FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Associate Professor Shreyas Balachandran is earning accolades for his work building next-generation particle accelerators that could lead to breakthroughs in scientific research and industrial applications.
Balachandran received an Early Career Award from the U.S. Department of Energy, or DOE. The award, given through DOE’s Accelerator Research and Development (ARDAP) Program in the Office of Science, will provide $875,000 over five years.
The funding provides Balachandran with support to develop superconducting radio frequency materials to enable linear accelerators — a critical technology for the United States.
Balachandran is a faculty member in the Departments of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Materials Science at the joint college. He was selected to receive the award as part of DOE’s Early Career Research Program.
Building a better particle accelerator
Particle accelerators accelerate charged particles, such as electrons and ions, to very high speeds. These accelerators are vital in fields such as nuclear and high-energy physics, as well as in industries such as food safety, medical device sterilization and water treatment.
“Our project involves a special technology called superconducting radio-frequency, or SRF,” Balachandran said. “SRF technology efficiently turns radio waves into powerful beams of electrons.”
Most accelerators use niobium metal, which works as a superconductor only at extremely cold temperatures, around minus 442 degrees Fahrenheit. Keeping things this cold requires complicated and expensive cooling systems with liquid helium, which makes the machines bulky and difficult to use in many settings.
Balachandran’s goal is to use new materials, called A15 compounds, that can function as superconductors at higher temperatures.
“By using these materials and combining them with copper structures, we hope to build accelerator parts that don’t need extensive cryogenic infrastructure, and can use compact cryocoolers to operate,” Balachandran said. “This could make accelerators smaller, cheaper and easier to use in hospitals, factories and other places outside of big research labs.”
To achieve this, his team will use a process called chemical vapor deposition. This technique creates very thin layers of superconducting material on copper surfaces, helping the machines operate more reliably while addressing some of the problems with current materials. He plans to involve industry partners so discoveries can be quickly applied to real-world applications.
“Dr. Balachandran’s work is innovative and reflects his leading expertise in superconductors and cryo-techniques,” said Richard Liang, associate dean for research for the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. “His success in earning this highly competitive award is a testament to his dedication, expertise and the impact of his research on both science and society. We are very happy to see his first major success in such a short timeframe.”
Balachandran graduated from Texas A&M University in 2015 and was a postdoctoral researcher at the Applied Superconductivity Center and then a staff scientist at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility before joining the joint college in March 2025.