Soham Saha, graduate student in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Soham Saha, a graduate student in Purdue’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been selected to attend the prestigious 70th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, an invitation-only gathering in Lindau, Germany. The gathering was scheduled to take place this summer, but due to concerns about the coronavirus it has been rescheduled to summer 2021.

Young scientists with high academic and research excellence from various countries are invited to attend the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting after a stringent nomination and selection process. Saha is among more than 600 young scientists from 101 countries chosen to attend the 70^th gathering. Every Lindau Meeting consists of a multitude of scientific sessions like plenary lectures and panel discussions as well as a variety of networking and social events with several dozen Nobel laureates. Saha says he is looking forward to networking with the best minds in optics and other disciplines.

“Discussing with them will help me find a truly challenging and impactful problem that I can solve with my optical designing skills,” he says. “Getting selected to attend this literally once-in-a-lifetime experience is truly humbling. I have to especially thank Prof. Alexandra Boltasseva, a Lindau Alumnus herself, for recommending me.”

In Saha’s research, he develops switchable optical devices that control the polarization, phase, and amplitude of light. These have applications in optical communication, sensing, and beam-steering.

Every year since 1951, Nobel Prize winners in chemistry, physics, physiology and Medicine meet at Lindau to discuss the issues of importance in their respective fields with students from around the world. The aim of the Nobel Laureate Meetings is to bring together Nobel laureates and young scientists to foster scientific exchange between different generations and cultures.