MSE doctoral candidate receives DOE SCGSR award to study critical energy storage

Materials science and engineering doctoral student Paul Cuillier has been selected to receive a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) award for his research project, “Probing the Origin of Fast Ionic Conduction in Li3YCl6-xBrx Solid-State Electrolytes by Neutron Total Scattering and Hybrid Reverse Monte Carlo”.

SCGSR award recipients perform doctoral research “central to Office of Science mission areas” in one of the DOE’s 15 national laboratories.¹ Cuillier has been assigned to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) where he will be working directly with RMCProfile code developers to implement new features. He will also learn how to run neutron total scattering experiments at the Spallation Neutron Source, which is a powerful characterization tool for the disordered materials specific to his thesis work. “The research that Paul will conduct bridges experimental and computational work, allowing him to hone two distinct skill sets,” shared Professor Vicky Doan-Nguyen, Paul’s graduate advisor.

Doan-Nguyen was notified by the Department of Energy about his being selected for a SCGSR award in response to the 2021 proposal. “Paul's receipt of the prestigious DOE SCGSR is a great opportunity for him to work with leading national lab scientists on critical energy storage problems for the benefit of society,” shared Dr. Doan-Nguyen.

Cuillier began the materials science and engineering program at Ohio State in 2019. His research focused on characterizing new battery materials with X-ray total scattering. The SCGSR award carries his research further by focusing on the development of computational tools and methodology that will enable definitive data collection for his PhD thesis. “Paul will be working with a trifecta of beam line scientists at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at ORNL and developers of a software that is widely used to model neutron scattering,” said Doan-Nguyen.

Mr. Cuillier’s work has the potential to improve materials design by relating the structure of the material to its physical properties by combining experiment and theory with Hybrid Reverse Monte Carlo simulations. The goals of this research are to create a process usable to a wider variety of materials and to learn how to design materials for safer and cheaper batteries and more advanced computer components.

Professor Doan-Nguyen considers Paul a model research scientist with abundant potential: “Having Paul's proposal selected for the DOE SCGSR is one indication of Paul's academic and research excellence in the field of materials science and engineering, and, more specifically, novel materials design that will accelerate materials discovery and set foundational knowledge for developing fast ion conductors.”

As an undergraduate at the University of Arizona, Cuillier cultivated his interest in materials science by using physical concepts to explain experimental results: “I felt materials science, with its focus on structure-property relationships, would be a good way to solve scientifically engaging problems while helping to develop new battery materials for mitigating climate change.” Impassioned by his experience in materials science and engineering, Paul knew he had the potential to build a career in the field.

One of the most rewarding parts of scientific research for Paul is the ability to help colleagues. Being selected to receive a SCGSR award provides the opportunity for professional growth that reinforces his career ambition. “I am aiming to be an instrument scientist at a user facility like CEMAS or ORNL after obtaining my PhD. The SCGSR program is a fantastic step toward that path, as I will get to work directly with instrument scientists that make the measurement techniques and computational tools I use. It is a unique opportunity to learn from them, while helping to develop new tools and methodology applicable to problems beyond my specific research project.”

Paul begins his appointment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory on July 1. He will graduate with his PhD in materials science and engineering in 2024.

By Libby Culley, Senior Communications Specialist  |  culley.36@osu.edu

¹ SCGSR Awards, U.S. Department of Energy. https://science.osti.gov/wdts/scgsr/SCGSR-Awards, Accessed June 14, 2022.