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Dr SUNIL THOMAS / Head of the Department

PhD

sunilspap@gmail.com, sunilthomas@fmnc.ac.in
6238287921
Kottayam, Kerala

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About

Dr. Sunil Thomas is an Assistant Professor and the Head of the Research & Postgraduate Department of Physics at Fatima Mata National College, Kollam. He holds a PhD in Physics from Mahatma Gandhi University, specializing in advanced research across luminescent materials, semiconductors, spectroscopy, photonics, and glass science and technology. Reflecting a strong global academic footprint, Dr. Sunil Thomas has worked as a postdoctoral researcher at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) and Rhodes University, South Africa. His international contributions extend to serving as an evaluator for research outputs and proposals for the South African National Research Foundation (NRF), as well as reviewing manuscripts for numerous Scopus-indexed international journals. An active member of the scientific community, he holds life memberships in the Indian Laser Association (ILA) and the Rare Earth Association of India (REAI). Dr. Sunil Thomas has chaired oral presentation sessions and delivered invited talks at international conferences. His organizational leadership includes serving on the organizing committee for the international LED-2017 conference in South Africa, organizing the Space Week Webinar Series in 2021, and serving as an organizer and editorial board member for the international conference ICMPMA-2022, editing its proceedings for the IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. Deeply committed to academic mentorship, he has successfully mentored many undergraduate and postgraduate students in their academic research projects.

Education

# Exam Institution University
1 PhD Physics Mahatma Gandhi University Mahatma Gandhi University
2 MSc Physics Government College Kottayam Mahatma Gandhi University
3 BSc Physics Government College Kottayam Mahatma Gandhi University

Experience

# Designation Institution Remarks
1 Assistant Professor (Physics) Fatima Mata National College
2 Visiting Faculty Rhodes University, South Africa
3 Research Associate United Arab Emirates University, Abu Dhabi
4 Postdoctoral Research Fellow Rhodes University, South Africa
5 Postdoctoral Research Fellow University of Kerala
6 KSCSTE Project Fellow Mahatma Gandhi University
7 Assistant Professor (Physics) Hindustan College of Engineering, Kulathupuzha
8 Guest Lecturer (Physics) Devaswom Board Pampa College, Mannar
9 Guest Lecturer (Physics) Sree Narayana Arts and Science College, Kumarakom
10 Guest Lecturer (Physics) Sacred Heart Mount Higher Secondary School, Kottayam

Courses (Papers) Taught

# Courses (Papers) Remarks
1 Statistical Physics Fatima Mata National College
2 Physics in Arts and Sports Fatima Mata National College
3 Disaster Management Fatima Mata National College
4 Light, Electricity & Emerging Energy Sources Fatima Mata National College
5 Programing in Python Fatima Mata National College
6 Optical Physics Fatima Mata National College
7 Digital Electronics Fatima Mata National College
8 Electronics Fatima Mata National College
9 Classical and Modern Optics Fatima Mata National College
10 Research Methodology Fatima Mata National College
11 Optoelectronics Fatima Mata National College
12 Classical & Relativistic Mechanics Fatima Mata National College
13 Electrodynamics Fatima Mata National College
14 Heat & Thermodynamics Fatima Mata National College
15 Basic Mechanics & Properties of Matter Fatima Mata National College
16 Radiation Physics Fatima Mata National College
17 Advanced Spectroscopy Fatima Mata National College
18 Numerical Techniques Fatima Mata National College
19 Computer Science Fatima Mata National College
20 Electronic Instrumentation Fatima Mata National College

Service

# Academic Year
1 2026-2027
2 2025-2026
3 2024-2025
4 2023-2024
5 2022-2023
6 2021-2022
7 2020-2021

Books Published

# Title Sole Authored / Co Authored Authors Type of Book Publications Level Place Year ISBN
1 Optical properties of Pr3+-doped polyvinylidene fluoride-titanium dioxide (PVDF-TiO2) hybrid (A book chapter in Optical and Molecular Physics: Theoretical Principles and Experimental Methods) Co Authored Rani George, Sunil Thomas, P.R. Biju, N.V. Unnikrishnan, C. Sudarsanakumar Book Chapter Apple Academic Press Inc. USA International Publisher USA 2021 Hard ISBN: 9781771889834; eBook ISBN: 9781003150053
2 Synthesis and Characterizations of Anatase TiO2 Nanoparticles by Simple Polymer Gel Technique (A book chapter in Composites and Nanocomposites) Co Authored Prathibha Vasudevan, Sunil Thomas, Siby Mathew, N.V. Unnikrishnan Book Chapter Apple Academic Press Inc. USA International Publisher USA 2013 9781926895284

Papers Published

# Title Journal Name Volume Year
1 Kinetic analysis of thermoluminescence of Brazilian milky quartz Journal of Luminescence 291 2026
2 Sm3+ -doped strontium barium borate phosphor for white light emission: spectroscopic properties and Judd–Ofelt analysis Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy 248 2021
3 Voltage-dependent capacitance and conductance in Se films Indian Journal of Physics 95 2021
4 Evidence for narrow mid-gap defect band in amorphous selenium from low-temperature anomalous electrical properties Physica B – Condensed Matter 586 2020
5 The effect of temperature and voltage on the current in selenium film Materials Today: Proceedings 33 2020
6 Sm3+-doped PVDF-SiO2 hybrid for greenish-blue light emission Materials Today: Proceedings 33 2020
7 Spectroscopic properties of Sm3+ -doped PVDF-ZrO2 hybrid membrane Materials Today: Proceedings 25 2020
8 The influence of dopants on thermoluminescence of Sr2MgSi2O7 Journal of Luminescence 208 2019
9 Thermally and optically stimulated luminescence of natural red and blue corundum (Al2O3) Journal of Luminescence 205 2019
10 Influence of Temperature on the Electrical Properties of Selenium Thin Films AIP Conference Proceedings 2162 2019
11 A study of the kinetics of a high temperature thermoluminescence peak in annealed natural quartz Journal of Luminescence 204 2018
12 General features and kinetic analysis of thermoluminescence from annealed natural quartz Journal of Luminescence 197 2018
13 Characteristics of the thermoluminescence of Sm3+-doped P2O5-K2O-MgO-Al2O3-ZnF2 glass Radiation Measurements 120 2018
14 Optical channel waveguides written by high repetition rate femtosecond laser irradiation in Li-Zn fluoroborate glass Journal of Optics 47 2018
15 Thermoluminescence of K-Mg-Al-Zn fluorophosphate glass Optical Materials 64 2017
16 Kinetic analysis and general features of thermoluminescence of B2O3-Li2O-ZnF2 glass Radiation Measurements 100 2017
17 Dose response and kinetic analysis of thermoluminescence of Li-Zn fluoroborate glass Radiation Effects and Defects in Solids 172 2017
18 NIR emission studies and dielectric properties of Er3+-doped multicomponent tellurite glasses Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy 161 2016
19 Sm3+ -doped fluorophosphate glass: Formation of Ag nanoparticles via Ag+/K+ ion exchange and their effects on optical and dielectric properties Optical Materials 39 2015
20 Investigations on spectroscopic properties of Er3+ -doped Li-Zn fluoroborate glass Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy 148 2015
21 Design and Fabrication of an Ion Exchange System International Journal of Science & Research 4 2015
22 Spectroscopic properties of Er3+ ions in multicomponent tellurite glasses Journal of Luminescence 159 2015
23 Synthesis and Luminescence Characterization of SrCaTiO3:Sm3+ Phosphor Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy 150 2015
24 Synthesis and dielectric studies of poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) / titanium dioxide nanocomposites IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering 73 2015
25 Structural and optical studies of Eu3+/nanocrystallites doped titania-zirconia hybrids Journal of Alloys and Compounds 615 2014
26 Spectroscopic investigations on Eu3+ ions in Li-K-Zn fluorotellurite glasses Optical Materials 37 2014
27 Dielectric and ac conductivity studies of ZnO/Eu3+: Titanosilicate matrix AIP Conference Proceedings 1576 2014
28 Optical properties of Sm3+ ions in zinc potassium fluorophosphate glasses Optical Materials 36 2013
29 Spectroscopic and dielectrics studies of Sm3+ ions in lithium zinc borate glasses Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids 376 2013
30 Structural, vibrational and dielectric studies of Sm3+ -doped K-Mg-Al zincfluorophosphate glasses Physica B – Condensed Matter 431 2013
31 Structural and dielectric studies of Eu3+/Ag nanocrystallites: SiO2-TiO2 Matrices Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics 24 2013
32 Structural and luminescence enhancement properties of Eu3+/Ag nanocrystallites doped SiO2-TiO2 matrices Journal of Rare Earths 31 2013
33 Structural and Optical Studies of Tb3+/CdSe Nanocrystallites Doped in Titania-Zirconia Matrices International Journal of Semiconductor Science & Technology 4 2013
34 Synthesis and structural characterization of sol-gel derived titania/poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) nanocomposites Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology 62 2012
35 Fluorescence enhancement in Sm3+/TiO2 nanocrystallites doped PVP matrix Journal of Optics 40 2011
36 RGB Emission From RE Ions Doped Titania/PVP Hybrid Matrix AIP Conference Proceedings 1391 2011

Papers Presented

# Title Title of Seminar/Conference Year Organized by
1 Defect chemistry-controlled thermoluminescence in granular natural quartz for radiation sensing applications International Conference on Advanced Materials, Green Energy and Sustainability (ICAMGES 2026) 2026 University of Kerala, India
2 Spectroscopic Properties of Sr1.0Ca2.0B6O12:0.5Sm3+ International Conference on Advanced Materials for Sustainability (ICAMS 2023) 2023 University of Calicut, India
3 Luminescence properties of Dy3+ ions in borate based glasses for photonic applications International Conference on Materials- Properties, Measurements and Applications (ICMPMA 2022) 2022 Fatima Mata National College, India
4 Sr1.0Mg2.0B6O12:0.5Sm3+ phosphor for yellowish-orange light emission International Conference on Materials- Properties, Measurements and Applications (ICMPMA 2022) 2022 Fatima Mata National College, India
5 Physical and spectroscopic studies of Sm3+ doped borate based glasses for reddish-orange emission International Conference on Materials- Properties, Measurements and Applications (ICMPMA 2022) 2022 Fatima Mata National College, Kerala, India
6 On the Electrical Properties of Selenium Film International Workshop on Advanced Materials (IWAM 2020) 2020 Ras Al Khamiah Center for Advanced Materials, UAE
7 Photocatalytic Activity and Blue Light Emission of Sm3+-Doped PVDF-SiO2 Hybrid International Workshop on Advanced Materials (IWAM 2020) 2020 Ras Al Khamiah Center for Advanced Materials, UAE
8 Sr1.0Ba1.0B6O12:0.5Sm3+ phosphor for white light emission: A spectroscopic study UAEU Annual Research and Innovation Conference 2020 United Arab Emirates University, Abu Dhabi
9 Sm3+ doped PVDF ZrO2 hybrid membrane for white light emission International Conference on Science & Technology of Advanced Materials (STAM 20) 2020 Mar Athanasius College, Kerala, India
10 The effect of temperature and voltage on current in selenium thin film International Conference on Photochemistry and Sustainable Energy- ICPSE 2019 2019 St. Michael's College, Cherthala, India
11 Sm3+ -doped PVDF-SiO2 hybrid for blue light emission International Conference on Photochemistry and Sustainable Energy- ICPSE 2019 2019 St. Michael's College, Cherthala, India
12 On the Anomalous Electrical Properties of Amorphous Selenium Films 28th International Conference on Amorphous and Nanocrystalline Semiconductors 2019 Ecole polytechnique, France
13 Influence of Temperature on the Electrical Properties of Selenium Thin Films International Conference on Advanced Materials 2019 Nirmalagiri College, Kannur, India
14 Synthesis and characterization of Selenium thin film UAEU Annual Research and Innovation Conference 2019 United Arab Emirates University, Abu Dhabi
15 Thermoluminescence of Annealed Natural Quartz: A study of the secondary peak at 177 °C International Conference on Advances in Optics and Photonics (ICAOP-2017) 2017 Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, India
16 Optical channel waveguides written by high repetition rate femtosecond laser irradiation in Li-Zn fluoroborate glass International Conference on Advances in Optics and Photonics (ICAOP-2017) 2017 Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, India
17 Dose response and kinetic analysis of thermoluminescence of Sm3+ -doped P2O5-K2O-MgO-Al2O3-ZnF2 glass 15th International Conference on Luminescence and Electron Spin Resonance Dating 2017 Rhodes University, South Africa
18 Spectroscopic properties of Sm3+ -doped strontium-borate phosphors incorporated with Mg, Ca, or Ba: A comparative study Recent trends in nano and other materials for energy efficient devices 2017 St. Aloysius’ College, Edathua, Kerala
19 Fluorescence Enhancement and Energy Transfer Mechanism in PVP/TiO2:Eu3+ Nanocomposites IC-EEE 2015 -International Conference on Energy Harvesting, Storage and Conversion 2015 CUSAT, India
20 Sm3+ -doped K-Mg-Al-Zn fluorophosphate glass: formation of Ag nanoparticles via Ag+/K+ ion exchange and their effects on spectroscopic properties Winter School-2014 on Frontiers in Material Science 2014 Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
21 Energy transfer and white light emission of Tb3+:Eu3+-TiO2/PVP hybrids National Laser Symposium NLS-23 2014 Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, India
22 Optical Properties of Er3+ -Doped Li-Zn Fluoroborate Glass 6th National Symposium for Materials Research Scholars - MR 14 2014 IIT Bombay, India
23 Synthesis of Silica Capped Cus and Ag2S Nanoparticles and their Nonlinear Optical Properties Indo German Conference on Laser Applications and Nanoscience 2013 Kerala State Council for Science - Technology and Environment (KSCSTE), India
24 Structural and Spectroscopic Studies of Sm3+/Cds Nanocrystallites in TiO2–ZrO2 Hosts 23rd Kerala Swadeshi Science Congress 2013 Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, India
25 Synthesis and Characterization of Tb3+-Eu3+:TiO¬2/PVP Nanocomposites National Conference on Advances in Chemical Sciences 2013 Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, India
26 “Luminescence enhancement studies of Sm3+/Ag doped titanosilicate glasses National Laser Symposium- NLS-21 2013 Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India
27 Dielectric and ac conductivity studies of ZnO/Eu3+:titanosilicate matrix 2nd International conference on Optoelectronic Materials and Thin films for Advanced Technology -OMTAT 2013 2013 CUSAT, India
28 Synthesis and dielectric studies of poly (vinyl pyrrolidone)/titanium dioxide nanocomposites International Conference on Materials Science and Technology - ICMST 2012 2012 St. Thomas College, Pala, India
29 Microwave Dielectric Properties Of C30doped PMMA Matrix In The X-Band National Seminar on Current trends in Materials Science 2012 NSS college, Changanacherry, Kerala, India
30 Structural and spectroscopic studies of Sm3+/CdSe nanocrystallites in TiO2–ZrO2 matrices Second International Conference on Nanomaterials – Synthesis, Characterization & Applications (ICN 2012) 2012 Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, India
31 Nanocrystallization Of TiO2 In PVP Matrix And Its Structural Characterizations Third International Conference on Frontiers in Nanoscience and Technology- Cochin Nano-2011 2011 CUSAT, India
32 White Light Emission From Tb3+:Eu3+/PVA Film Under Single UV Excitation Mesmerism in Opto-Electronics- National Workshop 2011 Baselius College, Kottayam, India
33 RGB Emission From RE Ions Doped Titania/PVP Hybrid Matrix OPTICS 11- International Conference on Light 2011 National Institute of Technology Calicut, India
34 Fluorescence Enhancement In Sm3+/TiO2 Nanocrystallites Doped PVP Matrix International Conference on Contemporary Trends in Optics and Optoelectronics- XXXV Optical Society of India Symposium 2011 IIST Trivandrum, India
35 Synthesis And Characterization Of Anatase TiO2 Nanoparticles By Simple Polymer Gel Technique First International Conference on Composites and Nanocomposites (ICNC-2011) 2011 Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, India

Membership in Academic Bodies

# Title Details Description
1 Rare Earth Association of India (REAI) Life Member .
2 Indian Laser Association (ILA) Life Member .
3 Institute For Engineering Research and Publication (IFERP) Member 2023-2024
4 Board of Studies (BoS) of Physics (Fatima Mata National College) Member & Secretary 2021-2026
5 Project Cell (Fatima Mata National College) Member Since 2021
6 Product Development, Monitoring and Commercialization (Committee 4) in Research and Development Cell (RDC) (Fatima Mata National College) Convener Since 2022
7 Virtual Labs of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Nodal coordinator at Fatima Mata National College Since 2023
8 Equal Opportunity Cell (Fatima Mata National College) Member Since 2023
9 Electoral Literacy Club (Fatima Mata National College) Member Since 2023
10 Disaster Management Cell (Fatima Mata National College) Member Since 2023
11 Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS) Nodal Co-ordinator at Fatima Mata National College Since 2024
12 Internship Cell (Fatima Mata National College) Member Since 2026
13 Board of Studies (BoS) of Physics (Fatima Mata National College) Chairman Since 2026

Achievements and Awards

# Title Details
1 Hugh Kelly Research Fellowship South Africa
2 United Arab Emirates University Program for Advanced Research (UPAR) Postdoctoral Fellowship Abu Dhabi
3 Claude Leon Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship South Africa
4 University Grants Commission (UGC) – Dr. D. S. Kothari Postdoctoral Fellowship (DSKPDF) India
5 Research Fellowships in Science for Meritorious Students (RFSMS-UGC) India
6 Kerala State Council for Science, Technology & Environment (KSCSTE) Project Fellowship India
7 Won second place in the paper presentation competition at the Indo-German Conference on Laser Applications and Nanoscience, held in Thiruvananthapuram. India

Research and Supervision

# Details

Mphil or PhD Thesis

# Title Guide Name Institution
1 RE3+ Doped Multicomponent Glasses and Ion Exchanged/Laser Written Waveguides Prof. N. V. Unnikrishnan Mahatma Gandhi University

Research Projects

# Title Investigator(s) Sponsors

Workshop|FDP|Training Programme

# Name of the Workshop / FDP / Training programme Name of the Organizer Level Date
1 UGC -sponsored Refresher Course in Physics UGC – HRDC, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India National 2023
2 Orientation Programme for Implementation of Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUGP) The Kerala State of Higher Education Council at Fatima Mata National College, Kollam, India State 2023
3 FDP on “Art of Writing Research Paper – Methods & Solution (Advance Tools and Techniques for Research Methodology)” Sage University- Indore, Research Foundation of India & RFI–CARE National 2022
4 Faculty Development Programme on “Pedagogy and Learning: Mapping New Approaches" Jyoti Nivas College, Bengaluru, India National 2022
5 Refresher Course in “Physics” Teaching Learning Centre, Ramanujan College, University of Delhi National 2021
6 Orientation Programme for “Faculty in Universities/Colleges/Institutes of Higher Education” Teaching Learning Centre, Ramanujan College, University of Delhi National 2021
7 Faculty Development Programme on Material Characterization Techniques Bhavan’s Vivekananda College of Science, Humanities & Commerce, Secunderabad, India National 2021
8 Faculty Development Programme on “Nanomaterials: Experimental Design & Theoretical Modeling Indian Institute of Technology Warangal and Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing Kurnool National 2021
9 Faculty Development Program on Innovative Practices for Academic Excellence (Multidisciplinary) Guru Angad Dev Teaching Learning Centre, a centre under PMMMNMTT, MoE, Government of India and Bishop Abraham Memorial College, Thuruthicad National 2021
10 Faculty Development Program on “Advances in Optics and Photonics” MLR Institute of Technology (Autonomous), Hyderabad, India International 2020
11 Faculty Development Programme (FDP) on “Applications of Nanotechnology in Bio-medicine and Energy” Rajeev Gandhi Memorial College of Engineering and Technology (Autonomous), Andhra Pradesh, India National 2020
12 Faculty Development Program on “Advances in Photonics” Rajeev Gandhi Memorial College of Engineering and Technology (Autonomous), Andhra Pradesh, India National 2020
13 Workshop on Leveraging Information & Communication Technology in Education Fatima Mata National College, Kollam, Kerala, India State 2025
14 Intellectual Property Awareness/Training Program Intellectual Property Office, India State 2023
15 Workshop on Advanced Materials Ras Al Khamiah Center for Advanced Materials, UAE International 2020
16 Winter School-2014 on Frontiers in Material Science Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India National 2014
17 Workshop on Advanced Characterization Techniques IIT Bombay, India National 2014
18 DST-SERC School on Nonlinear Optics and Materials SSN College of Engineering, Chennai, India National 2014
19 Winter School-2013 on Frontiers of Material Science Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India National 2013
20 Workshop on Frontiers of Spectroscopy and Microscopy Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, India National 2012
21 Workshop on Mathematics for (Astro)Physics Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, India National 2011
22 Workshop of Third International Conference on Frontiers in Nanoscience and Technology ‘Cochin Nano-2011’ CUSAT, India International 2011
23 Workshop on ‘Mesmerism in Opto-Electronics’ Baselius College Kottayam, Kerala, India National 2011
24 Workshop on Mathematical methods in physics Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, India National 2011
25 Teachers Training Workshop on Student Counselling Spirituality, Life, and Mental Health Movement (SAMM), Kottayam, Kerala, India State 2009