Vasumathy Ravishankar

Background

About Vasumathy Ravishankar

Researcher interested in understanding transport in low dimensional materials. During my PhD at Indian Institute of Technology Madras, I studied ion transport in thermally tuned graphene oxide (GO) membranes using impedance spectroscopy. During a routine measurement, I inadvertently stretched the GO membrane, leading to a different impedance response. In order to understand GO’s behaviour under strain, for filtration applications, I developed and qualified a device to apply uniform stress using differential fluid pressure. Being interested in different transport phenomena in 2D materials, I took the advice of working on a related but not directly connected field during postdoc, and started work on thermal transport. At Indian Institute of Science, I designed a microscope transfer stage to identify and prepare 2D materials and membranes and a Raman setup to characterize them. Additionally, I gained experience in nanofabrication and clean-room practices. Given the lockdowns of laboratories, I pivoted to computation and spent most of 2021 learning the Monte Carlo (MC) technique to solve the Boltzmann Transport Equation, which I am continuing to work on. When I am not chasing virtual phonons, I use my Derwent watercolour pencils on Johanna Basford’s “Enchanted Forest”. I also write short stories, sing, and be the Grammarian at the Bangalore Toastmaster’s Club.