Overview

Our research explores the science and engineering of dielectrics, plasma, and electrical insulation systems across voltage, power, and environmental extremes. We aim to understand and control electric-field behavior, charge transport, ionization processes, thermal management, and material degradation in advanced systems ranging from microscale devices to ultra-high-voltage infrastructure.

We integrate modeling, materials characterization, plasma diagnostics, and high-voltage experimentation to enable the next generation of safe, compact, and reliable power and energy systems.

Research Interests:

  • Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation

  • High Voltage Engineering

  • Advanced Electrical Insulation Design and Packaging of (Ultra)Wide-Bandgap-Based Power Electronics Modules and Power Electronics Building Blocks for High-Voltage, High-Power-Density Applications 

  • Power Systems

  • Plasma Science

Some of Our Research Projects/Supporters:

  1. Department of Energy Early Career Research Program Award, "Prediction of Breakdown in Air and Solid Dielectrics: A Complete Plasma Model from Discharge Initiation to Flashover", PI (100%), $750, 000.

  2. National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award, "CAREER: Accelerated Insulation Aging due to Fast, Repetitive Voltage Pulses from Wide Bandgap Power Electronics", PI (100%), $500, 000.

  3. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) Young Investigator Research Program (YIP) Award, "Characterization, Multiphysics Modeling and Mitigation of Insulation Material Degradation and Breakdown", PI (100%), $450,000.

  4. ARPA-E, "High Power Density Cost-Effective MV DC Aircraft Cable", PI (100%), $1,300,000.

  5. National Science Foundation (NSF) Award, "Unconventional High Surge Impedance Loading Transmission Line", PI (100%), $298,507. 

  6. ARPA-E (OPEN 2018), "20-kV GaN Switch Technology Demonstrated in High-Efficiency Medium-Voltage Building Block", Co-PI, $3,000,000. 

  7. Office of Naval Research (ONR), "Highly Sensitive Coupled Optical and Ultra-High-Frequency Electrical System for Partial Discharge Detection", PI (100%), $96,630.

  8. Office of Naval Research (ONR), "Development of the PEBB 6000 Using Gen3 10 kV, 240 A SiC MOSFET Modules in Full-Bridge Configuration", Co-PI, $1,600,000.

  9. The Texas Analog Center of Excellence (TxACE), Novel electrical insulation materials and systems will be introduced in this project to address heat transfer issues in 3D heterogeneous microsystems, $40,000.