Aparajita Bandyopadhyay
In the latest installment of Journeys in Optics, OPN spoke with Aparajita Bandyopadhyay, leader of the Spectroscopy and Imaging Group at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India, and the chair of Applied Industrial Spectroscopy Conference (Sensing Congress) and also newly formed Agriphotonics Technical Group at Optica. She discussed her work in agriphotonics, returning to research after taking time to focus on other priorities, and maintaining balance in life.
What led you to focus your research on THz imaging?
I joined the New Jersey Institute of Technology, USA, in the spring of 2003 to work on a biophysics-related topic for my Ph.D. That same year, I attended my first major conference, Frontiers in Optics + Laser Science, where Dan Grischkowsky was recognized with the William F. Meggers award for his contributions to the applications of THz time-domain spectroscopy.
My interest was piqued, and I started researching this new-to-me topic. As I learned more about the field and how it can tackle bio-based applications in a completely different manner, my appreciation for it grew. Ultimately, I changed my direction, and I obtained my Ph.D. in 2006 in the area of THz spectroscopy and imaging with John Federici.
How did you become involved with agriphotonics, and what do you think the field could achieve?
I come from India, which is primarily an agriculture-driven economy. The country is experiencing constraints on critical resources due to its growing population, and I feel that the application of optical sensing to farming—for instance, through precision irrigation to reduce the use of water—could revolutionize agricultural practices, leading to an optimization of resources. I believe we can also foster greater social equity and empowerment of women with the development of a robust distribution system for agricultural products, where the application of photonic devices, combined with government-supported data sharing and automation, could reduce waste and enhance the recycling of natural resources.
In 2019, I participated in the Optica Agriphotonics Incubator with a group of like-minded colleagues from around the world, including industry personnel and policymakers. We generated a lot of momentum at the event, but unfortunately our work was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Several mid-scale companies and startups that were operating in the agriphotonics domain struggled during this time, and many couldn’t survive the post-pandemic economic instability. I personally feel, however, that the right policy restructuring could prove to be a game changer for the field in coming years, especially in light of growing research trends in various optical sensing technologies, augmented by deep learning.
Can you discuss your role as chair of the Agriphotonics Technical Group?
I’ve just been elected the chair of this brand-new technical group, which is under the Sensing Technical Division of Optica’s technical groups, and our executive committee of five, spanning across Belgium, Canada, India/Germany, Singapore and the United States are already planning and strategizing future activities in this domain. Our group has significant overlap with the Applied Spectroscopy Technical Group, as well as the Environmental Sensing Technical Group.
Any Optica members who feel strongly about this initiative should submit their research to the upcoming Optica Sensing Congress, 20 to 24 July, 2025, where all of these overlapping fields will be explored. After the conference, the Agriphotonics Technical Group will focus on carrying forward the momentum through webinars, panel discussions, industry demonstrations and more.
After your postdoc, you spent nine years as a full-time parent and part-time editor. What inspired you to get involved with research again, and did you face any challenges on your return?
Nevertheless, with a core supportive network and excellent mentoring, I was eventually able to reintegrate into the research world.
I consider myself extremely fortunate that I was able to experience the right perturbation at the right juncture in my life. I had serious difficulties becoming pregnant 15 years ago, which were followed by a member of my immediate family dealing with a terminal disease. I chose to take time off my active research to focus on life at that moment while taking a part-time technical assignment in publishing, which was the only industry that allowed me to work from home in that pre-pandemic era. This turned out to be the best decision for me.
This phase taught me how to be patient, adaptable and efficient—I learned how to stretch the daily ration of 24 hours into a Venus-length day (which lasts 243 Earth days!). I also rediscovered the “fun” in the fundamentals while working on undergraduate physics textbooks, revisiting topics from units and dimensions all the way to gravitational theory, with strong mathematical treatment for problem solving in general physics.
Once the needs of my family were managed and we had a support system in place, I felt the call of research again. During my time away from academia, I developed a completely new outlook on research. The biggest challenge, however, was the reluctance of colleagues to accept my non-traditional approach and trajectory, for a variety of reasons. Nevertheless, with a core supportive network and excellent mentoring, I was eventually able to reintegrate into the research world.
If you could change one thing about your career path, what would it be and why?
One of my favorite poems is “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, and one particular line resonates with me: “Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.” So, no, I would not change a thing about my life. The “toll” I paid for my “road” has made me who I am and brought me to where I am today—without walking that road, I wouldn’t be walking this one.
Do you have any advice for students or early-career researchers?
If one pursues science for the sake and joy of discovery, everything else, including publications, patents, jobs and funding, will follow naturally.
While on sabbatical at Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany, I came across a portrait of the school’s namesake, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, with the inscription below it: “In Wissenschaft und Kunst wie immer protestieren.” This roughly translates to, “In science and art, always protest (or question).” I think this is timeless advice that we all should follow—question first, question second, question always. If one pursues science for the sake and joy of discovery, everything else, including publications, patents, jobs and funding, will follow naturally.
In addition to this, I think there are only two other major goals that all students and early-career researchers should keep in mind: acquiring command over scientific communication and nurturing their peer-to-peer network.
How do you maintain a workâlife balance?
In my personal opinion, we should address this question the other way around—that is, how to maintain a life-work balance. Unless your life is sorted, you can’t have the productivity that you want in your work. I feel that it’s always a dynamic process, and your life and work are in some ways very much dependent on each other.
Realistically, this “fine tuning and dynamic autofocusing” in both life and work are only possible if you ensure that you have enough “adaptive steering optomechanics” to fall back on when perturbation hits—because it will hit. On the personal front, the steering mechanism is having a support system and the willingness to admit that you’re not a superhuman and that you need help. On the professional side, you need to invest enough time and energy in fostering a very strong and diverse network of collaborators.
When you push yourself to go that extra mile during a relatively stable phase of your life and work—perhaps to help a family member in need or assist a colleague with finishing a critical analysis with a tight deadline—that additional effort usually comes back with even greater amplification when you find yourself in a time of need.
More universally, I think it’s a no-brainer to be an active part of global professional organizations like Optica, and use the incredible networking and other resources to accelerate and consolidate your specific work direction.