Luca Vialetto
I am an incoming Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UCLA (starting in Fall 2026). I am currently a Stanford Energy Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, working with Prof. Kentaro Hara.
📢 I am recruiting PhD students to join my group at UCLA in Fall 2026. Learn more →
My research lies broadly at the intersection of plasma physics, computational chemistry, and transport phenomena. I am particularly interested in developing physics-based and data-driven models for low-temperature plasmas, motivated by applications of broad societal importance such as space propulsion, advanced manufacturing, and chemical energy conversion. My research interests include:
- Kinetics and transport in non-equilibrium plasmas
- Plasma-surface interactions
- Multiscale modeling for electric propulsion, plasma processing, and chemical conversion
- Machine learning and physics-based models for plasma systems
Before joining UCLA, I received my PhD in Applied Physics (summa cum laude) from the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, where I had the privilege of working with Dr. Paola Diomede and Prof. Richard van de Sanden on computational plasma physics and chemistry. During my PhD, I was awarded the Student Excellence Award at the Gaseous Electronics Conference by the American Physical Society. I also spent time as a postdoctoral researcher at Kiel University in Germany, working on multiscale plasma-material interactions for semiconductor manufacturing.
About the Lab
We are establishing our research group at UCLA, one of the world’s leading institutions for engineering and physical sciences. We will develop cutting-edge computational tools and collaborate with experimental groups to advance our understanding of plasma processes and their applications to critical challenges in energy, materials, and space engineering. Our work bridges fundamental plasma physics with practical applications, combining rigorous theory, advanced simulations, and data-driven approaches.
We are looking for passionate students to join the team (more info)!
Recent News (All News)
Our lab is officially starting!
I am at the 67th APS Division of Plasma Physics (DPP) Annual Meeting in Long Beach (CA) this week
Our review paper Iodine plasmas for space propulsion and industrial applications was accepted in the Journal of Physics D Applied Physics
Luca Vialetto is selected to give an invited talk at the 78th APS Gaseous Electronics Conference in Seoul, Republic of Korea