electricity), becomes unpredictable, posing difficulties in communication
Quantum computers have the power to allow the transfer of both classical and quantum information in their circuits, increasing control over the relay of communication
However channels carrying quantum information follow certain quantum rules
A main focus of Dr. Sen De's work is developing the theory of quantum channels
Awards & Honors
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in 2018 for Physical Sciences
This is awarded to exceptional scientists under age 45
She was the only woman to receive this award that year
Buti Foundation Award awarded by the Indian Physics Association
Ramón y Cajal fellowship (Spain) and Humboldt Research Fellowship (Germany)
Women in Science
“There are many good female students up to the master’s level. But where do they go after that?"
Dr. Aditi Sen De has spoken out about the gender disparity in positions of superiority in science
She believes that measures such as providing daycare at conferences must be available to support women in advancing their research careers
In her free time, she advocates for what she calls a "leaky pipeline" for women in science and serves as a mentor