FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Associate Professor Shreyas Balachandran has received an Early Career Award from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for his work on next-generation particle accelerators. The award, granted through the DOE’s Accelerator Research and Development Program in the Office of Science, will provide $875,000 over five years to support his research.
Balachandran is a faculty member in both the Departments of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Materials Science at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. His project focuses on developing superconducting radio frequency (SRF) materials to improve linear accelerators, which are essential for scientific research and industrial uses.
Particle accelerators are used to speed up charged particles like electrons and ions. These devices play a key role in nuclear and high-energy physics as well as 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.”
Currently, most accelerators use niobium metal as their superconductor. Niobium only works at extremely low temperatures—about minus 442 degrees Fahrenheit—which requires complex cooling systems using liquid helium. This makes current machines large and costly to operate.
Balachandran aims to use new materials known as A15 compounds that can act 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,” he said. “This could make accelerators smaller, cheaper and easier to use in hospitals, factories and other places outside of big research labs.”
The team plans to employ chemical vapor deposition—a method that creates thin layers of superconducting material on copper surfaces—to help improve machine reliability while addressing limitations found in current designs. Industry partners will be involved so findings can be quickly applied beyond academic settings.
“Dr. Balachandran’s work is innovative and reflects his leading expertise in superconductors and cryo-techniques,” said Richard Liang, associate dean for research at the college. “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 completed his doctorate at Texas A&M University in 2015 before working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Applied Superconductivity Center followed by a staff scientist position at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. He joined FAMU-FSU College of Engineering in March 2025.
