Luca Vialetto
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR (STARTING JULY 2026)
MECHANICAL AND AEROSPACE ENGINEERING
Websites
RESEARCH AND INTERESTS
Our research develops advanced computational models to understand and control low-temperature plasmas and their interactions with materials. We focus on bridging fundamental plasma physics with practical applications by integrating kinetic theory, transport phenomena, surface science, and physics-informed machine learning across vastly different time and length scales. This approach addresses critical challenges in electric propulsion, semiconductor manufacturing, and chemical production, where complex plasma dynamics, electromagnetic effects, and plasma-surface coupling drive performance but remain poorly understood. By creating integrated physics-based and data-driven models that go beyond trial-and-error development, our work aims to accelerate the design and optimization of plasma technologies for energy, manufacturing, and aerospace applications.
NOTABLE PUBLICATIONS AND BOOKS
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands (2021)
M.S., Physics, University of Padua, Italy (2017)
B.S., Physics, University of Padua, Italy (2015)
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
- Awarded the Stanford Energy Postdoctoral Fellowship (2023)
- Winner of Rutherford Plasma Physics Communication Prize from IOP for excellence in communication of plasma science and engineering (2022)
- Winner of PhD Student Excellence Award at the APS Gaseous Electronics Conference (2021)