Professor Dharamsi's  Research Background
Interaction of light with matter is the broad area of interest to Dr. Dharamsi. This area can be divided (although not neatly) into the two sections: 

(1) Interaction of light with matter in a manner that does not "substantially" perturb the target. This area leads naturally to non-intrusive diagnostics and the plethora of spectroscopic techniques available today, as well as remote sensing

(2) Interaction of light with matter in a manner that modifies the target. This area includes, but is not limited to, laser processing as well as to fields as exotic as laser inertial confinement fusion 

The breadth of the field becomes clear when one recognizes that, in a broad interpretation, the whole astoundingly large electromagnetic spectrum could be included. In practice, though, by the term "light" one generally is referring to that part of the spectrum that covers the region between the vacuum ultraviolet to mid infrared- this region covers the region between 190 nanometers and 10 micrometers. Even with this significant constraint the field is vast, there being a large number of interactions (coherent and incoherent; single and multiphoton; absorption, emission and scattering; etc) possible. 

Dr. Dharamsi's research interests are mainly in the fields of laser interaction with matter, when the laser is used as a non-intrusive probe. He has also worked on research projects with NASA involving solar occultation experiments for remote sensing of the atmosphere. In addition, his work has covered several areas in which the laser interacts strongly with the target. An example is his work on the generation of non-thermal compressions in layered semiconductors. Dr. Dharamsi takes particular pride in the fact that almost all his publications have involved student (mostly graduate students but often undergraduates, and a few occasions even  high school students) as co-authors.

Dr. Dharamsi has developed and taught courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Such courses include courses in Laser Engineering, Laser Applications, Electromagnetics, Electronics, Engineering Mathematics, Electro-optics, as well as several courses that served as independent study courses, including spectroscopic applications of group theory for doctoral students.

An indispensable component of teaching (in both directions: teaching students and being taught by students) occurs in the research interactions of the group.