PhD Candidate, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Faculty advisor: Dr. Mikhail Kats
Tanuj is a PhD candidate who specializes in engineering the interaction between light and optical materials and devices, especially in the areas of spacecraft propulsion and thermoregulation, and far-infrared imaging.
His graduate research on light sails—thin spacecraft that use the momentum of light to push them forward—spans sail materials and structures that are optimized for different sources of light that can be used as thrust, including sunlight and infrared lasers that can be beamed from earth.
“Light sails hold immense potential for a future where spacecraft do not require on-board fuel and can routinely cover vast distances, even to the edge of the solar system, much quicker than existing spacecraft,” Tanuj explained. “This is made possible by the continuously available stream of sunlight as well as ongoing developments of very powerful lasers. Light sails will therefore enable more frequent deep-space exploration as well as the exploration of nearby objects like the Sun’s poles that are not accessible with conventional spacecraft.”
Since light sails are designed to be highly reflective and minimally absorptive, the materials and designs used there also have applications on Earth, including in optical computing and telecommunications.
Recently, Tanuj has also begun designing far-infrared optical elements, one of the technology gaps NASA has identified for future missions. Such optical elements will allow telescopes to collect faint far-infrared light that may help scientists better understand phenomena like the cosmic microwave background, planet formation, and galaxy formation.
Tanuj received the Chancellor’s Opportunity Fellowship (COF) in 2021. In 2024, he won a Future Investigator in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) award to further support his work.
The WARF-funded fellowship was instrumental in helping Tanuj, an international student from New Delhi, India, settle into life in Madison and focus on learning and research.
“It was an honor to receive the COF, and the experience inspired me to pursue further grant opportunities,” Tanuj said. “I learned how it is beneficial for the whole research group and how important it is for grad students to apply when there are good opportunities.”
Tanuj said that skills gained while on COF helped him secure the FINESST grant, making him one of 24 awardees out of more than 450 applications in the astrophysics division.
“The FINESST award has allowed me to focus on creating much needed far-infrared optical elements that will enable better understanding of the cosmic microwave background and planetary formation,” he said. “Receiving this funding has allowed me to dig deeper into space optics, a topic I’m deeply passionate about. I look forward to extending this research into a career!”