Abstract: Microchips enable modern communications, financial institutions, artificial intelligence, and nearly every aspect of our modern society. Each chip consists of billions of transistors, merely a dozen atoms in size, forming unfathomably complex circuits. How can we possibly manufacture devices so tiny and complex? The answer is with plasma! Electromagnetic fields allow us to control charged atoms within the plasma to build cities at the scale of human DNA. My job is to design codes, algorithms and build AI models to improve how we control plasma at the nanoscale. These simulations will enable the next generation of computers to help us solve humanity’s biggest challenges— and yes, also reduce your videoconference lag.

Bio: Dr. Andrew “Tas” Powis is a Computational Research Scientist at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. He received his PhD from Princeton University in 2021 on the topic of “Particle Methods for Modeling Magnetospheric Diagnostics and Low-Temperature Plasma Physics”. At PPPL, Tasman has continued the development of kinetic plasma simulation tools which leverage high-performance computing architectures, new and advanced algorithms, as well as machine learning workflows. These codes have been applied to study complex transport processes within spacecraft propulsion systems, as well as plasma manufacturing tools critical to the semiconductor manufacturing process. His goal is to see these tools adopted by modern industry for the rapid prototyping of new and improved plasma technologies critical to many aspects of our modern society.