I am the Interim Director of the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC) and have conducted research in high-power radiofrequency (RF) waves in plasmas since 1996. My work focuses on high-power RF systems, wave–matter interactions, and the development of advanced electromagnetic technologies for operation in extreme environments.

I had overall responsibility for the 8 MW Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequency (ICRF) heating and current drive systems on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak, overseeing both the physics program and operational performance. Our team developed the first high–power density antenna for plasma heating while mitigating deleterious plasma–material interactions; this design forms the basis of the SPARC ICRF heating system.

My broader research interests include RF wave physics, RF–plasma edge interactions, and enabling antenna, transmission, and source technologies. In collaboration with Belgian colleagues, I co-developed a novel technique for efficient generation of highenergy ions using RFwaves, work recognized with the 2018 Landau–Spitzer Award.

Since 2016, I have led development of High-Field-Side Lower Hybrid Current Drive on DIII-D tokamak, integrating advanced modeling with materials selection, additive manufacturing, and high-performance RF coupler design to withstand severe thermal and electromagnetic loads. Recent experiments have confirmed efficient RF coupling and wave propagation, meeting the primary technical objectives.

This background directly supports millimeter-wave drilling concepts, where efficient electromagnetic energy coupling, materials resilience under extreme conditions, and scalable high-power system design are central challenges