Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) were commemorated at the annual Innovator Recognition Reception on July 11 for innovations they developed during fiscal year 2023. 

“This event is an opportunity for us to come together and recognize our talented people and the tremendous progress in innovation we’ve made at the Lab toward achieving our goals,” said Laboratory Director Steve Cowley, who hosted the event. 

In total, 42 innovators received certificates for their work. One researcher, Computational Research Associate Andrew Tasman Powis, collaborated with others to submit an invention disclosure for their low-temperature plasma particle-in-cell code.

“PPPL has a strong history of high-performance computing for plasma simulations of fusion reactors. We’ve taken those skills and applied them to low-temperature plasmas, which has not really been done before,” Powis said. “The software can now be used to model manufacturing steps critical to the semiconductor industry.”

According to Powis, their code has kicked off the Lab’s effort to license DOE-funded software outside of open-source mechanisms, opening new commercial opportunities with private companies. This kind of partnership allows for collaboration that can accelerate industry research while likely reducing costs to the taxpayer. 

In addition to recognizing the work of individuals, the Innovator Recognition Reception emphasized the key role that technology transfer — the process of transferring knowledge, intellectual property or capabilities to other entities such as private industry and academia — plays at the DOE’s national laboratories. Technology transfer assists the DOE in providing ongoing economic, security and environmental benefits for all Americans. 

Chris Wright, head of technology transfer, highlighted the growth of “entrepreneurial enthusiasm” at Princeton and the Lab, which he says is especially important to the Lab’s goals. 

“Over the past few years, it has gradually ramped up,” Wright said. “And in fiscal year 2023, we filed national stage patents that have led to startup options and licenses.”
 

A few key innovations

Plasma Source for Aerosol Activation + Plasma Fabric

Yevgeny Raitses, Shurik Yatom, Sophia Gershman and Philip Efthimion

• A plasma source is used to enrich a water mist with reactive radical molecules.
   
• The mist droplets carry the radicals to a target surface, where the radicals eradicate bacteria.
   
• Spraying produce with the plasma-activated mist prolongs its lifetime.
   
• TandemLaunch Inc. has invested in the development of a new startup based on this innovation called Viridox to develop a sustainable and eco-friendly solution to extend the shelf life of produce in all parts of the supply chain.
   
• The prototype, named PAMI-Spray, has won a New Innovation in Consumer Electronics award at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2024.

Low-temperature Plasma Particle-in-Cell Code

Andrew Tasman Powis, Johan Carlsson, Alexander Khaneles, Stephane Ethier, Grant Johnson, Maxwell Rosen and Igor Kaganovich

• The code is a software to perform computer simulations of low-temperature plasmas.
   
• It is used to study the behavior of electrons and ions and changes in the electric field.
   
• These kinetic simulations will allow for improvements to technologies that rely on low-temperature plasmas, including reactors for semiconductor processing and spacecraft propulsion systems.
   
• Improved reactors will enable the design and manufacturing of smaller, high-performance chips that could hold more data.

Debris Mitigation in Laser-produced Plasmas

Ahmed Diallo

• Making computer chips relies on sending light at certain wavelengths.
   
• Laser interaction with molten tin produces debris that goes everywhere.
   
• This innovation funnels this debris into a “trash bin,” avoiding expensive, sensitive parts.

List of recognized innovators

• Mason Bates, undergraduate student
• Bruce Berlinger, lead technician 
• Arthur Brooks, engineering and scientific staff
• Sophia Capili, undergraduate student
• Johan Carlsson, former PPPL principal research scientist
• Sam Cohen, principal investigator, magnetic nozzle and field reversed configuration experiments
• Michael D’Agostino, lead electrical engineer
• Luis Delgado-Aparicio, principal research physicist, and head of Advanced Projects
• Ahmed Diallo, principal research physicist
• Philip Efthimion, deputy associate lab director for Applied Materials and Sustainability Sciences
• Stephane Ethier, deputy head of computational plasma physics group
• Jiarong Fang, mechanical analyst, design and cognizant engineer
• David Gates, principal research physicist
• Sophia Gershman, research engineer
• Kenneth Hammond, research physicist
• Ben Israeli, graduate student
• Grant Johnson, graduate student
• Stephan Jurczynski, engineering associate
• Igor Kaganovich, principal research physicist
• Alexander Khaneles, laboratory contractor
• Andrei Khodak, principal engineering analyst
• Egemen Kolemen, director, Program in Sustainable Energy, Princeton University
• Gerrit Kramer, staff research physicist
• Dick Majeski, managing principal research physicist
• Jon Menard, deputy director for research
• Stephane Morel, undergraduate student
• Giovanna Nucci, undergraduate student
• Dario Panici, graduate student
• Joe Petrella, former PPPL engineer
• Andrew Tasman Powis, computational research associate
• Yevgeny Raitses, managing principal research physicist
• Ivan Romadanov, associate research physicist
• Maxwell Rosen, graduate student
• Francisco Saenz, graduate student
• Marien Simeni Simeni, former PPPL physicist
• Christopher Smiet, former PPPL physicist
• Peter Titus, engineering and scientific staff
• Ernest Valeo, former PPPL principal research physicist
• Shurik Yatom, staff research physicist
• Michael Zarnstorff, senior research physicist
• Yuhu Zhai, engineering and scientific staff
• Caoxiang Zhu, former PPPL physicist