Dr. Nagendra Kumar | Faculty Profile

Dr. Nagendra Kumar is an Assistant Professor of Physics at the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Vadodara, India. He is engaged in research spanning experimental optics, adaptive optics, computational imaging, wavefront sensing, holography, and AI-driven optical systems. He received his Ph.D. from IIT Guwahati and completed his postdoctoral research at Stanford University, California, USA, following his tenure as a Scientist at IIT Delhi. His research bridges optical physics and artificial intelligence to develop innovative imaging and sensing technologies for biomedical, industrial, and quantum applications. He is passionate about interdisciplinary research, scientific innovation, and mentoring the next generation of researchers.

Experimental Optics, Adaptive Optics, Wavefront Sensing, Computational Imaging, Holography, Artificial Intelligence in Optics, Biomedical Optics, Ophthalmic Imaging
Research focuses on the development of advanced optical and computational techniques that integrate experimental optics, wavefront sensing, adaptive optics, computational imaging, holography, and artificial intelligence for high-resolution imaging and sensing. The work includes AI-driven wavefront reconstruction, optical aberration correction, biomedical and ophthalmic imaging, diffractive optics, and emerging optical technologies for industrial and quantum applications.

2021

Ph.D.

Optics

Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati

Ph.D. research focused on experimental optics, wavefront sensing, computer-generated holography, and diffractive optics, including the development of dynamic laser beam manipulation and a high-dynamic-range wavefront sensor. The developed sensor was integrated with a thin-film deposition system for real-time measurement of film thickness and surface profile.
2015

M.Sc.

Physics

Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
2013

B.Sc (Hons)

Physics

Banaras Hindu University Varanasi

Role	Organisation	Period	Details
Postdoctoral Scholar	Stanford University, California, U.S.A.	2022-2023	Postdoctoral research at Stanford University focused on ophthalmic imaging, wavefront sensing, and adaptive optics. The work involved developing high-resolution retinal imaging systems, establishing advanced laboratory facilities and imaging protocols, and integrating adaptive optics with wavefront sensing for improved visualization of retinal structures and potential clinical applications.
Scientist D	Indian Institute of Technology Delhi	2023-2025	As a Scientist ‘D’ at IIT Delhi, I was involved in advanced experimental optics research and mentoring Ph.D. and master’s students. My work included the design and experimental validation of optical tweezers for precise particle manipulation and the development of an advanced imaging system for single-atom detection in a magneto-optical trap, supporting research in quantum and atomic physics.
Assistant Professor	Indian Institute of Information Technology Vadodara	2025-Present	Responsible for teaching, laboratory instruction, student mentoring, research supervision, and curriculum development. Leading research activities in experimental optics, wavefront sensing, adaptive optics, computational imaging, holography, and AI-driven optical systems, while developing research projects, collaborations, and laboratory facilities.

Programmable DMD Diffractive Wavefront Sensing with Neural Phase Estimation

Role: PI

Funding: IIIT Vadodara (5 Lakh)

2026-2029

Ongoing

Nagendra Kumar, Pranjal Choudhury, SS Goutam Buddha

Deep Learning Driven Wavefront Sensing for Grating-Array Based Wavefront Sensor

IEEE sensors Journal, 2024, Volume: 25, Issue: 3

10.1109/JSEN.2024.3514190
Journal
Nagendra Kumar, Neha Singh, Divyansh Rathore, Sameer Yadav, Rahul Marathe, B Prasanna Venkatesh, Bodhaditya Santra

Photon mediated long range correlation in optically levitated graphite microparticles

IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, 2026, Volume: 38, Issue: 12

10.1109/LPT.2026.3661987
Journal
Nagendra Kumar, Biswajit Pathak, Rahul Kesarwani, Sumit Goswami, Alika Khare, Bosanta R Boruah

Experimental demonstration of in situ surface and thickness profile measurements of thin film during deposition using a grating array based wavefront sensor

Optics Letters, 2022, 47, 5509 5512

10.1364/OL.471336
Journal
Nagendra Kumar, Alika Khare, Bosanta R Boruah

Enhancement of wavefront measurement sensitivity in a zonal wavefront sensor without

Journal of Optics , IOP, 2021, 24, 014003,

10/1088/2040-8986/ac3890
Journal
Karuna Sindhu Malik, Nagendra Kumar, Bosanta R Boruah

Dynamic modulation of spatial intensity profile of a laser beam using a binary hologram

Optics Communications, 2022, 515 , 128201

10.1016/j.optcom.2022.128201
Journal
Nedup Sherpa, Anupam Bharadwaj, Nagendra Kumar, Akanshu Chauhan, Bosanta R Boruah

Synchronization and clock recovery in a ferroelectric liquid crystal spatial light modulator based free space optical communication link

Review of Scientific Instruments, 2023, 94, 053002

10.1063/5.0138802
Journal
Sunil Mohan, and Nagendra Kumar

Etched FBG based optical fiber sensor for Hg2+ ion detection in aqueous solutions

IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, 2024, 36, 21,

10.1109/LPT.2024.3463879
Journal
Karuna Sindhu Malik, Nagendra Kumar, Akanshu Chauhan, Nedup Sherpa, Bosanta R Boruah

Understanding dynamic beam shaping using liquid crystal spatial light modulator based binary holograms

Asian Journal of Physics, 2019, 28 , 10-12,
Journal
Nagendra Kumar, and Bosanta R Boruah

Effect of pixel size and pixel fill-factor of a pixelated device on the holographically shaped beam

Asian Journal of Physics, 2021, 29 , 10-12,
Journal
Nagendra Kumar, Alika Khare, Bosanta R Boruah

An ex-situ surface profile measurement scheme using a zonal wavefront sensor with simultaneous presence of reference and test wavefronts

Sanfrasico California USA, 2020, SPIE 11287, Photonic Instrumentation Engineering VII

10.1117/12.2542102
Conference
Nagendra Kumar, Alika Khare, Bosanta R Boruah

Enhanced dynamic range of the grating array based zonal wavefront sensor using a zone wise scanning method Photonic Instrumentation Engineering

Sanfrasico California USA, 2020, 11287 , 59-64

10.1117/12.2542084
Conference
Nagendra Kumar, Pranjal Choudhury, Nedup Sherpa, Akanshu Chauhan, SS Goutam Buddha, Karuna S Malik, Santanu Konwar, and Bosanta R Boruah

Improvement in wavefront measurement accuracy in grating array based zonal wavefront sensors by modulating the intensity profile of the incident beam,

Sanfrasico California USA, 2023, 12445 , 173-180

10.1117/12.2648670
Conference
Santanu Konwar, Nagendra Kumar, SS Goutam Buddha

Direct defocus measurement using single astigmatic lens: a theoretical study

Sanfrasico California USA, 2023, 12428, 294-299

10.1117/12.2649501
Conference
Akanshu Chauhan, Nedup Sherpa, Nagendra Kumar, Pranjal Choudhury, SS Goutam Buddha, Bosanta R Boruah

Orthogonality of Zernike modes in phase profiles estimated using Zonal wavefront sensor and transport of intensity phase retrieval method

Sanfrasico California USA, 2023, 12389 , 89-94

10.1117/12.2648666
Conference
SS Goutam Buddha, Nagendra Kumar, Santanu Konwar, Bosanta R Boruah

Estimation of 3D point spread function of a widefield microscope by stochastic least square minimization method

Sanfrasico California USA, 2023, 12385, 68-73

10.1117/12.2651025
Conference
Santanu Konwar, Shilpi Chutia, Nagendra Kumar, SS Goutam Buddha, Karuna Sindhu Malik, Nedup Sherpa

Effect of Cross Talk in an Astigmatic Defocus Sensor

IIIT Allahabad, 2023, IEEE xplore

10.1109/WRAP59682.2023.10712961
Conference
Karuna Sindhu Malik, Santanu Konwar, SS Goutam Buddha, Nagendra Kumar

Computation of Spot Diagrams and Ray Tracing of Different Aberrated Beams Using Geometrical Exact Ray Tracing

IIIT Allahabad, 2023, IEEE xplore

10.1109/WRAP59682.2023.10712988
Conference
SS Goutam Buddha, Nagendra Kumar, Karuna Sindhu Malik, Santanu Konwar

Subtraction Microscopy Using Aberrated PSFs for Image Contrast Enhancement

IIIT Allahabad, 2023, IEEE xplore

10.1109/WRAP59682.2023.10713015
Conference
Pranjal Choudhury, Nagendra Kumar, Anupam Bharadwaj, Bosanta Ranjan Boruah

Advancing Super Resolution Imaging: A Comprehensive Analysis of Gaussian Fitting in STORM Microscopy

IIIT Allahabad, 2023, IEEE xplore

10.1109/WRAP59682.2023.10712887
Conference
Nagendra Kumar, SS Goutam Buddha, Pranjal Choudhury, Karuna Sindhu Malik, Santanu Konwar

Fast and Efficient Wavefront Estimation Algorithm Using Slope Values in Zonal Wavefront Sensor

IIIT Allahabad, 2023, IEEE xplore

10.1109/WRAP59682.2023.10712801
Conference
Santanu Konwar, Nagendra Kumar, Karuna Sindhu Malik, SS Goutam Buddha

A theoretical study on two of the bias-based methods of optical beam defocus measurement involving Zernike modes

Springer Nature, 2025, 67-85

10.1007/978-3-031-64542-6
Book Chapter
SS Goutam Buddha, Nagendra Kumar, Karuna S Mallik, Santanu Konwar

The Relationship Between Optical Imaging and Spatial Frequency

Springer Nature, 2025, 187-196

10.1007/978-3-031-64542-6
Book Chapter
Karuna Sindhu Malik, Shilpa Singh, Nagendra Kumar, SSGoutam Buddha, Santanu Konwar

Fundamentals of ray tracing and lens design with Zemax OpticStudio

Springer Nature, 2025, 197-207

10.1007/978-3-031-64542-6
Book Chapter
Nagendra Kumar, Santanu Konwar, SS Goutam Buddha, Inderpreet Kaur, Karuna S Malik

Liquid crystal spatial light modulators for beam shaping and wavefront sensing

Springer Nature, 2025, 143-154

10.1007/978-3-031-64542-6
Book Chapter
Karuna Sindhu Malik, SS Goutam Buddha, Nagendra Kumar

Calculation of optical forces in optical tweezers

Springer Nature, 2024, 223-235

10.1007/978-3-031-92584-9
Book Chapter
Pranjal Choudhury, SS Goutam Buddha, Nagendra Kumar

Peering beyond the diffraction frontier: a guide to super-resolution microscopy

Springer Nature, 2024, 171-187

10.1007/978-3-031-92584-9
Book Chapter
Nagendra Kumar, SS Goutam Buddha, Pranjal Choudhury, Karuna Sindhu Malik, Apoorav Singh Deo

Computer generated holography: techniques, applications, and future directions

Springer Nature, 2024, 153-169

10.1007/978-3-031-92584-9
Book Chapter
SS Goutam Buddha, Nagendra Kumar, Pranjal Choudhury, Karuna Sindhu Malik

Advancements in confocal and array detection microscopy

Springer Nature, 2024, 209-221

10.1007/978-3-031-92584-9
Book Chapter
Shweta Shweta, POONAM YADAV, Neha Singh, Nagendra Kumar, Bodhaditya Santra

Temporal dynamics of photons in an optically thin cloud of cold atoms

Portland, OR, USA, 2025, DAMOP
Conference
Nagendra Kumar, Alika Khare and Bosanta R Boruah

Grating Array Based Zonal Wavefront Sensor for Surface Profile Measurements

Island of Hven, Backafallsbyn, Sweden, 2018, 28,07–04,08 2018
Conference
Harpreet Kaur, S S Goutam Buddha, Nagendra Kumar, Satish Kumar Dubey, Dalip Singh Mehta

Refractive index mapping of Sahiwal bovine sperm nuclei using quantitative phase microscopy

Tampere, Finland, 2026
Conference

Title	Inventors	Number	Year	Status
A Wavefront Measuring System and Method with Ameliorated Dynamic Range	B.R. Boruah, N Kumar, and Alika Khare	531526	2021	Granted
Compact and Portable optical tweezer system for industrial and research applications	B. Santra, N. Kumar, N. Singh, D. S. Rathore	202511025901	2025	Filed

Title	Authors	Publisher	Year	ISBN	Type
Computer generated holography: techniques, applications, and future directions	Nagendra Kumar, SS Goutam Buddha, Pranjal Choudhury, Karuna Sindhu Malik, Apoorav Singh Deo	Springer Nature Switzerland	2024	978-3-031-64541-9	Chapter
Peering Beyond the Diffraction Frontier: A Guide to Super-Resolution Microscopy	Pranjal Choudhury, S. S. Goutam Buddha, Nagendra Kumar	Springer Nature Switzerland	2024	978-3-031-64541-9	Chapter
Advancements in Confocal and Array Detection Microscopy	S. S. Goutam Buddha, Nagendra Kumar, Pranjal Choudhury, Karuna Sindhu Malik	Springer Nature Switzerland	2024	978-3-031-64541-9	Chapter
Calculation of Optical Forces in Optical Tweezers	Karuna Sindhu Malik, S. S. Goutam Buddha, Nagendra Kumar	Springer Nature Switzerland	2024	978-3-031-64541-9	Chapter
A theoretical study on two of the bias-based methods of optical beam defocus measurement involving Zernike modes	Santanu Konwar, Nagendra Kumar, Karuna Sindhu Malik, SS Goutam Buddha	Springer Nature Switzerland	2025	978-3-031-92586-3	Chapter
The Relationship Between Optical Imaging and Spatial Frequency	S. S. Goutam Buddha, Nagendra Kumar, Karuna S. Mallik, Santanu Konwar	Springer Nature Switzerland	2025	978-3-031-92586-3	Chapter
Fundamentals of Ray Tracing and Lens Design With Zemax OpticStudio	Karuna Sindhu Malik, Shilpa Singh, Nagendra Kumar, SSGoutam Buddha, Santanu Konwar	Springer Nature Switzerland	2025	978-3-031-92586-3	Edited
Liquid Crystal Spatial Light Modulators for Beam Shaping and Wavefront Sensing	Nagendra Kumar, Santanu Konwar, S. S. Goutam Buddha, Inderpreet Kaur, Karuna S. Malik	Springer Nature Switzerland	2025	978-3-031-92586-3	Chapter

Organisation	Role	Since
SPIE, International society for optics and photonics	Member	2016
Optica	Member	2016

Course	Code	Programme	Semester/Year
PHYSICS I	PH101	B. TECH	I/2025
PHYSICS II	PH102	B. TECH	II/2026
Experimental Physics Laboratory I	PH161	B. TECH	I/2025
Experimental Physics Laboratory II	PH162	B. TECH	II/2025
PHYSICS I	PH101	B. TECH	I/2026
Experimental Physics Laboratory I	PH161	B. TECH	I/2026
Digital Logic Design	EC201	B. TECH	III/2026
Digital Logic Design Laboratory	EC261	B. TECH	III/2026
Computer Programming and Problem solving	CS101	B.Tech	I/2026
Computer Programming and Problem solving lab	CS161	B.Tech	I/2026

Scholar	Topic	Degree	Year	Status
Sushama	Development of wavefront sensing and phase reconstruction	PhD	2026	Ongoing

Institution	Country	Purpose	Period
SPIE Photonics west	USA	SPIE Leadership workshop and paper presentation	2020
Denmark Technical University	Denmark	International school	2018
OSAF Seigmann: International school of lasers	Sweden	workshop and school	2018
SPIE Photonics west	USA	Paper presentation	2022
Stanford University	USA	Postdoctoral Scholar	2022-23

Position	Department/Body	Period	Details
PIC Physics Laboratory	Applied Physics	2025-Present

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