Speaker: Dr. Savannah Eisner
Title: Wide-Bandgap Gallium Nitride Microelectronics for Fusion Diagnostics: Magnetic Field Sensing and Radiation Detection
Abstract:
Fusion energy systems place stringent demands on diagnostic technologies, requiring operation under high temperatures, intense radiation fields, and strong electromagnetic environments. This talk presents recent advances in gallium nitride (GaN)-based devices for robust, high-performance sensing in fusion-relevant conditions. I will highlight recent preliminary results on GaN Hall-effect magnetic field sensors deployed on the HBT-EP tokamak, demonstrating stable, high-sensitivity magnetic measurements in a compact, radiation-tolerant platform. These results point toward new opportunities for integrated, resilient magnetic diagnostics to support plasma equilibrium reconstruction and control in next-generation fusion devices. In parallel, I will present our work on GaN-based radiation detectors and dosimeters designed for high-flux and ultrahigh dose-rate environments, with relevance to neutron and gamma diagnostics in fusion systems. Together, these efforts establish GaN as a promising platform for multifunctional diagnostics capable of operating where conventional semiconductor technologies fail.
Bio: Savannah Eisner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Columbia University, where she is the principal investigator of the ETHER Lab. She received her Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 2023 and 2020, respectively. She received a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Villanova University in 2017. Her research focuses on (ultra)wide-bandgap semiconductor devices and sensors for high-temperature and radiation-rich environments, with applications in aerospace, energy, and space exploration. Eisner was an NSF Graduate Research Fellow, NSF ERC POETS Future Technical Leaders Fellow, and the recipient of an IEEE Aerospace Best Paper Award. She was named a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree in 2025 in the Science category for her contributions to extreme environment electronics.
Seminar Access: In-person seminars are only available to CU ID holders. At this time, Non-Columbia affiliates and the general public are only invited to participate remotely. Contact [email protected] if you would like the Zoom link for this seminar.