Looking Back - Series of Retirement talks

I began my research career as a Junior Research Fellow in a DST-sponsored project in September 1987. Broadly, my work has revolved around the interaction between light and matter, with laser systems consistently serving as the primary light source in most of the investigations. In the early years the focus was on measuring the nonlinear optical properties of various intriguing materials. At the same time, I developed a growing interest in generating plasmas from suitable — primarily metallic — targets and exploring their behavior. Looking back, there are countless memories associated with this journey, far too many to do justice to in a short presentation. Nonetheless, in this talk, I behaviour will share a snapshot of my modest scientific career and reflect on the mentors and mentees who played a pivotal role in shaping the path I followed.