Who are the people working to change the future of space energy transmission? With our series, "Voices from the Consortium", we want to introduce them to you. In each article, we’ll highlight one of the RePowerSiC team who are contributing to the development of cutting-edge silicon carbide (SiC) technologies. Discover the people driving space innovation—one voice at a time. 

Postdoc Alisha Arora 

I’m Alisha, and I joined the RePowerSiC project in Prof Haiyan’s group as a post-doctoral fellow at DTU Electro. After moving from India to Denmark, I was instantly hooked to the vision behind this cool initiative - development of cutting-edge, ultra-efficient laser power converters (LPC) for wireless energy transmission in space.  

My Role in the RePowerSiC Project

In RePowerSiC project, we’re actively contributing to Work Package 3 (WP3), which focuses on designing and fabrication of SiC LPC device. At DTU, our team is working on minimizing the optical and electrical losses within the device. I am specifically involved in Task 3.3, 3.6 and 3.7, where my role focuses on shaping the processing flow, and fabrication of final LPC device. As a part of task 3.6, I’m also working on optimizing the Ohmic contacts for both p-type and n-type SiC, an essential step that directly impacts the efficiency and viability of the device. The goal of this task is to achieve Ohmic contacts with a resistivity as low as 10^-4 Ω cm², which is essential for ensuring high device efficiency and optimal performance of the device. 

My current role in this project aligns closely with my PhD research in SiC-based photovoltaics. RePowerSiC provided me with the opportunity to extend my doctoral investigations while also touching the broader interdisciplinary areas, such as investigating advanced optical properties, improving the device performance through nanoscale engineering, and exploring the future of high-power laser transmission.

🚀 Impact and Vision for the Future

Being a part of RePowerSiC feels like a defining chapter in my academic and professional development, as it has given me the chance to be a part of pioneering research that could shape how we power the next generation of space missions. The project’s ambition to achieve ultrahigh conversion efficiency far beyond today’s best LPC devices and transfer power densities as high as 1 KW/cm² makes it not only scientifically challenging but also rich with opportunities for innovation! Focusing on defect-free SiC crystal growth and harnessing its full potential as an LPC device is a much-needed step forward for SiC technology. It also creates opportunities for future generations to bring SiC based high-performance devices to market and gives the research community a deeper insight into how to improve and troubleshoot these kinds of systems. Looking ahead! I am excited for the innovations this journey will bring along!!