Biography

Andrei Afanasev currently leads the physics effort for the GWU energy initiative. He has made significant research contributions in the field of nuclear and particle physics probed with high-power electron accelerators and free-electron lasers. Presently Prof. Afanasev contributes to energy research in three areas: (a) High-power particle accelerators that may serve as drivers for accelerator-driven subcritical nuclear reactors (ADSR), as well as probes of new materials for energy applications; (b) Development of novel techniques in photovoltaics, including nanostructures, quantum dots, and surface acoustic waves; (c) New technologies for non-proliferation of nuclear materials. Prof. Afanasev is the Director of the Photoemission Research Laboratory where new solutions for particle accelerator sources and photovoltaics are being developed and tested. Research Interests: Nuclear & Particle Physics, Physics of Particle Accelerators; Quantum Electrodynamics; Condensed Matter Physics