2026 OSE Best Dissertation Award – Dr. Bisweswar Patra

Departmental News

Dr. Bisweswar Patra

Posted: May 18, 2026

Dr. Bisweswar Patra earned his B.Sc. degree in Physics with Honors from the University of Calcutta, India. He then received his M.Sc. degree in Applied Physics from IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, India, where he conducted research on embedded gold nanostructures for Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) applications.

In 2018, Dr. Patra was admitted into the Optical Science and Engineering (OSE) Ph.D. program at the University of New Mexico (UNM). He joined the research group of Prof. Terefe Habteyes, Chair of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at UNM, in 2020, focusing his research on plasmonics and nanophotonics. In 2021, he earned his Master of Science degree in Optical Science and Engineering with a concentration in Optical Science.

That same year, Dr. Patra focused his research on developing soft-material-integrated hybrid plasmonic nanocavities to understand molecular optomechanics. He also investigated plasmon-enhanced photon emissions from 2D and III-V semiconductors using single-particle spectroscopy and near-field microscopy.

In the summer of 2025, Dr. Patra successfully defended his dissertation, entitled "Light-Matter Interaction, Molecular Optomechanics, Thermoplasmonics, and Interfacial Processes in Plasmonic Nanocavities." He graduated from the UNM OSE program with distinction, earning his doctoral degree in Optical Science and Engineering with a concentration in Photonics. During his tenure at UNM, his academic record included two first-author publications in Nano Letters, four additional journal papers, and five conference presentations.

Mr. Patra’s receipt of the 2026 Optical Science Best Dissertation Award is yet another recognition of excellence, adding to his already spectacular academic and research achievements as a graduate student at UNM. Mr. Patra is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Quantum Technology Center (QTC) at the University of Maryland, College Park.