Richard Fernandes
Areas of Interest & Expertise
- Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy
- Liquid and Plastic Crystals
- Phase Transitions
- Optical and Electronic Instrumentation
- Science Education
Biography
I have a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur. I did doctoral research at the Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bengaluru. I followed that with post-doctoral work at the University of Louisville and subsequently worked at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore till 1990.
In 1990, I teamed up with a group of interested educators and co-founded Centre for Learning, an“alternative” school in Bengaluru where I designed, developed and implemented laboratory-based curricula for learning Physics.
I have also designed and executed a wide range of automation projects for industries and research laboratories, primarily in the areas of supervisory control, data acquisition and robotic positioning systems over a period of 25 years.
I believe that physics is best learnt by doing and I enjoy building experimental apparatus from material found in scrap yards or cannibalised from discarded instruments.
I reject the“black box” approach to laboratory experiments and encourage students to assemble their experimental apparatus.
I enjoy woodworking and machining. I am an avid do-it-yourself (DIY) fan and I have many unfinished projects at home.
Courses
Microcontrollers and Instrumentation
Measure and control physical parameters for all sorts of laboratory and commercial applications.
Introduction to Physics I
Experimental Foundations: Perform experiments that were significant milestones in the development of physics.
Wave Phenomena
The basis for understanding electromagnetic waves that constitute light, matter waves in quantum physics, and gravitational waves in cosmology.
Microcontrollers and Instrumentation
Measure and control physical parameters for all sorts of laboratory and commercial applications.
Modern Physics
A look at the major developments of Physics.
Publications
Journal Articles
- Venugopalan, S., Fernandes, J.R., & Vani, G. V. (1975). Far-infrared and Raman spectra of the solid phases of CBOOA. Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals, 31(1 — 2), 29—46. https://doi.org/10.1080/15421407508082856
- Fernandes, J.R., & Venugopalan, S. (1976). Infrared spectroscopic study of orientational order and phase transformations in liquid crystalline CBOOA. Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals, 35 (1 — 2), 113—134. https://doi.org/10.1080/15421407608084315
- Venugopalan, S., Fernandes, J.R., & Surendranath, V. (1977). Far-infrared absorption in the highly ordered smectic phases of TBBA. Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals, 40(1), 149—161. https://doi.org/10.1080/15421407708084478
- Fernandes, J.R., & Venugopalan, S. (1978). Differential dichroic spectroscopy in liquid crystals using unpolarized radiation. Chemical Physics Letters, 53(2), 407—412. https://doi.org/10.1016/0009 – 2614(78)85429 – 3
- Fernandes, J.R., & Venugopalan, S. (1979). Orientational order and tricritical behavior in the n‑OMCPC series of liquid crystals. The Journal of Chemical Physics, 70(1), 519—522. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.437164
- Ganguly, S., Fernandes, J.R., Bahadur, D., & Rao, C.N.R. (1979). Infrared and nuclear quadrupole resonance studies of the phase transitions of para-dichlorobenzene. J. Chem. Soc., Faraday Trans. 2, 75, 923—928. https://doi.org/10.1039/F29797500923
- Ganguly, S., Fernandes, J.R., Desiraju, G.R., & Rao, C.N.R. (1980). Phase transition in malonic acid: An infrared study. Chemical Physics Letters, 69(2), 227—229. https://doi.org/10.1016/0009 – 2614(80)85052 – 4
- Ganguly, S., Fernandes, J.R., & Rao, C.N.R. (1980). Calorimetric, infrared and electron-spin-resonance studies of the plastically crystalline state of organic-compounds, Adv Mol Relaxation Inter Process, 20, 149.
- Fernandes, J.R., & DuPre, D.B.(1981). Determination of the bend and splay elastic constants of polymeric liquid crystals, Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals, 72(2 — 3), 67—71. https://doi.org/10.1080/01406568108084039
- Ganguly, P., Fernandes, J. R., & Rao, C.N.R. (1987). Infrared-spectra of superconducting La2- xSRxCuO4 and YBa2Cu3O7‑δ. Phase Transitions,10 (1 — 2), 77—86. https://doi.org/10.1080/01411598708220083
- Fernandes, J.R., Varma, V., Ganguly, P. & Rao, C.N.R. (1988). FTIR spectra of YBa2Cu3O7‑δ and related oxides. Modern Physics Letters B, 2(1), 517—521. https://doi.org/10.1142/S0217984988000102
- Varma, V., Fernandes, J.R., & Rao, C.N.R. (1989). Raman and infrared spectroscopic studies of the low- and high-temperature forms of octahalo cyclic phosphazene tetramers, P4N4Cl8 and P4N4F8.Journal of Molecular Structure, 198, 403 — 412. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022 – 2860(89)80052 – 3
- Varma, V., & Fernandes, J.R. (1990). An infrared spectroscopic study of the low-spin-high-spin transition in FexMn1‑x(Phen)2(NCS)2: A composition-induced change in the order of the spin-state transition. Chemical Physics Letters, 167(4), 367 — 370. https://doi.org/10.1016/0009 – 2614(90)87184‑S
- Varma, V., Bhattacharjee, R., Fernandes, J.R., & Rao, C.N.R. (1990). Phase transitions in KLiSO4 and RbLiSO4+: An infrared spectroscopic investigation. Solid State Communications, 76(5), 627—630. https://doi.org/10.1016/0038 – 1098(90)90103‑I
- Bhattacharjee, R., Varma, V., Fernandes, J.R., Rao, & C.N.R. (1990). A raman and infrared spectroscopic study of the ferroelectric phase-transition of (CH3NH3)5Bi2Br11. Ferroelectrics Letters Section 12(4), 79—84. https://doi.org/10.1080/07315179008201131
- Fernandes, J.R., Ganguly, S., & Rao, C.N.R. (1979). Infrared spectroscopic study of the phase transitions in CsNO3, RbNO3 and NH4NO3. Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular Spectroscopy, 35(9), 1013 — 1020. https://doi.org/10.1016/0584 – 8539(79)80001‑X
- Rao, C. N. R., Agarwal, U. P., Rao, C.P., & Fernandes, J.R. (1979). Study of methanol, 2‑methyl-2-propanol and formamide and their electrolyte solutions by infrared spectroscopy. The Journal of Physical Chemistry, 83(6), 722 —728. https://doi.org/10.1021/j100469a017
Chapter in Edited Book
- Dupré, D.B., Fernandes, J.R. (1985). The Determination of Elastic Constants in Weakly Birefringent Liquid Crystals. In A. Blumstein (Ed.), Polymeric Liquid Crystals (pp. 415 — 422). Springer.