CSA’s annual Young Professionals introduces outstanding engineers, scientists, and technicians (under 40) who are making fascinating contributions to the cryogenics and superconductivity industries. Debuted in the summer of 2006, this spotlight shines on future leaders who show the promise of making a difference in their fields.
- Chloe Gunderson, 28
- Theodore Golfinopoulos, 39
- Tim Hanrahan, 30
- Swapnil Rajendrakumar Shrishrimal, 31
- Santhosh Kumar Gandla, 34
- Ryan Snodgrass, 31
- Dr. Mohammad Yazdani-Asrami, 36
- Jad Benserhir, 27
- Lakshya Gangwar, 26
Chloe Gunderson, 28
What is your educational and professional background?
I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering (ME) and a Certificate in Business in 2018. I then received a NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship (NSTRF), which allowed me to stay at the university as a graduate student and gain professional experience at various NASA centers during yearly Visiting Technologist Experiences. I earned my master’s degree in ME in 2020 and will complete my doctorate in ME with a doctoral minor in physics this semester. Both my master’s and doctorate have been focused primarily on the development of the Active Magnetic Regenerative Refrigeration system (AMRR), a novel sub-Kelvin cooling system for space science detectors.
How did you get into cryogenics?
As an undergrad, I was approached by one of my professors, Franklin Miller, about a possible research position in his cryogenics research lab. I had no prior experience with cryogenics but became interested after learning more about his research projects – particularly his work with Pulsating Heat Pipes (PHPs) and the Superfluid Magnetic Pump (SMP). The opportunity to work on challenging research involving the combination of superfluid, superconductive and paramagnetic elements excited me. Because of this, I decided to work as an undergrad researcher with Professor Miller my senior year and remain a graduate student to further develop the AMRR.
What is your present company/position?
I am currently working as a research assistant at the University of Wisconsin while I wrap up my doctorate research. I’m in the final stages of data collection for characterization of the AMRR system and expect to defend my dissertation in March 2023.
What has your experience been with industry mentors?
I’ve been incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by many great mentors during my time as a graduate student, and I attribute much of my personal growth and scientific contribution to these advisors. Professor Miller has played a particularly significant role in my development as the one who introduced me to cryogenics, encouraged me to apply for NASA internships and fellowships, and taught me both practical lab skills and how to think like a cryogenic scientist.
What awards/honors have you received?
In my senior year as an undergraduate, Professor Miller encouraged me to apply for the NSTRF, which provided two years of funding for the development of the AMRR system and supported me as I pursued my master’s degree. Following my master’s degree, I applied for the NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunity, which provided an additional two years of support and funding while I pursued my doctorate. In the first year of my doctorate program, I presented my work on the design and construction of the AMRR system at the International Cryocooler Conference. This publication was chosen for the Best Student Paper Award. (A condensed version of this paper is published in this Cold Facts issue.)
What are some of your contributions to the cryogenic field?
As a graduate student and NASA fellow, I have had the opportunity to work on a variety of sub-Kelvin technologies, with the common goal of improving the efficiency and reliability of cooling systems for astrophysics missions. One of these projects involved the development of an improved thermodynamic model of CCA, a paramagnetic material commonly used in the lowest temperature stages of the Continuous Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator (CADR). Our findings may help better inform material selection and design of these low temperature stages to meet detector requirements. Similarly, my work developing the novel AMRR system also represents an important advancement in the sub-Kelvin space. This system is unique in that it can provide distributed and scalable sub-Kelvin cooling via the displacement of a 3He-4He mixture using the non-moving SMP.
What do you believe the most important developments in cryogenics are?
Improving efficiency and reliability of the systems that provide cooling at ultralow temperatures is a primary objective for astrophysics detectors and quantum systems. For space applications, some of the most significant considerations are low mass, low vibration and scalability. The AMRR system I have been working to develop addresses these concerns as it has no moving parts and is, therefore, non-vibrating. The circulatory nature of the system also removes the need for heavier thermal links and shielding, resulting in a scalable low-mass cooling solution. Though the bulk of my research has been supporting space science applications, many of the developments could be applied to meet the cooling requirements for quantum systems as well.
What advances do you hope to see in the future? How long do you think it will take to achieve these advances?
I’m particularly excited about advancements in space-flight coolers. Current work to develop CADRs that span greater temperature ranges and PHPs that span large physical distances with very low mass have promising results. I think we could see these fly in space within 10–15 years.
Where can readers find out more about your projects?
For more information about my research and links to previous publications, check out my LinkedIn. I try to keep it updated with my latest work.
Theodore Golfinopoulos, 39
What is your educational and professional background?
I hold a doctorate and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and two bachelor’s degrees: electrical and mechanical engineering, both from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. My doctorate was carried out at MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, where I stayed for a postdoctoral position before joining the staff as a research scientist. I also worked briefly with MIT’s Kavli Institute on the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. In my spare time, I participate with the Middle East Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow (meet.org), a dialog and enrichment program for excelling Palestinian and Israeli high school students.
What is your present company/position?
I am a research scientist at MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center.
How did you get into cryogenics?
My experience with cryogenics stems from my involvement in the development of high field superconducting magnets for use in fusion energy applications. In the earlier days of our project, the SPARC tokamak, the team was fairly small, and many of us found ourselves thrust into new topical areas – so it was with me.
What has your experience been with industry mentors?
In the field of cryogenics, my primary mentor has been Philip Michael. Phil has an unassuming and humble manner, yet in almost any conversation about superconducting magnets, his advice is the first sought, as he has likely already done it, and if he hasn’t, he has the proper literature at hand, joined with insightful and measured questions. He has amassed an extensive amount of practical and conceptual knowledge and is generous in sharing it, especially with students and early career scientists. I have been extremely fortunate to work alongside him.
I have also learned a great deal from Ernie Ihloff and Alex Zhukovsky, who both possess a wealth of experience and the treasure of good character; Brian LaBombard, one of my doctoral thesis supervisors, with whom I continue to work daily; and Rui Vieira, an old hand in magnets.
What awards/honors have you received?
I have twice received MIT’s Infinite Mile Award.
What are some of your contributions to the cryogenic field?
In September 2021, the largest-ever high temperature superconducting magnet – the SPARC Toroidal Field Model Coil, or TFMC – reached the enormous peak field of 20 teslas, with stored energy of over 100 megajoules. This feat – the culmination of two years of frenetic effort – was accomplished by the combined contributions of many people across multiple institutions, particularly MIT, Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), and numerous collaborators in industry and academia. It represents a critical milestone on the path to SPARC, a high field tokamak that aims to be the first magnetically confined fusion reactor to produce more energy than it consumes. I led the team, charged with standing up the test facility for the magnet as well as operating the test. The cryogenic aspects of this facility include a new 20-m3 cryostat, a cryogenic helium loop with 600 W cooling capacity at 20 K from eight cryocoolers and 50 kA binary current leads, together with the ancillary components. It was a privilege to work with the many talented individuals comprising our team, who achieved a great deal in a short span of time. Similarly, our industry partners – notably, Absolut System and Anderson Dahlen, among many others – deserve our thanks, working at breakneck pace during a pandemic to help us meet our schedule.
What do you believe the most important developments in cryogenics are?
The global shortage of helium, combined with the growing list of applications requiring low temperature conditions, presents a severe challenge to the cryogenics community. Our own facility is adding a helium recovery system to help us eliminate waste. Such solutions may not be sufficient for industrial applications, which may need to migrate to hydrogen-based approaches to achieve sustainability.
What advances do you hope to see in the future? How long do you think it will take to achieve these advances?
My career has focused on the practical realization of fusion energy. The timespan to achieving this end is frequently the subject of jocular commentary, yet the commercial availability of high temperature superconductors may accelerate it by decades. The SPARC tokamak, under construction by our partners at CFS, aims to achieve “breakeven” in this decade; this is to be followed by a pilot plant. There are numerous other exciting projects underway, including the immense ITER partnership, telling of the resolve that exists to make fusion power a reality.
Where can readers find out more about your projects?
For more about the SPARC TFMC:https://news.mit.edu/2021/MIT-CFS-major-advance-toward-fusion-energy-0908, MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center: www.psfc.mit.edu/news
Tim Hanrahan, 30
What is your educational and professional background?
I received a bachelor’s degree in physics from Le Moyne College and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Syracuse University. I’ve worked at Cryomech since graduating in 2016.
What is your present company/position?
I am Cryomech Inc.’s special projects team supervisor.
How did you get into cryogenics?
I was involved with a state program that hired graduate students to help local companies in the Syracuse, N.Y. area. As luck would have it, I was placed with Cryomech and subsequently hired after graduation.
What has your experience been with industry mentors?
I’ve had several mentors during my career so far. Chao Wang, Brent Zerkle, and Rich Dausman have all been incredible mentors at Cryomech. Chao hired me in 2016 and taught me a lot about cryocoolers and cryogenic technology. It was inspiring to be able to work on a variety of successful new products and see the process from conceptual design to full product. Rich and Brent both taught me about leadership and inspired me to be creative and think outside the box.
What awards/honors have you received?
None specific to cryogenics.
What are some of your contributions to the cryogenic field?
Working at a company that’s one of the leaders in cryogenics has allowed me to be a part of many contributions to the cryogenic field, serving multiple industries. For the medical industry, I’ve helped advance our cold helium circulation technology, which has been used to pre-cool MRI magnets by flowing helium gas through the dewar before adding liquid helium. This allows the magnet to be cooled to 20-30 K and greatly reduces liquid helium consumption. For the quantum industry, I’ve helped develop our 1 K cryocooler which is a high capacity, low temperature (
What do you believe the most important developments in cryogenics are?
Cryogenics has long been an enabling technology for a wide field of research. Most recently, the invention and proliferation of the closed-cycle dilution refrigerator has enabled R&D in quantum computing and quantum technology. Using cryocoolers to replace liquid helium baths in dilution refrigerators has created a simpler and easy-to-use platform that allows researchers to focus more on their experiments and less on the cryogenics. Cryomech has been the leading supplier of cryocoolers for dilution refrigerators for several years. We continue to improve the design of our cryocoolers supporting this technology.
The biggest drawback of cryocoolers is the vibration they create, which is detrimental to some sensitive applications. I’m currently working on a project to develop a closed-cycle replacement for the cryocooler which will offer significantly lower vibration.
What advances do you hope to see in the future? How long do you think it will take to achieve these advances?
There are several exciting and important technological developments happening today involving cryogenics. In the energy sector, hydrogen fuel cells and fusion energy can potentially bring clean energy to all. I think the broad utilization of hydrogen as a fuel source will require efficient storage and use of hydrogen in a liquid form. This is beginning to be adopted but will likely be several years before full utilization. Fusion energy is the holy grail of clean energy and has many technological challenges. It will likely still be several decades until it becomes a useful producer of energy.
I also hope to see the use of quantum computing in all aspects of life. Quantum computers have the potential to revolutionize the world and solve problems that classical computers cannot. This could also be several decades until we see a useful fault-tolerant quantum computer, but the large push towards developing this technology is certainly exciting.
Where can readers find out more about your projects?
Readers can learn more about Cryomech and new products that we’re developing at cryomech.com and can follow me on LinkedIn.
Swapnil Rajendrakumar Shrishrimal, 31
What is your educational and professional background?
I hold a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington and a bachelor’s in electronics engineering from University of Pune, India.
What is your present company/position?
Presently, I’m working at SLAC, nearing my fourth year as a lead process controls engineer in the cryogenic division.
How did you get into cryogenics?
After completing my master’s degree, I got an opportunity to work at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Laboratory (JLAB) as a Cryogenic Systems Controls Engineer. There, I was introduced to the field of cryogenics. After more than two and a half years of my service at JLab, I led the operations at the Cryogenic Test Facility. I also worked on multiple projects such as LCLS-II Project at SLAC where JLab was designing the cryoplant and developing cryomodules; Cryogenic Test Facility Cold Box 3 upgrade; and Central Helium Liquefier I (CHL-I) 2K Cold Box upgrade.
What has your experience been with industry mentors?
My mentors are my supervisors at both of my places of employment, Robert Norton at JLab, and Eric Fauve at SLAC. Eric and Robert are two of the most important individuals who have helped me immensely with their experience in the field of cryogenics. Robert helped me to understand cryogenics and helped in the formulation of my process controls logic. He also helped me to design the electrical / control system design. Eric’s guidance has been extremely valuable to me. With my fundamentals clear, Eric mentored me to develop my expertise in process control rather than just controls. This allowed me to use my process and controls knowledge to develop a 100% automation for complex tasks like 4 K cooldown, 2 K pumpdown, and a fast cooldown of an entire LINAC.
What awards/honors have you received?
In 2022, I was awarded the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory’s Director’s Award, the lab’s highest honor. The award recognizes employees who achieve extraordinary results while modeling the lab’s values of excellence, integrity, creativity, collaboration and respect.
What are some of your contributions to the cryogenic field?
I have co-authored a paper about Warm Helium Compressor Commissioning at SLAC and will be authoring multiple papers in coming years with my work there. Most importantly, what I was able to develop at SLAC is the complete automation of most complex tasks in cryogenics. I have developed a simple and smart automation to completely cool down a string of 37 cryomodules from room temperature to 2 K without a need for operator intervention. This approach has been tested at SLAC and provided some outstanding results. This automation helped SLAC to commission the cryogenic system in record time without any major issues. Additionally, SLAC’s tesla-style cryomodules require fast cooldown (rate exceeding 15 K/min of cooldown). This has never been performed on a string of cryomodules in an actual accelerator. At SLAC, we have developed an automation and demonstrated that achieving fast cooldown in an actual accelerator environment is possible.
What do you believe the most important developments in cryogenics are?
Developing a cryogenic system to achieve a higher Carnot efficiency and a more robust system that can adapt to varying loads is essential. I’m working on addressing some of them by developing a complex automation with a fully integrated system.
What advances do you hope to see in the future? How long do you think it will take to achieve these advances?
I hope that a cold compression system for small loads (
Where can readers find out more about your projects?
www6.slac.stanford.edu/news-and-events/news-center
Santhosh Kumar Gandla, 34
What is your educational and professional background?
I hold a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, University at Buffalo, State University of New York.
What is your present company/position?
I am a principal product engineer at Sumitomo (SHI) Cryogenics of America, Inc., where I have worked since January 2013, developing cryocoolers and cryogenic systems for healthcare, semiconductor and laboratory applications.
How did you get into cryogenics?
My first real experience with cryogenics happened when I worked as an R&D intern at Praxair in the prepurification group, where I learned in detail how gases are separated in the cryogenic distillation column in air separation plants. After this, the majority of my cryogenics education and experience has been at Sumitomo (SHI) Cryogenics of America Inc., where I learned in depth about cryocoolers (4 K and 10 K), cryogenic systems, helium compressors and cryopump technologies.
What has your experience been with industry mentors?
I have had many mentors at Sumitomo during the last ten years, including Dr. Ralph Longsworth, Bruce Sloan, Stephen Dunn and Dr. Mingyao Xu. Dr. Longsworth, in particular, played a significant role when I first joined the company. I was fortunate to work with him directly and learn from him for many years. Dr. Longsworth is an excellent mentor and a compassionate person. He took me under his wing during my initial years at Sumitomo, teaching and guiding me on the basics and principles of cryogenic engineering and the development of cryocoolers, compressors and various cryogenic systems.
What awards/honors have you received?
In 2022, I was elected to a six-year term on the board of the International Cryocooler Conference.
What are some of your contributions to the cryogenic field?
My most significant contribution is designing mobile cryogenic systems to cool MRI superconducting magnets from room temperature to 25 K, which saves more than 1,000 liters of liquid helium usage per magnet compared to traditional liquid nitrogen and liquid helium cooling. All major manufacturers currently make more than 4,000 MRIs yearly, and service and re-cool existing MRIs in the field. More than 20% of global helium is used to cool these MRI magnets, as helium reserves are very limited. Helium conservation plays a significant role so that helium can be used and available for required applications in the future. One such step toward conservation is the development of mobile cryogenic systems. Additionally, I recently led the development of the CH-160D2 high capacity single-stage cryocooler for liquid nitrogen and other 77 K applications, and CH-160D2LT for hydrogen and other 20-30 K applications. I have presented and published papers on this at the ICC, CEC, ASC and MT conferences in the last five years.
What do you believe the most important developments in cryogenics are?
I believe superconductivity and the development of superconductors, created by cooling the materials to cryogenic temperatures, are among the most important developments in cryogenics. These are at the heart of MRIs and proton therapy systems, which are extensively used in healthcare and touch billions of people’s lives. All my work in the last ten years and for the foreseeable future is dedicated to helping our healthcare customers develop cryogenic systems for their applications, positively impacting society and its people.
What advances do you hope to see in the future? How long do you think it will take to achieve these advances?
I hope to see advances in superconductors and cryogenics in the transportation industry (train and aircraft), cryopreservation and quantum computing. Although there is some significant work in these fields, I think it will take another 10 to 15 years before these become cost-effective applications.
Where can readers find out more about your projects?
www.shicryogenics.com, www.researchgate.net/profile/Santhosh-Kumar-Gandla/research, www.linkedin.com/in/santhosh-kumar-gandla-64164825
Ryan Snodgrass, 31
What is your educational and professional background?
My degrees are all in mechanical engineering: a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University and a master’s degree and doctorate from Cornell University. I completed multiple engineering internships and a research fellowship at the University of Freiburg in Germany. In 2019 I began a career at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, Colo., where I focus on thermoacoustics and cryocoolers.
What is your present company/position?
I am a postdoc in the Quantum Sensors Group at NIST. I lead multiple cryogenics projects concerning pulse tube refrigerators, Gifford-McMahon cryocoolers and dilution refrigerators. My goal is to make cryogenics more accessible to the scientists at NIST and beyond who rely upon ultralow temperatures for their research.
How did you get into cryogenics?
In graduate school I was very interested in refrigeration, and part of my doctorate focused on elastocaloric cooling. After my doctorate, I was looking for postdocs at national labs that were focused on refrigeration and found a great opportunity at NIST to study cryocoolers.
What has your experience been with industry mentors?
I am lucky to have multiple mentors at NIST and within the thermoacoustic field. Scott Backhaus, Vincent Kotsubo, Gregory Swift, and Joel Ullom have been incredibly supportive and very influential for my research career. They are all extremely knowledgeable and push me to pursue interesting (and fun) research questions.
What awards/honors have you received?
I was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow at Cornell University and a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow at NIST. I also was a DAAD/RISE Fellow. DAAD/RISE is a program that enables undergraduates from around the world to complete research projects in Germany.
What are some of your contributions to the cryogenic field?
My recent research has focused on the real-fluid properties of helium that enable 4 kelvin cryocooler regenerators to absorb heat for “free”; this ability is utilized in commercial dilution refrigerators to precool recirculating helium 3. I have also studied miniature, cold-cycle dilution refrigerators for their use aboard astrophysics balloon flights. I will soon be publishing work demonstrating how to significantly increase the cooldown speed of commercial 4 kelvin pulse tube refrigerators.
What do you believe the most important developments in cryogenics are?
Besides the development of completely new refrigeration techniques, making these techniques more accessible to scientists is my main interest. For example, miniature dilution refrigerators are enabling access to the millikelvin temperature regime with little required infrastructure – it’s amazing technology!
What advances do you hope to see in the future? How long do you think it will take to achieve these advances?
Terrestrial cryocoolers today are dependable and commercially available but are still not completely understood and therefore not optimized. An improved understanding of these coolers may lead to large improvements in their performance. I believe it is particularly important for us to improve the energy efficiency of cryocoolers as they become more and more ubiquitous.
Where can readers find out more about your projects?
A list of publications may be found on my NIST webpage: www.nist.gov/people/ryan-snodgrass
Dr. Mohammad Yazdani-Asrami, 36
What is your educational and professional background?
I received a PhD in Electrical Engineering in 2018. My field of interest and expertise is cryo-electrification, i.e., electrification using cryogenics engineering and superconducting materials/technology, especially for future modern electric transportation and power system applications. One good example of such application is a cryo-electrified aircraft, which has superconducting powertrain and hydrogen as coolant or fuel.
What is your present company/position?
Since early 2022, I have been a lecturer (assistant professor) in electrically powered aircraft and operations at the James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, UK. I am leading research activities on cryo-electrification in propulsion, electrification and superconductivity.
How did you get into cryogenics?
I came across the word “cryogenics” right after I became familiar with superconductivity. It was at the end of my MSc program when I heard about superconductors, and how they contribute to fabricating electrical devices with fewer losses. I remember a lecturer told us that the future of electrical engineering will be shaped by advancement in battery technology and implementing superconductors. That motivated me to further research the topic and led me to discover how superconductivity and cryogenic engineering work hand in hand.
What has your experience been with industry mentors?
I had the great honor of working under the supervision of Dr. Mike Staines at Robinson Research Institute on a project concerning fault-tolerant, current-limiting superconducting transformers, which holds the world record in experimentally tolerating a fault (for 1s) by a superconducting device. I found Mike a very intelligent, quite knowledgeable and enthusiastic physicist who always had questions and considered him as my role model. I learned a lot from Mike. Furthermore, I will always remember his advice: “Always ask why,” words I already quote to my students. We cannot be good researchers, either scientists or engineers, if we don’t have questions.
What awards/honors have you received?
I was named the IOP Trusted Reviewer for consistent critical review in 2020. Additionally, I was endorsed as global talent by the UK Royal Academy of Engineering in 2021, and I was elevated to the senior member level of IEEE in 2022.
What are some of your contributions to the cryogenic field?
I have been involved in various projects related to cryogenic engineering and superconducting technology, such as the design development of superconducting devices including transformer, cable and SFCLs; heat transfer measurement of bare and coated superconductors and metallic conductors at low temperatures. I have offered some solutions for fault tolerance capabilities in superconducting devices, including cable and transformers. In addition, I have researched materials characterization at low temperatures for YBCO, GdBCO, and MgB2; advocating for superconductivity, cryogenic engineering and cryo-electrification in other communities and industries, including aviation and space sectors, implementing and advocating for artificial intelligence techniques in superconductivity. I wrote a roadmap position paper for the UK’s first zero-emission aircraft project (FlyZero). I also delivered a roadmap on using artificial intelligence techniques in superconductivity for Superconductivity Science and Technology journal.
Additionally, I am editor at Superconductor Science and Technology journal (IOP publishing), Superconductivity journal (Elsevier), World Journal of Engineering (Emerald Publishing), Aerospace Systems journal (Springer), International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences (Springer), and Transformers Magazine (TM). I also served as guest editor for several special issues of IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity and Superconductor Science and Technology journals. I also chaired the special session “Artificial Intelligence for Large-Scale Power Applications,” at the 2022 Applied Superconductivity Conference in Hawaii, USA. Not only that, but I will chair another special session “Artificial Intelligence Techniques for Superconductivity” at the 16th European Conference on Applied Superconductivity in Bologna, Italy in 2023.
What do you believe the most important developments in cryogenics are?
What I would like to see in the near future is more advancement in cryogenic cooling systems towards higher efficiency, cost-effective, and higher power-to-mass-density cooling systems for electric aircraft and terrestrial applications. With superconductivity, I hope to see better superconductors with cheaper prices, which obviously depends on purchasing and utilizing more superconductors in industrial applications (chicken and egg problem), and more investment in developing real-scale demonstrators and proof-of-concept electric superconducting devices for power system and electric transportation applications. I wish to see these developments to make cryo-electrification a competitive technology against well-developed conventional rival/counterpart technologies.
Where can readers find out more about your projects?
I actively post my research projects, findings, and research outcomes at LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mohammad-yazdani-asrami-b91928100
Jad Benserhir, 27
What is your educational and professional background?
I completed a joint master's degree from Grenoble-inp, Politecnico di Torino, and EPFL, focusing on various aspects of nanotechnology, including chip design and microfabrication. I am now working toward a doctorate at EPFL, with the goal of creating a high-speed and scalable readout circuit for superconducting nanowire detectors.
What is your present company/position?
I am currently pursuing a doctorate in the field of cryogenic analog and mixed signal circuit design at the Advanced Quantum Architecture Lab (AQUAlab) at EPFL. My research focuses on device characterization at low temperatures and the design of scalable arrays that interface with superconducting detectors.
How did you get into cryogenics?
I was amazed at the rapid development of quantum computing in recent years. Out of curiosity, I reached out to a leading expert in the field, Professor Edoardo Charbon, and soon after, I began working under his supervision.
What has your experience been with industry mentors?
I am fortunate to have Professor Edoardo Charbon as both my mentor and doctorate supervisor. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of quantum computing, making the learning journey under his guidance an exciting one.
What awards/honors have you received?
Currently, I haven't received any specific awards. I am optimistic that I will be recognized in the coming months.
What are some of your contributions to the cryogenic field?
A primary objective that I am focusing on is to develop an accurate photon/particle detector for the cryogenic community with a timing resolution of 3ps. This detector is based on an array of superconductive, single-photon detectors (SSPDs) known for their high speed, high detection efficiency and low-dark count rate.
What do you believe the most important developments in cryogenics are?
When it comes to detecting particles, while secondary electron multiplication detectors may have high-speed and large detection capabilities, they are not efficient at detecting low-velocity impacts. As an alternative, we propose using superconducting detectors to detect neutral- or singly charged massive particles at low energies, as the energy gap between the superconducting and normal conducting states is small. The project is a collaboration between multiple institutions such as EPFL, University of Vienna, Basel, Single Quantum and MS Vision.
What advances do you hope to see in the future? How long do you think it will take to achieve these advances?
In the future, I hope to see increased interest in the field of electronic design at low temperatures. To achieve this, it is important that electronic design is based on models provided by major foundries such as TSMC, Global Foundries and IHP. I hope that these foundries will include cryogenic models in their design kits, so that the electronic design community can produce accurate and well-designed chips for cryogenic applications.
Where can readers find out more about your projects?
I am currently working on a project called superconducting mass spectroscopy and molecule analysis (SuperMaMa), which aims to use superconductive single-photon detectors (SSPDs) to detect massive particles at low energies. The project also has potential applications in dark matter experiments. For more information on SuperMaMa, you can visit the project's website at www.supermama-project.eu. Additionally, you can find more information about AQUAlab, the laboratory where the project is being conducted, at www.epfl.ch/labs/aqua
Lakshya Gangwar, 26
What is your educational and professional background?
I started my educational journey by completing my Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from one of the top institutes in India: IIT Kanpur. Now, I am pursuing a doctorate in mechanical engineering at the University of Minnesota.
How did you get into cryogenics?
My passion for thermal sciences ignited in my sophomore year after finishing coursework. I became curious to explore the physics of temperature (and heat) and ended up pursuing a research internship on flexible heat pipes for spacecraft applications. After completing my undergraduate, I started a doctorate program, applying my thermal science mind into cryogenics for cryobiology (applying cryogenic physics to biological systems). More precisely, I am working in computational and experimental heat transfer during the cryopreservation of biological systems.
What is your present company/position?
I currently work as research assistant in BHMT Lab (ME) at the University of Minnesota and as a student trainee in NSF ERC-Advanced Technologies for the Preservation of Biological Systems (ATP-Bio).
What has your experience been with industry mentors?
My doctorate advisor, Dr. John Bischof, is a well-known expert in cryopreservation. He is an excellent guide who inspired me to always look from a high-level view of any research problem and then think of limiting scenarios to solve at the start. His guidance has developed in me a spirit of interdisciplinary collaboration in solving a diverse problem without reinventing the wheel. He mentored me in professional skills, nurturing my overall growth as a graduate student.
What awards/honors have you received?
I was a recipient of the Academic Excellence Award, IIT-Kanpur for outstanding academic performance during the 2015-16 academic year. Following that, I was awarded the German-Academic-Exchange-Service (DAAD) WISE scholarship in 2017 to pursue summer research in IKW at Leibniz University, Germany. In the fall of 2018, I received a UMN ME Departmental Fellowship, joining the doctorate program. Recently, I was privileged to receive a UMN IEM-Walter Barnes Lang fellowship in addition to a travel award from the committee for a talk in Dublin at the Cryo2022 conference.
What are some of your contributions to the cryogenic field?
My contributions broadly fall in organ-cryopreservation for regenerative medicine applications (organ banking) in a team effort of BHMT-Lab & ATP-Bio. My major contribution is in demonstrating physical success in vitrification and rewarming at liter-scale (human organ-size) cryopreservation. I have also published a practical guide on vitrification and rewarming from mL-to-L scale, indicating failures to avoid for successful cryopreservation of a biomaterial (tissues, organs, organisms, etc.), which could be helpful for any cryobiologist. Currently, I am working on a cryogenic liquid convective cooling technique which could be faster than the current commercial control rate for cryogenic freezers as part of a technological development for large-scale cryopreservation. Lastly, I am contributing to a cryogenic subgroup (thermal properties) as a member of the ASME tissue property database.
What do you believe the most important developments in cryogenics are?
In my opinion, cryopreservation of biological materials can serve various critical problems of our society. Starting with the human body, organ cryopreservation can save thousands of lives by enabling organ banking that could drastically reduce organ transplant waitlists. Moving to food security, by cryopreserving various aquatic embryos (fishes, shrimp, etc.), adequate supplies of seafood can be maintained away from shores and inland, unaffected by coastal natural disasters. Lastly, cryopreservation of organisms, such as coral reefs, embryos of endangered species, etc., could be a step toward saving the biodiversity of our planet.
What advances do you hope to see in the future? How long do you think it will take to achieve these advances?
I would like to see advancements in transplants of cryo-preserved human organs within the next two to three years. Also, the creation of organ banks would be another milestone I am eager to see in the next five to ten years. With the current rate of climate change adversaries, I also want to see cryobanks of coral reefs and endangered living species become a reality in the decade ahead.
Where can readers find out more about your projects?
Any readers are welcome to check researchgate (Lakshya Gangwar), LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/lakshya-gangwar), [email protected]. www.societyforcryobiology.org
