Page 50 - Masala E-magazine Vol 9 Issue 3 December 2017-January 2018

People

The Scientist

Bangkok-born Rachpon Kalra speaks a
language unfamiliar to many. Currently
residing in Australia, this passionate

go-getter is one of the few who delved
into the fi eld of quantum computing

and nanotechnology.
By Krishna Mawani

Rachpon Kalra, more fondly known as Rajvir, had his rst taste
of research in 2009 when he was studying electrical engineering
for his undergraduate degree at the University of New South
Wales (UNSW) in Sydney. That summer, he took up a research
programme with globally-renowned Professor Andrea Morello,
who was making a lot of breakthroughs in the eld of quantum
computing. Needless to say, Rajvir loved the experience, and so he
gave up his initial pursuit for a corporate job, leaping into the world Were you ever unsure of your decision, as not many from the
of quantum electronics by pursing a PhD. Thai-Indian community tread upon this path?
Yes, de nitely. In fact, I still am! Fundamental research with this
Since then, he has spent nearly a decade in academia, receiving type of work is fraught with uncertainty. You don’t know whether
recognition and awards for his research in quantum science and or not the research you are doing is going to make an impact, so it
nanotechnology. His future aspirations are not con rmed, as he can be hard to stick to it. That being said, I am optimistic that both
may combine his background in science with his desire to try quantum science and nanotechnology have a bright future and I
something out in business. One thing, however, is for certain; Rajvir feel lucky to be a part of it.
will continue to make a positive contribution to humanity. It may
be through his mechanical oscillator for a ‘quantum’ version of the
Internet, or through a computer that is immune to radiation. Either What in uenced your choice to pursue this career path?
way, this young scientist is bursting with immense potential. I think I just kept going with the ow and seizing opportunities that
were in front of me. I started o with a vision of wanting to work
in banking, but chose electrical engineering so I could continue
to enjoy math and physics. Then I just happened to land up in
Tell us a little about yourself. Andrea’s quantum computing group, and before you know it, I
I studied in Ruamrudee International School and enjoyed math became a quantum engineer.
and physics during IB. I decided to continue that in university, but I
wanted to choose a eld that would also open doors to a variety of
jobs, so I chose electrical engineering. In fact, I chose it especially Tell us about your job as Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the
because I’d heard electrical engineers were in demand by banks University of Queensland.
for nance jobs. Obviously, things didn’t quite go the way I had After my PhD, I wanted to work on something slightly di erent to
initially envisioned. I started to really enjoy scienti c engineering expand my skill set. While my PhD taught me a lot about quantum
challenges. I nished my PhD early last year and I am still working electronics, I am now working with lasers and micro-mechanical
as a scientist. oscillators (think tiny see-saws on a microchip). One of the

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