Nitin Yadav

Postdoctoral Researcher | Photophysics & Optical Spectroscopy | Lanthanide Nanomaterials | Soft Matter & Confined Systems | TCSPC | Ultrafast Spectroscopy | XEOL

Buffalo, New York, United States

About

I am a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University at Buffalo (ILPB) working at the intersection of photophysics, nanomaterials, and optical spectroscopy. My research focuses on understanding excited-state dynamics, energy transfer mechanisms, and structure–property relationships in functional materials for photonic and imaging applications. I specialize in lanthanide-doped nanomaterials, X-ray–excited optical luminescence (XEOL), and high-temperature ceramic systems such as HfO₂ and HfB₂. My work integrates wet-chemical synthesis with advanced characterization techniques, including steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopy (TCSPC), PXRD, SEM, TEM, and FTIR, to investigate photophysical behavior and material performance. During my Ph.D. at IIT Delhi, I worked on soft matter systems, particularly reverse micelles, to understand confined water dynamics and interfacial behavior. I developed mechanistic insights into how interfacial flexibility governs nanostructure growth and demonstrated that hydration dynamics can serve as a probe for nanoscale processes. My postdoctoral research further expanded into photonic nanomaterials, including Z-scheme and type-II nano-heterostructures, bioinspired energy transfer systems, and lanthanide-based scintillators for photon conversion and imaging applications. I am particularly interested in bridging fundamental photophysics with applications in X-ray imaging, optoelectronics, and extreme-environment materials. Actively seeking postdoctoral and research scientist opportunities in photophysics, nanomaterials, optical spectroscopy, and functional materials.

Experience

  • Postdoctoral Researcher at University at Buffalo
    Dec 2025 - Present · 8 mos

     Developed and characterized lanthanide-doped HfB₂ nanoscintillators for photonic and extreme-environment applications, targeting X-ray scintillation and photon conversion  Developed dual K-edge praseodymium-doped nanoprobes for spectral photon-counting CT (SPCCT) molecular imaging  Investigated lanthanide-doped nanoscintillators for photon conversion and high-resolution X-ray imaging  Probed excited-state dynamics and energy transfer mechanisms using time-resolved spectroscopy (TCSPC)  Performed structural and morphological characterization using PXRD, SEM, TEM, and FTIR Institute for Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics (ILPB) PI: Professor Paras N. Prasad

  • Postdoctoral Researcher at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Berhampur
    Sep 2024 - Nov 2025 · 1 yr 3 mos

    Designed Z-scheme and type-II core/shell/shell nano-heterostructures for controlled charge separation and energy transfer Analyzed photophysical behavior and established structure–property relationships using spectroscopic techniques Developed experimental strategies to probe ultrafast excited-state dynamics Investigated lanthanide-doped nanoscintillators for photon conversion and high-resolution X-ray imaging PI: Professor Ashok K. Ganguli

  • Postdoctoral Researcher at Indian Institute of Science and Educational Research Mohali
    Feb 2022 - Feb 2024 · 2 yrs 1 mo

    Designed photosynthesis-inspired biohybrid antenna complexes to study energy transfer mechanisms in biomimetic systems Investigated photosynthetic pigment systems in confined (reverse micelle) environments to probe photophysical processes and energy transfer Analyzed energy transfer pathways in biomimetic architectures using spectroscopic techniques Developed experimental strategies to probe ultrafast excited-state dynamics PI: Dr. Arijit Kumar De, Department of Chemical Sciences

  • Senior Project Scientist at Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
    Nov 2021 - Feb 2022 · 4 mos

    Performed super-resolution imaging using STED, PALM, and LSFM techniques for nanoscale characterization Operated automated confocal microscopy platforms for high-resolution fluorescence imaging Analyzed fluorescence imaging data to extract structural and functional insights at the nanoscale P.I.: Professor Pankaj Srivastava, Department of Physics