Vedangi Pathak is a BITS Pilani (Goa,’18) graduate in BE Electrical and Electronic Engineering and an MSc in Physics, is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of British Columbia. After her first year of undergraduate studies, Vedangi made the intriguing decision to pursue an M.Sc. in Physics through a reverse dual degree program. Her current research as a PhD candidate in theoretical condensed matter physics explores a diverse range of topics, including unconventional superconductivity, semiconductor-superconductor heterostructures, qubit architectures, quantum devices, magnetism, spin textures, ferroelectricity, and quantum simulations.

Vedangi's proficiency in mathematical modeling, numerical simulations using Python, and data analysis is a testament to her strong technical skills. Her interdisciplinary academic journey, which has encompassed Electronics Engineering, quantum optics experiments, and now theoretical condensed matter Physics, has equipped her with a versatile perspective and problem-solving abilities applicable to various fields.

What made you want to go for a master’s in Physics after joining the Goa campus for EEE?

I initially wanted to join the MSc Physics program, but I ended up getting upgraded to EEE. I hadn’t chosen CS because that was my form of rebellion at the time. After I joined BITS, I decided to take a reverse dual because I was interested in studying physics. It was a bit difficult to manage both academics and extracurriculars, but I managed to do it. In hindsight, it was better this way because learning engineering first really developed my problem-solving skills.

Can you tell us about your extracurricular activities while at BITS?

I joined about 7-8 clubs in my first year. I was a member of the LDC, DOJMA, and BITSAA, and I was quite active in ERC, which I enjoyed. I taught a few CTE courses on programming and robotics. I also did several projects with professors like Dr. Anupama and Dr. G. Raghurama.

How did you get a summer internship at Lund University, Sweden?

I had initially gotten an internship at IISc, but later I found an open posting from the experimental group over there on a project relating to Quantum Optics. Since I had done a reverse dual, I already had a decent background in electronics, which helped my application. It was a great experience because I got to learn a lot, and I even got to travel a bit. The whole internship was funded by the research grant, including travel!

How did you switch from experiments to theory in grad school?

I had initially spent my final year doing research at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, where I was more involved in the experimental side of things. Later, I realized that I enjoyed the theory side of things more. Usually, switching from one side to the other can be tricky, but I had spent time at UBC through the MITACS program, and I was able to make the jump.

You will soon get your PhD. Once that happens, will you stay in academia, or do you plan to move into the industry?

People in my field usually have the option of doing 2-3 postdocs. They get to travel a lot, meet different groups, and still do the research they like, which many people are passionate about. The other option is to look for research scientist positions in the industry, such as in chip manufacturing at Intel, the finance sector, or as a Quantum Computational Scientist at companies like IBM or Google, which is what I have been considering. I am currently still not sure which route I will end up taking.

Can you talk about a memory you have while at BITS?

When I first came to campus, girls had an in-time at the hostel, so the NCs delivered till the hostel! It was removed when I was in my third year, which was very exciting for us because we could finally stay out late like the boys did. I have a lot of memories of good times at Bogmalo. The beaches in British Columbia remind me of Goa quite a bit.