The research efforts of SDSMT Laser Plasma Diagnostics Lab (ME Department) are focused in 4 areas:

• Analytical Applications using Laser Produced Plasmas
• Material modification,  characterization and portable instrumentation
• Biomedical Applications using Cold Atmospheric Plasma and electroporation
• Machine Learning applications to spectral data for trace analysis, tracking and detection of materials

Our research expertise include laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), Laser produced Plasma, Cold Atmospheric Plasmas, Machine Learning, Aerosol analysis using spectroscopy methods, Raman Spectroscopy, Combustion Diagnostics.

About Dr. Prasoon Diwakar:

Prasoon Diwakar completed his undergraduate studies in mechanical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. After completing his undergraduate education, he moved to the University of Florida, Gainesville, for his M.S. and Ph.D. in the ME department under the guidance of Dr. David Hahn. During his PhD, he worked on various projects including combustion and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and several another analytical techniques. His PhD dissertation focused on understanding plasma–particle interactions with regards to understanding fundamentals of LIBS for qualitative analysis of aerosols. After completing his Ph.D., Dr. Diwakar joined the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as a National Research Council postdoc working on aerosol instrumentation development. Following that, he worked as a research associate at the Center for Materials under Extreme Environment (CMUXE) at Purdue University. At Purdue, his research focused on understanding fundamentals of ultrafast laser ablation processes and their implications on various analytical techniques including LA-ICPMS and LIBS. Dr. Diwakar joined the ME department at SD Mines in Fall 2018 where he is teaching thermal science courses and conducting research in the field of laser diagnostics, spectroscopy, LIBS, cold plasma for biomedical applications, STEM Education and other related research areas.

List of Equipments

Nanosecond Pulsed Lasers

Ocean Optics Spectrometers

Cold Atmospheric Plasma Pen

Digital Delay Generators

Electroporation system for biomedical applications

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