New Faculty Spotlight: Jungwon Choi

What is your Research Focus?

To cut carbon emissions and shift to renewable energy sources, countries worldwide are transitioning to renewable energy systems with electrification. As demand for clean energy grows, enabling technologies such as photovoltaic technologies, smart-grid systems, semiconductor devices, and power converters become essential. Specifically, power-electronic circuits will form the backbone of the next-generation electric grid. Therefore, efficient converter designs with high power density are crucial to improve the performance of the whole grid system. However, industry-standard Silicon-based power converters operating at kHz switching frequencies cannot simultaneously provide high power density while maintaining high efficiency. Therefore, we must tackle the key challenges that prevent us from obtaining an intelligent, compact, and efficient power-electronic design.

My research focuses on enabling compact and reliable power conversion systems for electrification systems such as battery-powered vehicles, biomedical devices, renewable energy systems, and other industrial applications and extending the system to provide wireless power transfer (WPT) technology. A large part of my research has involved overcoming technical limitations by designing high-power and high-efficiency systems operating at tens of MHz switching frequencies with wide bandgap (WBG) devices. Also, I have been studying innovative approaches that enhance the charging ability in the WPT system. For example, my work combines machine learning techniques and component design methods to achieve the coupling coils’ high-quality factor (Q-factor). Also, I bring expertise in resonant converter design and coil designs to implement biosensors to detect nano-sized particles.

What opportunities at the UW excite you?

My research is very application-based, requiring collaboration with tech-based companies or national labs. I believe the nature of UW will enhance my research to develop more creative ideas for advanced power-electronic systems. Also, I am very excited to work on interdisciplinary studies with researchers and students in different fields.