Nanotechnology, at its core is essentially the study of the applications of Material Science at a fundamental level with an amalgamation of physics and chemistry.

Rashmi Tripathi, our next pathbreaker, Application Engineer in Battery Research at Zeiss (Germany), helps develop products that solve the challenges in developing new types of batteries.

Rashmi talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about her PhD where she worked on the synthesis of silicon nanowires for Li-ion batteries and see how well and for how long they retain the charge when used in a battery.

For students, as the world moves away from fossil fuels, battery research has become a very important mission for organizations worldwide. This is your opportunity to innovate !

Rashmi,Your background?

I was born in Ranchi, Jharkhand in a traditional joint family. I had a very loving and stable childhood surrounded by family. I was an average student in my school days with my hobbies leaning more toward the cultural side like arts and crafts. I learned Kathak in my early school days but never pursued it as an adult. I loved reading; a hobby inspired from my elder sister. As a child I never even dreamed of being a scientist. During my B.Tech studies I stayed in hostel even though my university was located around 20 km from my home. This helped me open up to people and understand the small challenges of living away from family. This was the first step that I took toward leading an independent life, a vital skill that helps me navigate my life now in Germany.

What did you do for graduation/post graduation?

I did my BTech in Nanotechnology and a PhD from IIT Bombay in Materials Science.

To stay close to home, my family decided a degree in Nanotechnology from Central University of Jharkhand (CUJ) would be the best option for me, despite my protests of going far from my home town. It was a newly established University then and a degree in Nanotechnology was considered risky because it was a very specialized field. There was no alumni base to guide us through the next steps, however the immediate seniors and the faculties were very supportive and guided us through the challenges.

What made you choose such an offbeat, unconventional and unusual career in Materials Science?

My family helped decide the first steps in life, like going for a B.Tech form the centrally funded technical institute. The next steps just seemed to have come through easily.

During my B.Tech days, I was not very clear about the next steps in my life. I was sincere and kept my grades up. I did multiple internships during the summer and winter breaks in industries like SAIL and Tata Steel. These internships were very useful in giving a flavor of how things work in the real world, and I enjoyed it a lot. Towards the end of my B.Tech days, I decided to stay in the technical field and appeared for GATE exams, targeting for a M.Tech degree from one of the IITs. This is not very well known, but the institutes across India accept PhD candidates directly after their B.Tech if they have good gate score and consistent academic performance. So I took a leap and also applied for a PhD as well. I got accepted for M.Tech in some IITs and for a PhD from IIT Bombay. Not realizing how big a jump this would be, I decided to go ahead with a PhD in Metallurgical Engineering and Material Science from IIT Bombay.

My academic journey in Mumbai challenged me intellectually and enriched me emotionally. It was there that I honed my scientific outlook, and learnt the importance of passion and human connections. Here, I got the opportunity to work with one of the smartest minds in the country which inspired me and motivated me to perform better. I was very fortunate to have been supervised by two great Professors, Prof. Rajiv O Dusane and Prof. Amartya Mukhopadhyay, who were immensely supportive and gave me the freedom to pursue my ideas. I made friends for life and overall, it was a very fulfilling journey that helped me develop as a person.

I got the opportunity to participate in the Student Exchange Programme funded by the Indo-German Partnership for Higher Education during my PhD, and I spent a couple of months at Technical University of Munich.  My time there was very enjoyable in terms of work and life, and I saw myself building a life here after my studies. So I kept Germany as one of the possible places I could look for a new job. This decision affected my career path significantly.

Throughout, it has been consistent efforts every day that led me to this career and I decided to put my all to whatever I chose. It is important to stay motivated and my family was always there as a constant source of encouragement.

Tell us about your career path

I did not have defined goals set for my life as most kids have, and somehow it felt wrong, since others around me had their life meticulously planned out. I took one step at a time and always chose the option that my heart wanted to go with. Once the choice was made I worked hard to make that choice right for me. I now realize, it’s okay to not always have a flowchart for life and to figure things out one step at a time.

My curriculum for a degree in Nanotechnology was very unique and quite complex as well. It involved subjects like quantum mechanics, nanomagnetism, statistical mechanics, etc, which was essentially the study of Material Science at a fundamental level with an amalgamation of physics and chemistry at its core. These fundamental studies increased my curiosity to learn.

My first internship at BIT Mesra exposed me to academic research where I worked on the synthesis of gold nanoparticles. My next internships were in industries where the working atmosphere was much more output oriented, and I was expected to reach the goal with more independence. At SAIL, I learnt the fundamentals of metallographic sample preparation and how to observe the structure of materials, with the help of different microscopes. The study helped in the understanding of material-property correlation in different types of steels. At Tata Steel I worked in the development and testing of graphene for applications in fuel cells. These internships were very helpful in making me see the tangible outcomes of Nanotechnology which made me excited and proud to see the results.

I chose to go for a PhD directly instead of a masters, even though I was not fully aware how things would work out there. When I started my PhD, even without a master’s degree, I was quite exposed to the fundamentals of research and had a rough idea of what the outcome would look like. During my PhD, I worked on the synthesis of silicon nanowires for Li-ion batteries. Very simply put, my job was to synthesize the nanowires and see how well and for how long they retain the charge when used in a battery. It was a series of experimental optimizations in the synthesis process followed by testing them using a wide variety of material testing and characterization techniques until I could reach my goal. I really enjoyed testing the performance of my silicon nanowires using different equipment. I did a part of the advanced material testing work during my stay at TUM in Germany. The group in Munich were experts in a technique called electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and my stay there was a significant step forward in my scientific and cultural journey.

After my PhD, I wasn’t sure between academia and industry, and being in the industry helped me realize this is the place I want to be.

As an adult I have realized that it is important to make meaningful connections. They can be your fallback options in times of need. These connections can be your future business partners, your mentor or your customers.

I have been lucky enough to find satisfaction in the career path I chose initially; so I have not made any transitions yet, however, I still consider myself as an early career worker, so I am excited for what the future holds.

How did you get your first break?

Towards the end of my PhD, I was not sure if I wanted to stay in academia or move to industry. Thus, I was applying for positions in both fields. Luckily, in the first batch of applications I had put in, I got an interview call from Zeiss. It was a co-incidence, because I had applied to one of the Fraunhofer Institutes in Germany, and they recommended me to Zeiss as my CV was suitable for the joint project they were working on.

What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?

My PhD journey was full of challenges in the form of failed experiments for months on end. Even with these failures, I decided to show up the next morning with fresh enthusiasm. It seemed like there had been no progress, but looking back, it is the failures that teach us more than the wins. I was lucky to be surrounded by friends who lifted me up during the challenging times. Going out, talking to people and getting insights from people from varying backgrounds helps enhance ones’ perspective. It helped me see everyone faces similar challenges, some much bigger than my own, thus, I found inspiration in people’s stories.

As a person growing up in a 15-member family, it was challenging to adapt to an individualistic lifestyle. Moving to a new continent, with no friends and family felt scary but also exciting. I had to learn to be resilient and not be scared to face any life challenges head-on. Good planning helps navigate through these challenges smoothly and the confidence that it develops is unshakeable.

Where do you work now? Tell us about your current role

I work as an Application Engineer in Battery Research at Zeiss in Germany. It is a foundation run company with a wide variety of products from eye glasses to high end optical products like microscopes. I help develop products that solve the challenges that people face while developing new types of batteries.

What’s a typical day like?

My typical day at work involves experiments with an electron microscope to find what works, figuring out the solutions to what does not work. The work also involves communicating the highly scientific results in a simple and understandable way to my team and finally to customers. Most of the technical skills required here were obtained during my studies and during my PhD. My work exposes me to continuous challenges that push me to think of creative solutions. It is a work where I learn new skills every day and I look forward to it.  Communication is a very important skill that I encourage every young student to focus on.

How does your work benefit society?

I work on innovation and technology development that helps achieve the sustainability goals. My work makes it easier for researchers to develop their materials and for the industries to manufacture reliable products. Working towards a green future is one of the important goals of societies worldwide and I feel proud to be a small contributor to this mission.

Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you!

The work done during my PhD is very close to my heart, because that is something that I can truly call my own. I worked on developing materials for Li-ion batteries from scratch and finally toward the end I had a pouch cell battery (similar to ones in your mobile phone). This was not powerful enough to run a mobile phone, but it did work very well with small electronics like calculators and LEDs. This work was a result of consistent efforts and creativity. The work was also recognized with multiple awards throughout the development steps.

Your advice to students based on your experience?

Learning is a lifelong process, so work hard, be consistent, be curious and most importantly, do not forget to have fun.

Future Plans?

I plan to continue contributing to scientific advancements and work towards developing a sustainable environment.  A fulfilling day at work leads to satisfaction in life, so I continue to work in this path as long as I enjoy it.