Ph.D. Candidate · High Energy & Semiconductor Physics
Building the next generation of photon detectors at the intersection of thin film physics, cleanroom microfabrication, and particle physics instrumentation.
Explore My Research01 — About
I am a Ph.D. candidate in High Energy Physics at the University of Texas at Arlington, working at the crossroads of high-energy particle physics and semiconductor device engineering. My work focuses on designing and fabricating novel photodetectors — from amorphous selenium-based VUV detectors for liquid noble experiments to surface plasmon-enhanced ZnO thin-film devices for cryogenic photon detection.
With extensive cleanroom experience spanning sputtering, e-beam evaporation, photolithography, and plasma etching, I bring an end-to-end capability from simulation (COMSOL Multiphysics) to device characterization (SEM, XRD, FTIR, PL, SPV) — bridging the gap between theoretical design and fabricated reality.
02 — Education
Aug 2022 — Present
University of Texas at Arlington, USA · Expected May 2027
Aug 2022 — May 2025
University of Texas at Arlington, USA
Aug 2018 — Mar 2022
Texas Christian University, USA
Aug 2016 — Mar 2018
Pinewood American International School, Greece
03 — Research
Designed and fabricated full photodetectors from silicon wafers, exploring vertical and lateral device geometries for liquid argon detection. Integrated trivial transfer graphene as a novel transparent electrode for cryogenic application.
Developed a novel pixel-based accelerated aging methodology to evaluate lifetime of Large Area Picosecond Photodetectors (LAPPDs) from Incom Inc. Identified pixel degradation trends and aging mechanisms through localized illumination tests.
Designed noble-metal/ZnO thin film devices for cryogenic photon detection. Used COMSOL Multiphysics to optimize film thickness and simulate piezoelectric and plasmonic behavior. Built and optimized experimental setups including laser alignment and four-point probe stations.
Synthesized hydrothermal ZnO micro/nanocrystals for optoelectronic and antibacterial applications. Developed characterization pipelines using LT-PL, FTIR, EDX, Auger, and SEM. Conducted UHV surface photovoltage studies under varying environmental conditions.
04 — Publications
Measuring the lifetime of a microchannel plate photomultiplier with accelerated localized aging
Vertically stacked amorphous selenium based VUV photodetectors for use in liquid noble detectors
Cryogenic UV detection using stress-engineered zero-bias ZnO-thin film based Piezo-Photonic detector
Characterization of Lateral Amorphous Selenium Photodetectors for Low-Photon and VUV Detection at Cryogenic Temperatures
Charge Transport and Multiplication in Lateral Amorphous Selenium Devices Under Cryogenic Conditions
Opportunities and challenges to study solar neutrinos with a Q-Pix pixel readout
Temperature-dependent optical response of high-Tc YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO) thin films
First operation of a multi-channel Q-Pix prototype: measuring transverse electron diffusion in a gas time projection chamber
Influence of Surface Properties and Microbial Growth Media on Antibacterial Action of ZnO
05 — Technical Skills
06 — Conferences
Probing Local Structure Evolution in Amorphous Selenium via Temperature-Dependent EXAFS
March APS Global Summit 2026, Denver, Colorado
Is lamination the key to large-area, uniform multi-well amorphous Selenium detectors?
Coordinating Panel of Advanced Detectors 2025, UPenn in Philladelphia, Pennsylvania
Vertically Stacked a-Se Based VUV Photodetectors
International Conference on High Energy Physics (ICHEP), Prague, Czech Republic
Recent Results from Pixel-Based Accelerated Aging of LAPPD
Coordinating Panel of Advanced Detectors 2023, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA
07 — Contact
Interested in collaboration, have questions about my research, or looking for a driven experimentalist? I'd be happy to connect.