Tanuj Kumar awarded NASA fellowship to advance far-infrared optics research

Tanuj Kumar has been awarded a prestigious NASA fellowship to support his research in far-infrared (far-IR) optics, an area of growing importance for space-based telescopes. He was one of just 23 awardees in the Astrophysics division of the Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) program, out of more than 450 applicants across the country.

Kumar is a PhD student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he is advised by ECE Professor Mikhail Kats. Thus far, Kumar’s PhD research has focused on high-precision infrared spectroscopy, thermal radiation, and optical materials and design for spacecraft. The FINESST fellowship, which provides $100,000 over two years, will enable him to combine his passion for space with his expertise in optics and photonics.

Kumar’s proposed research addresses a known technology gap, where optical components for electromagnetic waves at wavelengths between roughly 25 and 300 micrometers, referred to as the “far-IR”, lag in sophistication and technical readiness compared to optical components in the visible, near-infrared, and microwave bands. Kumar’s proposal aims to develop high-transmissivity, low-temperature-resilient optical components to enable future NASA missions and next-generation ground-based observatories to better detect the cosmic microwave background and other faint space phenomena.

“Far-IR observations enable studies of star and planet formation, and help measure the weak imprint of cosmic inflation on cosmic microwave background radiation, shedding light on the origin of solar systems and the universe,” says Kumar. “In such observations, efficient collection of light is crucial and will be enabled by minimizing reflection and thermal-emission noise in optical components.”

Receiving the NASA fellowship is particularly meaningful for Kumar. “I’ve always been drawn to astronomy, spacecraft, spaceflight, and anything space-related,” he says. “With this grant, I can finally bring together my passion for photonics and space sciences.” This is also Kumar’s first independently developed research grant, an uncommon opportunity for a graduate student. Kumar designed the research plan, identified the limitations of the field, and laid out a vision that will enable him to see a complex research project through from concept to completion. “In the longer term, I hope that my advances in far-IR optics will enable lots of new discoveries!”

Looking ahead, Kumar hopes to build an academic career at the intersection of photonics and space sciences. “Photonics for space sciences is something I’d like to spend the rest of my academic career on, and I aim to work with both NASA and the growing private sector.”

In addition to Kumar’s award, two other UW–Madison researchers have been recognized by NASA’s FINESST program this year: Eliyagu Sofovich, a member of Chemistry and Astronomy Assistant Professor Zoe Todd’s research group in the Astrophysics division, and Ruqi Yang, a member of Forest and Wildlife Ecology Professor Philip Townsend’s research group in the Earth Science division.

Featured image: Kumar in the Kats Group laboratory, standing behind an infrared spectrometer equipped with a cryostat. These instruments can be used to test far-infrared optics at low temperatures.