Senior Principal Scientist, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, India
Dr. Poonam Arora is a distinguished physicist currently serving as Senior Principal Scientist and Head of the Indian Standard Time (IST) Division at CSIR-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL), India. With a career spanning over two decades, she has made significant contributions to applied optics, atomic clocks, and time dissemination. Her research has been instrumental in advancing high-precision metrology and time standards, impacting both scientific and industrial applications in India. Throughout her career, she has received numerous accolades and awards for her exceptional contributions to science and technology.
Profile
Scopus
Education
Dr. Arora pursued her undergraduate studies in Physics, Mathematics, and Electronics from Kurukshetra University, securing an impressive 84%. She then completed her M.Sc. in Physics from IIT Delhi, achieving a CGPA of 9.154/10. Furthering her expertise, she earned an M.Tech. in Applied Optics from IIT Delhi in 2004 with a perfect 10/10 CGPA, receiving the prestigious Gold Medal for academic excellence. Her doctoral research at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany, focused on “Design, Realization, and Applications of Dynamically Controllable Bragg Gratings,” earning her the best grade and a Certificate of Excellence in 2007.
Experience
Dr. Arora has a rich professional background, beginning as a Scientific Coworker at the Technical University of Darmstadt in 2008. She joined CSIR-NPL in 2009 as a Scientist and steadily rose through the ranks to become a Senior Principal Scientist in 2021. Throughout her tenure, she has led groundbreaking research projects in integrated optics, atomic frequency standards, and time dissemination. Her leadership at the IST Division has been pivotal in enhancing India’s time synchronization infrastructure, crucial for scientific, commercial, and defense applications.
Research Interests
Dr. Arora’s research primarily revolves around high-precision metrology, integrated optics, atomic clocks, and time dissemination. She has extensively worked on the development of Cesium Fountain Frequency Standards, uncertainty evaluation of time standards, and novel techniques in precision spectroscopy. Her work plays a crucial role in establishing reliable and accurate timekeeping systems in India, which are essential for finance, telecommunications, and space applications. She is also actively engaged in advancing optical and atomic physics methodologies for improving national and global timekeeping standards.
Award
Dr. Arora’s exemplary work has been recognized with several prestigious awards. She was honored with the Haryana Yuva Vigyan Ratna Award by the Government of Haryana in 2017 for her contributions to science and technology. The same year, she received the CSIR-NPL Technology Award. Her dedication as a researcher earned her the Outstanding Reviewer Award from Elsevier in 2018. She was also a recipient of the CSIR Young Scientist Award in 2012 and the URSI Young Scientist Award in 2011. Additionally, she has been awarded fellowships such as the DFG Fellowship (2004-2007) and the DAAD Fellowship in 2003.
Publication Top Note
High-resolution spectroscopy of Holmium Perchlorate: Establishment of a wavelength standard for spectrophotometers, published in Optics Materials (2023), cited by multiple metrology studies.
Indian Standard Time dissemination over the internet: A study on indigenous time synchronization devices, published in MAPAN – Journal of Metrology Society of India (2021), widely referenced in timekeeping research.
Uncertainty evaluation for frequency calibration of Helium Neon Laser Head: Published in MAPAN – Journal of Metrology Society of India (2021), focusing on Monte Carlo simulation techniques.
Detection and processing of fluorescence from cold atoms in Cesium Fountain Primary Frequency Standard: Published in MAPAN – Journal of Metrology Society of India (2020), cited in atomic timekeeping research.
Importance of accurate and traceable time in financial trading: Published in International Journal of Electrical Engineering (2018), referenced in financial market synchronization.
Necessity of Two Time Zones in India: A policy recommendation study published in Current Science (2018), influencing national discussions on time zone adjustments.
Experimental research on atomic frequency standards in India: Published in Asian Journal of Physics (2016), cited by researchers in atomic physics and metrology.
Conclusion
Dr. Poonam Arora’s contributions to time standards, precision metrology, and applied optics have positioned her as a leading scientist in her field. Her work has significantly improved India’s time dissemination systems, impacting a broad spectrum of industries. Through her leadership at CSIR-NPL, she continues to drive advancements in atomic frequency standards, ensuring India remains at the forefront of global timekeeping research. Her dedication to scientific excellence, combined with her extensive publication record and numerous accolades, highlights her invaluable contributions to physics and metrology.