Jayasri D

Dr. Jayasri is an Associate Professor with Mahindra University École Centrale School of Engineering in the Department of Physics. Her research interests include Development of novel non-Boltzmann Monte Carlo techniques, Numerical simulations of colloidal systems in liquid crystals using finite difference methods, Parallelization of Monte Carlo methods, Self-assembly and hierarchical structures in liquid crystalline colloidal systems, phase transitions in confined liquid crystals in various complex geometries and liquid crystal elastomers.

Dr. Jayasri holds a Ph.D. in Physics from University of Hyderabad, India.

• Education
  • Ph.D. (Physics), University of Hyderabad, India, 2009.
  • M. Tech. (Computational Techniques in Physics), University of Hyderabad, India, 2004.
  • M. Sc. (Physics), Acharya Nagarjuna University, India, 2002.
  • B. Sc. (Physics), Nagarjuna University, 2000.
• Research

  Research Interests:

  I have been involved in research and development of computational tools to study soft condensed matter systems.
  My interests include but not confined to:

  • Design of tunable all-dielectric metamaterials using liquid crystals;
  • Charged colloids in nematics- Defects, Assemblies and Dynamics;
  • Self-organization of colloidal particles in liquid crystals using phenomenological approaches;
  • Development and application of novel non-Boltzmann Monte Carlo techniques to soft matter systems with complex free energy landscapes;
  • Defect dynamics in confined nematics using molecular simulations;
  • Phase transitions in confined liquid crystals in various complex geometries and liquid crystal elastomers; Parallelization of Monte Carlo methods;

  Research Experience:

  Title: Complex dielectric structures in liquid crystals as tunable metamaterials
  Principal Investigator(PI): Dr. Jayasri Dontabhaktuni
  Co-Investigator: Dr. Dibakar Roy Chowdhury
  Objective: To design liquid crystal based tunable all-dielectric metamaterials
  Funding agency: SERB (EMR), Govt. of India.
  Total Amount Sanctioned: INR 24,45,000 /- for 3 years
  Project JRF: Prateeksha Sakhare
  Outcomes till now: 4 Conference presentations + 2 proceedings + 3 journals (in preparation)

  D. S. Kothari Post-Doctoral Researcher (Sep 2013- April 3rd 2014)
  CMSD, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India.

  • Interactions between charged colloidal platelets in nematic liquid crystal medium.
  • Self-assembly and hierarchical structures of charged colloids in nematic liquid crystals.

  DST-PURSE Post-Doctoral Researcher (Feb 2012-Aug 2013)
  CMSD, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India.

  • Flexo-electric effects and the interplay between flexo-electric effect and biaxiality in confined liquid crystals.
  • Design of SRR's from colloidal platelets by geometrical manipulation of the surfaces.

  Marie Curie Experienced Researcher (Aug 2009-Nov 2011)
  FMF, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

  • Self-assembly of faceted colloidal platelets into complex assemblies and hierarchical structures in nematic liquid crystal medium.
  • Calculation of torques and inter-particle forces between faceted particles crucial in interesting switching applications.
  • Tuning the interactions between the colloidal platelets by changing the surface anchoring on the platelets giving rise to exotic assemblies with aperiodic crystals and also higher fold rotational symmetries such as quasi-crystalline structures.

  Research Guidance:

  JRF: 2 (on-going)
  M. Tech project: 1 (co-guidance with Dept of EEE, Osmania University College of Engineering)
  UG Research Assistants: 5 (2 years duration) (led to publications and conference presentations).
  UG Major Projects: 7 students (6 months), 3 students (1 year), 1 student (2 years)

  Research Positions:

  • Visiting Researcher, Invited to participate in Summer Program on ’Mathematical design of new materials’ in Isaac Newton Mathematical Institute, University of Cambridge (May-Jun 2019).
  • Visiting Researcher, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia (June 2017, May-June 2018).
• Awards
  • Selected for Dr. D. S. Kothari post-doctoral fellowship by UGC, India (2013).
  • Awarded DST Fast track young scientist award (2011).
  • Selected for Marie-Curie ITN 'HIERARCHY' project as experienced researcher (Aug 2009-2011).
• Publications

  Books:

  1. 'Monte Carlo studies of liquid crystalline systems', LAP Lambert Academic publishers, Germany, 2011.
  2. Invited to write a chapter titled 'Monte Carlo studies of liquid crystal systems' in a book ' New developments in liquid crystals' by Nova publishers, USA.

  List of Journals:

  1. S. Amanaganti and J. Dontabhaktuni, ‘High RI dielectric rings in liquid crystals as tunable metasurfaces’, Metamaterials XII 11025, 110250J (2019).
  2. Jayasri Dontabhaktuni, Miha Ravnik and Slobodan Zumer, ’Quasi-Crystalline colloidal tilings in thin nematic films’, Crystals - Special Issue ”Structure and Properties of Quasicrystalline Materials”, 8(7), 275 (2018).
  3. S. Amanaganti, D. R. Chowdhury, M. Ravnik and J. Dontabhaktuni, ’Electromagnetic response of dielectric nanostructures in liquid crystals’, Proc. SPIE 9004, Emerging Liquid Crystal Technologies XIII, 105551F, SanFrancisco, USA (2018).
  4. M V Rasna, K. P. Zuhail, U V Ramudu, R Chandrasekhar, J Dontabhaktuni, S Dhara, 'Orientation, interaction and laser assisted self-assembly of organic single-crystal micro-sheets in a nematic liquid crystal', Softmatter, 11, 7674-7679 (2015).
     URL: http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2015/sm/c5sm01991e#!divAbstract
  5. Jayasri Dontabhaktuni, Miha Ravnik and Slobodan Zumer, ‘ Designing colloidal quasi-crystals in nematic liquid crystals’, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA, 111, 2464 (2014). (http://www.pnas.org/content/111/7/2464.short)
  6. Jayasri Dontabhaktuni, Regina Jose, K. P. N. Murthy and V. S. S. Sastry,’ Effect of phase shift between geometrical and chemical patterning in nematic liquid crystal cells: A Monte Carlo Study’, J. Comp. Mater. Sci., 92, 238-243, (2014).
  7. Miha Ravnik, Jayasri Dontabhaktuni, Miha Cancula and Slobodan Zumer, ‘Nematic tilings as photonic materials’, Proc. SPIE 9004, Emerging Liquid Crystal Technologies IX, 90040C (2014).
  8. Jayasri Dontabhaktuni, Miha Ravnik and Slobodan Zumer, ' Shape tuning the colloidal assemblies in nematic liquid crystals', Softmatter, 8 1657-1663 (2012).
  9. D. Jayasri, T. Sairam, K. P. N. Murthy and V. S. S. Sastry, 'Liquid crystal films on curved surfaces: A multi-canonical Monte Carlo study', Physica A, 390 4549-4554 (2011). 
  10. Regina Jose, D. Jayasri, Surajit Dhara, K. P. N. Murthy and V. S. S. Sastry, 'Effect of external field on the nematic to isotropic transition: An entropic sampling study', Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. 545 168 (2011).
  11. D. Jayasri, V. S. S. Sastry and K. P. N. Murthy, ‘Phase transitions in liquid crystal elastomers - A Monte Carlo study employing non-Boltzmann sampling', Physica A, 388, 385-391 (2009).
  12. D. Jayasri, V. S. S. Sastry and K. P. N. Murthy, 'Effect of cross-link density on the nematic-isotropic phase transition in liquid crystal elastomers', J. Comp. Mater. Sci. 44, 185-189 (2008). 
  13. D. Jayasri, T. Sairam, V. S. S. Sastry and K. P. N. Murthy, 'Surface anchoring in thin nematic films: A non-Boltzmann Monte Carlo simulation', Proceedings of the 52nd DAE Solid State Physics Symposium, Mysore, 191-192 (2007). 
  14. D. Jayasri, V. S. S. Sastry and K. P. N. Murthy, 'Wang-Landau Monte Carlo simulation of isotropic-nematic in liquid crystals', Phys. Rev. E. 72, 036702 (2005).

  Invited talks:

  1. Jayasri Dontabhaktuni, ‘High refractive index dielectric structures in liquid crystals as tunable metasurfaces’, LMIN 2019, IGCAR, Kalpakkam, 15th-17th July 2019.
  2. Jayasri Dontabhaktuni, ‘High refractive index dielectric rings in liquid crystals’, Wednesday Colloquium, Isaac Newton Institute of Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, 29th May 2019.
  3. Jayasri Dontabhaktuni, ’Simulations in Softmatter’,International confer- ence on computer simulations in natural sciences, Presidency College, Madras, 4th-6th April 2018.
  4. ‘Colloidal interactions in nematics’ at Soft matter young investigator’s meet, Pondicherry December 2015.
  5. ‘Tuning the colloidal interactions in nematic liquid crystals’ at National conference on current trends in soft matter held at CUTN, Tiruvarur on 19-20th March 2015 (Acted as a session chair).
• Experience
  • Visiting Researcher, Invited to participate in Summer Program on ’Mathematical design of new materials’ in Isaac Newton Mathematical Institute, University of Cambridge (May-Jun 2019).
  • Visiting Researcher, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia (June 2017, May-June 2018).
  • D. S. Kothari Post-Doctoral Researcher CMSD, University of Hyderabad
  • DST-PURSE Post-Doctoral Researcher CMSD, University of Hyderabad
  • Research Associate FMF, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • Marie Curie Experienced Researcher FMF, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia