THEORETICAL PHYSICIST APOORV TIWARI AND THE UNKNOWN KNOWN by Mihir Srivastava

Theoretical physicist Apoorv Tiwari is a 36 years old Indian with boyish looks, is​ a leading researcher in the field of quantum physics, currently is the assistant professor in the University of Southern Denmark. His research lies at the intersection of physics and mathematics, and he endeavours to get a better understanding of the fundamental nature of the universe.  

Apoorv employs Quantum Field Theory (QFT), a theoretical framework that combines quantum mechanics and special relativity to describe the behaviour of particles and forces, to better understand the interplay between observation and physical phenomena, offers best explanation so far of the reality as we perceive, and beyond.

And to do​ that, he tries to find novel ways to understand symmetries, which, in physics, refer to patterns and rules that remain unchanged despite altering the way we look at the system. Symmetry, therefore, becomes a tool to investigate quantum matter. However, Apoorv explains, is almost like a blind date with ‘fuzzy quantum’, for symmetries may not always lead to a ‘finished answer’, instead, more questions. But what it does with an element of certainty is, helps eliminate what’s not possible. That’s good enough!

Here the thought experiments lead to mathematical models, however, lately, the mathematical models have outpaced experimental validation that lags by many years.

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Apoorv is not a nutty professor, far from it, is the boy next door who likes to play with his kids, crawl on the floor with them, spend time with friends, cooks varied cuisines, and do such things. He's passionate about music, was part of a band since school days and owns five guitars and a sarod.

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Apoorv lives in Copenhagen with his mathematician wife, Itziar, belongs to the Basque Country, an autonomous community in northern Spain, and teaches in a kindergarten. They are proud parents of daughter Amaia, who is 4 years old and son, Aimar, who will complete his first round around the sun in a couple of months.

After finishing his MSc from IIT Delhi, Apoorv went to pursue higher studies in the US in 2011. He wanted to study cosmology and make better sense of the vast universe. However, he became fascinated by biological physics, but finally he chanced upon quantum physics, it was a roll of the dice by destiny, and a long association ensued.

The nebulous quantum world intrigued him, kept him going, and he did well and rose up the ladder. But it was not a smooth sail, always. He has had his share of disenchantment.

Like when he was pursuing doctoral research, there were too many things going on at the same time, ten meetings a day each dealing with a different issue, and despite spending a lot of time and energy nothing much was adding up.

He'd rather focus on two projects and take it to a logical conclusion (though logic is the most illogical thing in the quantum world) than be in a delusion of trying to achieve something in many things, dissipating energies in all directions. Apoorv puts it succinctly, ‘we weren’t dirtying our hands.’ At this stage, he was open to a change.  

That’s when destiny rolled the dice one more time to give a certain direction in this state of fuzzy ambiguity. He shifted to Stockholm, and joined postdoctoral research at KTH. This shift coincided with the birth of Amaia, and the romance with the quantum world resumed with a greater vigour (also rigour).

Apoorv, however, qualifies my optimistic enthusiasm with his enduring relationship to the quantum world, by saying, nothing is permanent. Things may change. You don’t have to be a quantum physicist to know that change is the only constant. The idea is not to take oneself and what one does very seriously. “It will be okay if I stop doing physics. Maze loot lo (have a lot of fun till it lasts). I have not taken a vow (to pursue physics),” he says.

He’s not a nutty professor, far from it, is the boy next door who likes to play with his kids, crawl on the floor with them, spend time with friends, and cooks varied cuisines, and do such things. He's passionate about music, was part of a band since school days and owns five guitars and a sarod.

Family is important. It keeps him grounded. Not barring that ‘reality is the most persistent illusion,’ as Albert Einstein famously said, the tactileness of the manifest keeps one grounded. Apoorv needs a reality check to do better in the quantum world. "It’s not so particular to me" he insists, "it's true for all, family keeps one grounded," he says.

His father, Sanjay, is an entrepreneur, an artist in his own right and

a self-taught expert on trees and birds. “When Apoorv does a thing, he gives hundred present to the task at hand,” says Sanjay. And that’s not just about work, but is true to all his endeavours. That’s why he is a fast learner, and this encourages him to learn new things.

Fun coefficient is a must in life. Sanjay was visiting Apoorv in New Orleans, this was before the Apoorv got married. Sanjay didn’t turn up at an appointed time to his son’s consternation. When he finally arrived, a few long hours later, seemed to have emerged from a serious party, booze-happy, shirt unbuttoned, with a garland around his neck as a parting gift. Inspirational!

Many years later, when Apoorv was welcomed home in Delhi by his grandmother, Vimla, a poet, first time after his marriage. She went to her room to fetch family jewels for the bride. Instead, she returned, by mistake, with the same garland Sanjay wore after the party in New Orleans. They had a big laugh. It was a full circle moment. The garland remains one of his most prized possessions, almost as precious as the family jewels.

Quantum is a mathematically derived philosophy of non-dualism, the vice versa is also true. It helped me make sense of my artistic​ tryst of documenting people in the buff. Therefore, it was fun conversing with Apoorv. Perhaps, one day there’d be an artistic interpretation, to supplement the mathematical models of the quantum world.

Life, like quantum, is a bundle of contradictions and paradoxes, and to get a semblance of control one needs to shun the need to control. And let things happen. Things are happening to Apoorv. So, all the best!