Sujith Ramakrishnan

Highly motivated employee with proven track record in R&D and process development.  Adept at working effectively unsupervised and capable of mastering new skills quickly and possess strong worth ethic, adaptability and exceptional interpersonal skills.

My background is in Physical chemistry, surface science, materials chemistry (research and development), experience working with UV and fs lasers and my leadership and collaborative skills, I am confident in my ability to contribute significantly to an R&D or Process Development Group.

In my previous role at High Temperature Superconductors, Inc (HTSI), as a senior laser process engineer, I developed a process for slitting 2.4mm diameter sample cut from various superconducting (different materials and thickness) YBCO samples prepared on hastealloy tape with a heat affected zone (HAZ) less than 45 microns. This enabled us to start acquiring reliable data in VSM (vibrating sample magnetometer) studies from our production and R&D pulse laser deposition (PLD) system and thus we were able to make better superconducting samples, eventually obtained  funding from ARPA-E.  I was a laser safety officer at HTSI. I managed and implemented standard operating procedure for all laser users and always maintained a safer environment in the company. I played a key role in data analysis PLD process development in preparing superconducting tape along with other scientists and engineers. 

Being a process engineer I always look towards improving the superconducting properties of our samples. I proposed and initiated a project to enhance the superconducting properties of our R&D superconducting samples. My proposal is to enhance the superconductivity of the YBCO tape (in parallel to other projects) by laser surface processing of the superconducting layer employing UV femtosecond laser pulses. In a superconducting material, the interplay between the electrical currents and the flux lines or vortex lines results in a driving force that puts the latter in motion. This Vortex motion leads to dissipation of energy and hence the electrical resistance becomes non-zero. So, preventing vortex motion up to a high critical current density Jc is therefore essential. This can be achieved through pinning of the vortex lines by imperfections of the material. My approach or hypothesis was that we can control, modify and enhance the stability of the pinning center and the defect sites of the superconducting thin layer using the laser pulse. This way we can stabilize the flux vortices at higher magnetic fields. I finally concluded that to produce good reproducible data or trends we need to have good uniform YBCO samples. I did a measurement of the surface processed superconducting tape and resulted in a 20% enhancement in the magnetic measurement, Jc value (VSM measured at UCSB), in comparison with the unprocessed one.

I was also a laser safety officer at HTSI. I implemented compulsory online laser safety course (Kentek Laser Safety) for all the employees (for laser users & non-users) at HTSI Santa Barbara, California and PVD Products, Inc. Massachusetts. I have mentioned my other roles and responsibilities completed during my tenure at HTSI and other research labs in my resume.

I offer proficiency in surface science technique, expertise working with Ultra High Vacuum systems (building and troubleshooting), synthesis of metal supported catalyst (wet lab experience), synthesis of Bismuth Ferrite nanotubes using template method, and characterization employing P-XRD, SEM, TGA, DTA(decomposition and exothermicity study of hydroxyl ammonium nitrate(HAN)) , techniques, metal deposition via physical vapor deposition process (PLD, PECVD, e-Beam and Thermal evaporation), optical alignment of laser, laser slitting process development as well as variety of laboratory techniques and computer skills as outlined in my resume. 

My experience as a process engineer at HTSI, Santa Barbara and as a postdoctoral research scholar at the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, and project research assistant prior to my graduate studies translates well to the requirements of a research and process development engineer/scientist position. 

Ph.D  in Physical Chemistry

Master of Technology in Industrial Catalysis

Master of Science in Industrial Chemistry