Sumit Kotwal is a PhD researcher specialising in semiconductor device fabrication and ultrafast optical spectroscopy. He completed his Integrated Master of Science in Physics from the Central University of Rajasthan, India, under the academic guidance of Prof. Rajendra Charandeo Pawar. During his master’s program, he conducted his dissertation research in collaboration with the Solid State Physics Laboratory (SSPL) in New Delhi, India, under the supervision of Mr Abhishek Sharma (Scientist F, SSPL), focusing on cleanroom fabrication and process optimisation of low-resistance ohmic contacts for high-power laser diodes.

Following his Master's degree, Sumit moved to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, to pursue his doctoral studies. He is currently a PhD scholar enrolled in the prestigious Joint PhD program between IIT Kanpur and La Trobe University, working under the co-supervision of Prof. Debabrata Goswami (IIT Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India) and Prof. Adam Mechler (La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia). At present, his research at IIT Kanpur is focused on advanced optical characterisation, specifically investigating non-radiative molecular dynamics and photothermal phenomena using Z-scan and time-resolved thermal lens spectroscopy via pump-probe techniques. His multi-disciplinary expertise bridges cleanroom microfabrication (such as photolithography and thin-film deposition) with high-precision ultrafast laser spectroscopy.