Puneet Murthy
Physicist
Prof Dr Puneet Murthy is a physicist and assistant professor at ETH Zurich, where he leads a research group at the intersection of quantum optics, materials science and nanotechnology. His work explores new ways of controlling light and matter at the quantum scale, with applications ranging from precision sensing to quantum technologies.
Born and educated in India, he completed his undergraduate studies in physics in Mysore before moving to Germany to pursue a PhD in atomic physics at Heidelberg University. After postdoctoral research at ETH Zurich, he joined the faculty there in 2023.
Alongside his physics research, Murthy is deeply engaged in art–science collaborations. Together with the artist Rosa Barba, he co-teaches the interdisciplinary course “Understanding Light” at ETH Zurich, which brings together perspectives from physics and visual art to explore the nature of light as both a scientific phenomenon and a cultural medium. Their collaboration bridges quantum physics and imagination, seeking to expand how light, perception, and knowledge can be understood through dialogue between disciplines.