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{{Short description|Indian physicist and professor (born 1962)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2023}}
{{puffery|date=September 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| image = C. S. Unnikrishnan.jpg
| caption = Unnikrishnan in 2023
| name = C.S. Unnikrishnan
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1962|7|25|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Kalady, Keralam, India
| alma_mater = [[IIT Madras|Indian Institute of Technology, Madras]] [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]] [[University of Mumbai]]
| occupation = Professor, [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]], India; Professor, [[Defence Institute of Advanced Technology]], India; Adjunct Professor, [[Indian Institute of Astrophysics]], India;
| awards = [[Breakthrough Prize]] in Physics (2016) [[Gruber Prize]] in Cosmology (2016)
| spouse =
| parents = C.K. Sivarama Pillai: G.Kalyanikutty Amma
| children =
}}

'''C. S. Unnikrishnan''' (born 25 July 1962) is an Indian physicist and professor known for his contributions in multiple areas of experimental and theoretical physics. He has been a professor at the [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]]<ref name=":62">{{Cite web |title=CS Unnikrishnan {{!}} Tata Institute of Fundamental Research - Academia.edu |url=https://tifr.academia.edu/CSUnnikrishnan |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=tifr.academia.edu}}</ref> Mumbai and is currently a professor in the School of Quantum Technology at the [[Defence Institute of Advanced Technology]]<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |title=Faculty |url=https://sqtdiat.in/faculty/ |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=School of Quantum Technologies |language=en-US}}</ref> in Pune. He has made significant contributions in foundational issues in gravity<ref>{{Citation |title=Relativity@Helsinki | date=25 August 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slJGmVJYDic |access-date=2023-03-04 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Unnikrishnan |first=C.S. |url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-08935-0 |title=New Relativity in the Gravitational Universe |series=Fundamental Theories of Physics |publisher=Springer |year=2022 |volume=209 |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-031-08935-0|isbn=978-3-031-08934-3 |s2cid=253304794 }}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Unnikrishnan |first=C.S. |date=2022 |title=Gravity's Time |url=https://www.routledge.com/Gravitys-Time/Unnikrishnan/p/book/9789814877725 |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=Routledge & CRC Press |language=en}}</ref><ref name="AN01">{{cite news |last1=Vijayan |first1=Vipin |title=Asianet News Dialogues: 'Einstein's theory of relativity is incorrect, must be totally replaced' |url=https://newsable.asianetnews.com/india/asianet-news-dialogues-with-professor-cs-unnikrishnan-ro60ki |access-date=18 February 2023 |publisher=Asianet |date=8 January 2023}}</ref><ref name=":11" /> and quantum physics and has published over 250 research papers and articles.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CS Unnikrishnan |url=https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=5n2wWlMAAAAJ&hl=en |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=scholar.google.co.in}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=C.S |first=Unnikrishnan |title=JSTOR: Search Results |url=https://www.jstor.org/action/doBasicSearch?Query=%22C.S.+Unnikrishnan%22&acc=on&wc=on |access-date=2023-02-19 |website=www.jstor.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author= |date=n.d.|title=Prof. C. S. Unnikrishnan |url=https://bvinst.edu/prof-c-s-unnikrishnan/ |access-date=2025-10-28 |website=Bhaktivedanta Institute |language=en-US}}</ref> Unnikrishnan is also a key member of the [[Indian Initiative in Gravitational-wave Observations|LIGO-India]]<ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-02-12 |title=TIFR played a crucial role in gravitational wave detection |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/tifr-played-a-crucial-role-in-gravitational-wave-detection/articleshow/50967264.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2023-02-17 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=IndIGO-GWIC-11 |url=https://studylib.net/doc/9710285/indigo-gwic-11 |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=studylib.net |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=R |first=Ramachandran |date=2010-09-18 |title=India set for building prototype gravitational wave detector |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/India-set-for-building-prototype-gravitational-wave-detector/article15973731.ece |access-date=2023-02-22 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=C.S. |first=Unnikrishnan |title=IndIGO AND LIGO-INDIA: SCOPE AND PLANS FOR GRAVITATIONAL WAVE RESEARCH AND PRECISION METROLOGY IN INDIA |journal=International Journal of Modern Physics D |year=2013 |volume=22 |issue=1 |doi=10.1142/S0218271813410101 |arxiv=1510.06059 |bibcode=2013IJMPD..2241010U |s2cid=119297978 }}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Citation |title=Talk 5 - Surfing in Physics with the Waves of Gravity and Electromagnetism - Prof. C S Unnikrishnan | date=3 August 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITe7Ey2KbAI |language=en |access-date=2023-02-22}}</ref> project and a member of the global [[LIGO Scientific Collaboration]]<ref name=":72">{{Cite web |title=The LIGO Team Members {{!}} Gruber Foundation |url=https://gruber.yale.edu/ligo-team-members |access-date=2023-02-18 |website=gruber.yale.edu}}</ref><ref name=":10" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=R. |first=Ramachandran |date=2018-10-24 |title=The Prize and many firsts |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/science-and-technology/article25308175.ece |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=frontline.thehindu.com |language=en}}</ref>

== Education ==
Unnikrishnan received his M.Sc. degree from [[IIT Madras|Indian Institute of Technology, Madras]] and his Ph.D. from the [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]], [[University of Mumbai]]. He has also been a visiting researcher at the [[Kastler–Brossel Laboratory|Kastler-Brossel Laboratory]] of the [[École normale supérieure (Paris)|Ecole Normale Supérieure]] in Paris and at the [[Sorbonne Paris North University|University of Paris 13]].

== Research contributions ==
Unnikrishnan is a renowned researcher in the field of foundational issues in [[gravity]]<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration |last2=Abbott |first2=B. P. |last3=Abbott |first3=R. |last4=Abbott |first4=T. D. |last5=Abernathy |first5=M. R. |last6=Acernese |first6=F. |last7=Ackley |first7=K. |last8=Adams |first8=C. |last9=Adams |first9=T. |last10=Addesso |first10=P. |last11=Adhikari |first11=R. X. |last12=Adya |first12=V. B. |last13=Affeldt |first13=C. |last14=Agathos |first14=M. |last15=Agatsuma |first15=K. |date=2016-02-11 |title=Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger |url=https://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.061102 |journal=Physical Review Letters |volume=116 |issue=6 |article-number=061102 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.061102|pmid=26918975 |arxiv=1602.03837 |bibcode=2016PhRvL.116f1102A |s2cid=119286014 }}</ref><ref name=":42">{{Cite web |last=C.S. |first=Unnikrishnan |title=Gravity's Time |url=https://www.jennystanford.com/9789814877725/gravitys-time |access-date=2023-02-18 |website=Jenny Stanford Publishing |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":52">{{Cite book |last=C.S |first=Unnikrishnan |url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-08935-0 |title=New Relativity in the Gravitational Universe |publisher=Springer |year=2022 |isbn=978-3-031-08934-3 |edition= |series=Fundamental Theories of Physics |volume=209 |location=Switzerland |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-031-08935-0 |s2cid=253304794}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Citation |title=Galileo, Time and Space: Gravity affecting clocks | date=4 September 2008 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwus3FZKG3w |language=en |access-date=2023-02-21}}</ref> and [[Quantum mechanics|quantum physics]],<ref>{{Cite arXiv |last=d'Espagnat |first=Bernard |date=2003-02-21 |title=On the Unnikrishnan approach to the notion of locality |eprint=quant-ph/0302167 }}</ref> including [[quantum optics]].<ref>{{Cite arXiv |last=Unnikrishnan |first=C. S. |date=2019-12-23 |title=Quantum Noise in Balanced Differential Measurements in Optics: Implication to the Wave Modes of Quantum Vacuum |class=quant-ph |eprint=1912.11362}}</ref> His expertise lies in experimental physics, and he has been instrumental in setting up the laser-cooling laboratory at TIFR,<ref name=":92">{{Cite web |last=G. S. |first=Mudur |title=Bose-Einstein feat in India |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/bose-einstein-feat-in-india/cid/681183 |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=www.telegraphindia.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=- a-n The Artists Information Company |url=https://www.a-n.co.uk/blogs/khoj-residency-india/post/387397/ |access-date=2023-02-19 |language=en-GB}}</ref> Mumbai. He is well-versed in the use of [[Torsion spring|torsion balances]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Unnikrishnan |first=C S |date=1994-06-01 |title=Experimental gravitation in India: progress and challenges |url=https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0264-9381/11/6A/015 |journal=Classical and Quantum Gravity |volume=11 |issue=6A |pages=A195–A206 |doi=10.1088/0264-9381/11/6A/015 |s2cid=250885722 |issn=0264-9381|url-access=subscription }}</ref> [[Interferometry|interferometers]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last=C. S. |first=Unnikrishnan |date=July 2000 |title=Origin of quantum-mechanical complementarity without momentum back action in atom-interferometry experiments |journal=Physical Review A |volume=62 |issue=1|article-number=015601 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevA.62.015601 |bibcode=2000PhRvA..62a5601U }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=C. S. |first=Unnikrishnan |date=3 December 2012 |title=Reexamining the roles of gravitational and inertial masses in gravimetry with atom interferometers |journal=Physics Letters A |volume=377 |issue=1–2 |pages=60–63|doi=10.1016/j.physleta.2012.11.012 |bibcode=2012PhLA..377...60U }}</ref> laser cooled atoms,<ref>{{Cite web |last=ayecapitalist |title=Capitalist Muse |date=18 December 2011 |url=https://ayecapitalist.com/2011/12/18/the-higgs-boson-have-we-just-found-the-god-particle/?amp=1}}</ref> and [[Bose–Einstein condensate|Bose-Einstein Condensates]]<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pereira Dos Santos |first1=F. |last2=Léonard |first2=J. |last3=Wang |first3=Junmin |last4=Barrelet |first4=C. J. |last5=Perales |first5=F. |last6=Rasel |first6=E. |last7=Unnikrishnan |first7=C. S. |last8=Leduc |first8=M. |last9=Cohen-Tannoudji |first9=C. |date=2001-04-16 |title=Bose-Einstein Condensation of Metastable Helium |url=https://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.3459 |journal=Physical Review Letters |volume=86 |issue=16 |pages=3459–3462 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.3459|pmid=11327998 |arxiv=cond-mat/0103387 |bibcode=2001PhRvL..86.3459D }}</ref> for his experiments.<ref>{{Citation |title=The Unknown Real Nature of Light: ROWS 2020 Prof C S UNNIKRISHNAN | date=18 October 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GwkLeJSIKw |language=en |access-date=2023-02-22}}</ref>

Unnikrishnan's major theoretical contributions include the Theory of Cosmic Relativity<ref>{{Citation |last=Unnikrishnan |first=C. S. |title=Cosmic Gravity and the Quantum Spin |date=2022 |work=New Relativity in the Gravitational Universe: The Theory of Cosmic Relativity and Its Experimental Evidence |series=Fundamental Theories of Physics |volume=209 |pages=373–405 |editor-last= |editor-first= |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-031-08935-0_13 |isbn=978-3-031-08935-0 }}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Unnikrishnan |first=C. S. |title=Cosmic Relativity—The Theory and itItsrimary Fundamental Results |date=2022 |work=New Relativity in the Gravitational Universe: The Theory of Cosmic Relativity and Its Experimental Evidence |volume=209 |pages=255–306 |editor-last= |editor-first= |series=Fundamental Theories of Physics |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-031-08935-0_10 |isbn=978-3-031-08935-0 }}</ref><ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=T. P. |first=Sooraj |title=ഐന്‍സ്റ്റീന്‍ സിദ്ധാന്തങ്ങളെ അടിമുടി നിരാകരിക്കുന്ന കണ്ടെത്തലുകള്‍ |url=https://www.samakalikamalayalam.com/malayalam-vaarika/essays/2022/jun/21/findings-that-refute-einsteins-theories-152100.html |access-date=2023-02-19 |website=Samakalika Malayalam |date=21 June 2022 |language=ml}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Namboothiri |first=VPN |date= |title=India's Physics community must lend its ears to Cosmic Relativity that challenges Einstein's theory |url=https://newsable.asianetnews.com/india/opinion-india-physics-community-must-lend-its-ears-to-cosmic-relativity-that-challenges-einstein-s-theory-ru85xe |access-date=2023-05-06 |website=Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd |language=en}}</ref> and Universal Action Mechanics. These theories have provided new insights into our understanding of the interplay between gravity and quantum mechanics, and have opened up new avenues for further research. Cosmic Relativity,<ref>{{Citation |title=Talk 6 - Gravity's Time in Physics, Life, and GPS - Prof. C. S. Unnikrishnan | date=7 August 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JL8kJadMZY |language=en |access-date=2023-02-22}}</ref> replaces current theories of dynamics and relativity and argues that all relativistic phenomena and laws of dynamics are controlled by the [[gravitational potential]]s of matter and energy in the universe.<ref name="AN01" /> It provides evidence and solutions to several major issues in fundamental physics.<ref>{{Citation |last=Unnikrishnan |first=C. S. |title=The Paradigm of Cosmic Relativity and Its Evidence |date=2022 |work=New Relativity in the Gravitational Universe: The Theory of Cosmic Relativity and Its Experimental Evidence |volume=209 |pages=3–29 |editor-last= |editor-first= |series=Fundamental Theories of Physics |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-031-08935-0_1 |isbn=978-3-031-08935-0 }}</ref>

The discovery of the quantization of the [[Hall effect]], where the movement of electrons is restricted to a 2-D plane, was characterized by quantized plateaus in the Hall resistance and has a simple theory for the integer [[quantum Hall effect]],<ref name=":3">{{Citation |last=Unnikrishnan |first=C. S. |title=The Quantum Hall Effects: Gravity in Condensed Matter |date=2022 |work=New Relativity in the Gravitational Universe: The Theory of Cosmic Relativity and Its Experimental Evidence |volume=209 |pages=407–444 |editor-last= |editor-first= |series=Fundamental Theories of Physics |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-031-08935-0_14 |isbn=978-3-031-08935-0 }}</ref> but there is still no proper understanding of the more spectacular [[fractional quantum Hall effect]].<ref name=":3" /> The Cosmic Relativity theory offers a comprehensive understanding of both integer and fractional effects by modifying the [[Degenerate energy levels|quantum degeneracy]] due to cosmic gravitomagnetic interaction.<ref>{{Cite arXiv |last=Unnikrishnan |first=C. S. |date=2021-09-30 |title=A Coherent and Unified Single Particle Description of the Integer and Fractional Quantum Hall Effects |class=physics.gen-ph |eprint=2110.00343}}</ref>

== Professional accomplishments ==

'''Awards'''

* [[First observation of gravitational waves#Announcement|Breakthrough Prize]] in Physics (2016)
* [https://gruber.yale.edu/cosmology/press/2016-gruber-cosmology-prize-press-release#:~:text=The%20Gruber%20Foundation%20proudly%20presents,collision%20of%20two%20black%20holes. Gruber Prize in Cosmology] (2016)

Unnikrishnan is a key member and proposer-scientist of the LIGO-India<ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-02-12 |title=TIFR played a crucial role in gravitational wave detection |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/tifr-played-a-crucial-role-in-gravitational-wave-detection/articleshow/50967264.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2023-02-20 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> project and has been a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC).<ref name=":72"/> He has made a significant impact in the field of [[gravitational wave]]s<ref name=":82">{{Cite web |title=INSPIRE |url=https://inspirehep.net/authors/985214}}</ref><ref name=":92"/> as he shared the [[Breakthrough Prize]] in Physics<ref>{{Cite web |title=Breakthrough Prize – Special Breakthrough Prize In Fundamental Physics Awarded For Detection Of Gravitational Waves 100 Years After Albert Einstein Predicted Their Existence |url=https://breakthroughprize.org/News/32 |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=breakthroughprize.org |language=en}}</ref> and the [[Gruber Foundation|Gruber Prize]] in Cosmology<ref>{{Cite web |title=2016 Gruber Cosmology Prize Press Release {{!}} Gruber Foundation |url=https://gruber.yale.edu/cosmology/press/2016-gruber-cosmology-prize-press-release#:~:text=The%20Gruber%20Foundation%20proudly%20presents,collision%20of%20two%20black%20holes. |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=gruber.yale.edu}}</ref> with the LSC in 2016 for their groundbreaking discovery.

He has held academic positions at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR)<ref name=":62"/> Mumbai, India, School of Quantum Technology at the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) <ref name=":02"/> Pune, India and Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore, India.

Unnikrishnan has published over 250 research papers and articles, and is also the author of two major works:<ref name=":52"/><ref name=":42"/> his first monograph "Gravity's Time"<ref name=":42"/> and a major treatise "New Relativity in the Gravitational Universe".<ref name=":13">{{Cite book |last=Unnikrishnan |first=C.S. |url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-08935-0 |title=New Relativity in the Gravitational Universe |publisher=Springer |year=2022 |isbn=978-3-031-08934-3 |series=Fundamental Theories of Physics |volume=209 |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-031-08935-0 |s2cid=253304794}}</ref> The treatise, which presents a new and innovative perspective on the foundational basis of relativity,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-02-28 |title=Newer theories to the fore at Physical Universe meet |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/newer-theories-to-the-fore-at-physical-universe-meet/articleshow/63101714.cms |access-date=2023-03-03 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> has had a major impact in the field. The latter book calls for a change in the foundational basis of relativity and provides a solution to outstanding questions and puzzles about dynamics and relativity.

== Books authored ==

* ''Gravity's Time''<ref>{{Cite web |last=C.S. |first=Unnikrishnan |title=Gravity's tTme |url=https://www.jennystanford.com/author/c-s-unnikrishnan/ |access-date=2023-02-23 |website=Jenny Stanford Publishing |language=en-US}}</ref>
* ''New Relativity in the Gravitational Universe''<ref>{{Cite book |last=C.S. |first=Unnikrishnan |url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-08935-0 |title=New Relativity in the Gravitational Universe |series=Fundamental Theories of Physics |publisher=Springer |year=2022 |volume=209 |isbn=978-3-031-08934-3 |location=Switzerland |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-031-08935-0|s2cid=253304794 }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Unnikrishnan, C.S.}}
[[Category:Indian scientists]]
[[Category:Indian physicists]]
[[Category:Tata Institute of Fundamental Research alumni]]
[[Category:Academic staff of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]]
[[Category:Relativity theorists]]
[[Category:Defence Research and Development Organisation]]
[[Category:Indian quantum physicists]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian scientists]]
[[Category:1962 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]

C.S. Unnikrishnan - Revision history

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