• Skip to content

Plasma and Dielectrics Laboratory

Georgia Tech ECE Research Lab

  • People
  • Research
  • PURPLE
  • Courses
  • Publications
  • Sponsors
  • Location
  • News & Events
  • Contact Us

People

Meet our amazing team.

We’re a talented group of research-oriented individuals interested in plasma, cryogenic power electronics, switchgear contacts, heat pipe bushing, high current impulse generators, among others.

Lukas Graber

Associate Professor

Lukas Graber received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from ETH Zurich in 2002 and 2009 respectively. His Ph.D. research focused on SF6 leakage detection in gas-insulated switchgear and was awarded the ETG Innovation Prize. Before he joined Georgia Tech in 2015, he worked several years at the Center for Advanced Power System, Florida State University – initially as a post-doctoral research associate and later as a research faculty member. His focus was on superconducting power cables and fault current limiters, ultra-fast mechanical switchgear, short circuit forces in substations, and grounding aspects of power distribution on future all-electric Navy ships.

  • Google
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Zhiyang Jin

Research Engineer II

Zhiyang (Yang) Jin received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Canterbury(UoC), New Zealand in 2018, and B.E., M.S. degrees from North China Electric Power University. His current research focuses on the ultra-fast mechanical switchgear and applications of superconductivity in high-voltage power apparatus. He likes outdoor activities during his free time, such as tramping/hiking and climbing mountains. His current record is Mount Tapuae-o-Uenuku (2,885m), which took him three days to finish.

  • Google
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Alfonso Cruz Feliciano

Research Engineer I

I received my B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University in 2017 and my M.S. in ECE from Georgia Tech in 2019, focusing on Optics and Photonics. My research focuses on characterizing prespack IGBTs, capacitors, and coreless inductors at Cryogenic conditions. I am also researching supercritical fluid mixtures as new dielectrics to understand molecular clustering and its relationship to the electron mean free path. In my free time, I work on some DIY projects, take pictures, and read.

  • Google
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Graduate Students

Ning A Guo

Fall 2019 – Present

I received my B.E. in Electrical Engineering and Automation from Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China. Currently, I am pursuing my PhD degree at Georgia Tech with a focus on Electrical Energy. My research focuses on magnetic emanation characteristics from different equipment in substations and the surface flashover on ungrounded shipboard middle voltage power system. I enjoy Japanese cartoons, and I like playing badminton. I am planning to become a YouTuber and upload great videos someday.

  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Kayla Chuong

Fall 2022- Present

I received my B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Michigan State University in 2021 where I researched bioactive glass for the purpose of implant coatings. Now I am pursuing my Ph.D. degree at Georgia Tech, and my research has transitioned from biomaterials to electronics, specifically the synthesis and characterization of metal oxide varistors to be used in high voltage DC applications. In my spare time, I enjoy playing video games, reading, practicing kendo, and doing archery.

  • Email

Yang Liu

Fall 2021-Present

I received my BS and MS in Electrical Engineering from Xi’an Jiaotong University in 2009 and 2012. Afterward, I worked for the State Grid Corporation of China as a High Voltage Engineer in multiple departments and institutes, including the central office of the provincial power company in the dept. of maintenance and local research institutes. I was also enrolled in IEC as a partner member in the system committee of smart manufacturing and the system committee of smart cities. My wife and I are big fans of dogs, we have two in our home country, Tesla and Snowy, now raised by my parents.

  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Ajay Sukhwani

Fall 2022- Present

I received my B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech in 2022. During this time, I was heavily involved in HyTech Racing, the school’s fully electric Formula SAE racing team. I primarily worked on Powertrain and Suspension design and manufacturing. I also interned at Toyota R&D in the Ride and Handling Department during my undergrad. After that, I interned at Gecko Robotics, where I worked on the sensor payload and base station subsystems. I enjoy weightlifting, rock climbing, hiking, cooking, and racket sports.

  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Jeong Ho Choi

Fall 2019 – Present

I have worked as a senior engineer at Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) in South Korea since 2006. I am currently pursuing my Ph. D. degree at the Georgia Institute of Technology with core research on Electrical Energy. My research focuses on investigating high-temperature superconducting (HTS) power cable fault detection and analyzing the dielectric properties of electrical insulators in D.C. power systems. In my spare time, I enjoy playing soccer and board game with my kids, watching movies, and traveling with my family.

  • Email

Ebrahim Karimi

Fall 2021-Present

I received my B.S. in Physics in 2004 from Isfahan University of Technology (IUT), Iran, and my M.S. in Electrical Engineering in 2020 from Virginia Tech (VT). In my graduate research, I was involved in developing ion-implanted III-V photovoltaic devices. My current research focuses on creepage distance in MVDC shipboard insulation systems and piezoelectric-based fast mechanical switches. I enjoy planting, gardening, fishkeeping, listening to Persian classical music, daily news, and political analysis.

  • LinkedIn
  • Email

PURPLE 2023 Scholars

Mario Lopes

B.S. Electrical Engineering

 Amplifier for Piezo Actuator

    Theodore Uhrik

    B.S. Aerospace Engineering

    High-Voltage Bushing Design and Manufacturing

      George Dong

      B.S. Electrical Engineering

      Amplifier for Piezo Actuator

        Samuel Neall

        B.S. Mechanical Engineering

        Tesla & ADIDS

          Gabriel Langston

          B.S. Electrical Engineering

          High-Voltage Bushing Design and Manufacturing

            Kaleshver Sangar

            B.S. Electrical Engineering

            Plasma Jet Engine

              Sebastian Calzolano

              B.S. Electrical Engineering

              Amplifier Design

                Noah Braue

                B.S. Electrical Engineering

                Supercritical Fluids Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy

                  Antariksh Krishnan

                  B.S. Electrical Engineering

                  Tesla

                    Karen Ji 

                    B.S. Electrical Engineering

                    Supercritical Fluids Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy

                      Amin Finan

                      B.S. Electrical Engineering

                      Plasma Jet Engine

                        Group Graduates

                        Amrita Ghosh

                        Associate Project Engineer at SEL

                        MS Student (2021-2023)

                        Research focused on investigating the optimal control of piezoelectric actuators for DC circuit breakers.

                        • Google
                        • LinkedIn

                        Tushar Damle

                        Project Engineer at S&C Electric Company

                        Ph.D. Student (2016-2020)

                        Research focused on characterizing the behavior of electrical contacts in high-speed, high-current switchgear with respect to contact materials, geometry, and manufacturing processes.

                        • Google
                        • LinkedIn

                        Jia Wei

                        R&D Engineer at ABB Robotics

                        Ph.D. Student (2017-2022)

                        Research focused on investigating the dielectric properties of supercritical fluids and the characteristics of supercritical fluids as an arc quenching medium.

                        • Google
                        • LinkedIn

                        Chanyeop Park

                        Assistant Professor at University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee

                        Postdoctoral Fellow (2018-2019)

                        Ph.D. Student (2013-2018)

                        Research focused on the investigation of the dielectric properties of cryogenic media for high-temperature superconducting (HTS) power devices. 

                        • Google
                        • LinkedIn

                        Chunmeng Xu

                        Senior Research Scientist at ABB

                        Ph.D. Student (2016-2021)

                        Research focused on high-voltage equipment design and manufacture, dielectric property of electrical insulation materials, fabrication and characterization method of novel electrical materials.

                        • Google
                        • LinkedIn

                        Past Group Members

                        Undergraduate Students

                        Project: PAWS & ESCAPE

                        avatar

                        Mark Nicoletti

                        Spring 2021

                        Project: EDISON

                        avatar

                        Cody Kaminsky

                        Fall 2021

                        Project: Optimization of Coreless Cryogenic Inductors

                        avatar

                        Jackson Bush

                        ORS Scholar 2020 – 2021

                        Project: Electromagnetic signature of power components

                        avatar

                        Minuk Lee

                        Fall 2020 – 2021

                        Developed capacitor level sensor to measure the fill level of the cryogenic test bed.

                        avatar

                        Sebastian Tapias

                        Fall 2019 – Fall 2020

                        Analyzed the performance of an IGBT stack under cryogenic temperature to reduce power loss

                        avatar

                        Jeongmin Huh

                        Fall 2018-Spring 2019

                        Parameter shift of capacitors in an open bath of liquid nitrogen

                        Siddarth

                        Fall 2017

                        Design of double pulse testbed for cryogenic power electronics

                        avatar

                        Tobias Niebur

                        Spring 2017

                        Design of a plasma chamber for Langmuir probe experiments

                        avatar

                        Delgermaa Nergui

                        Spring 2016

                        Project: Lightweight Conductor

                        avatar

                        Raymond Murphy

                        Spring 2022

                        Project: Optimization of Coreless Cryogenic Inductors

                        avatar

                        Lara Gunesen

                        ORS Scholar 2020 – 2021

                        Conductor critical heat flux analysis at cryogenic conditions.

                        avatar

                        William Cuthbertson

                        Fall 2019-Spring 2020

                        Characterized the effects and performance of a Piezoelectric actuator as contacts in Ultrafast Disconnect Switches

                        avatar

                        Adrian Munoz

                        Fall 2018

                        Properties of capacitors at 77 Kelvin

                        avatar

                        Sai Narra

                        Summer 2017

                        Life expectancy of capacitor banks in the power distribution system

                        Augustine Wu

                        Summer 2016

                        Evaluation of contact materials for high-speed disconnect switch applications

                        avatar

                        Alice Huynh

                        Fall 2015

                        Project: EDISON

                        avatar

                        Selene Jordan

                        Spring 2022

                        Project: Optimization of Coreless Cryogenic Inductors

                        avatar

                        Afsara Khan

                        ORS Scholar 2020 – 2021

                        Microcontroller-Based Data Acquisition System for Solid-State Transformer

                        Shivani Adusumilli

                        Fall 2018

                        Automation of a Langmuir probe experiment

                        avatar

                        Billbang Sayasean

                        Spring 2017

                        Evaluation of contact geometries for high-speed disconnect switch applications

                        Gyu Cheol Lim

                        Fall 2016

                        Opportunity Research Scholars (ORS)

                        • Modelling and development of a current impulse generator to characterize the fault behavior of electrical contact Students: Caitlin Choate (2017-2018), Jeffrey Q. Zhao (2017-2018), Baris Volkan Gürses (2016-2018), Sai A. Narra (2016-2017), Etitoghene O. Ovhori (2016-2017)

                        Past Visiting Scholars

                        Topic: Hybrid Circuit Breaker Topologies

                        PhD student from Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

                        avatar

                        Swatiben Savaliya

                        Feb 2018 – May 2018

                        Topic: Cost-benefit analysis for the integration of solar powered electric vehicles into the city of Savannah

                        MS Student at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Wels, Austria

                        avatar

                        Dominik Pfaffenbichler

                        Mar 2016–Aug 2016

                        Topic: Anode phenomena of vacuum arcs

                        PhD Student at Xi’an Jiaotong University, China

                        avatar

                        Yunbo Tian

                        Jan 2017 – Jan 2018

                        Topic: Evaluation of available Landfill Gas at Dean Forest Road Landfill and its beneficial use

                        MS Student at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Wels, Austria

                        avatar

                        Philipp Steinlechner

                        Mar 2016–Aug 2016

                        Past Research Engineers

                        avatar

                        Maryam Tousi

                        Research Engineer II

                        avatar

                        Kevin Whitmore

                        Research Engineer I

                        Copyright © 2023 · Altitude Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in