Advancing the performance of materials is one of the most promising steps toward building better technologies.
At the heart of those advances is harnessing the forces that govern how energy moves and interacts.
Promising strides in aiding such pursuits has led the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science to grant an Early Career Research Program award to Xin Xu, an assistant professor in The Polytechnic School, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University.
The Office of Science is the largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the U.S. Through a competitive peer-review process, the Early Career Research Program selects more than 80 early-career researchers whose work shows promise for significant achievements each year. The award will provide approximately $875,000 over five years to Xu and his team to pursue their ambitious goals that span a wide range of technological advances.
Xu’s work at ASU builds on his previous research at Northwestern University and Stanford University, which focused on the development of fuel cells, converting chemical energy to electricity, and improvements in solid-state batteries and on the materials that power them more efficiently.
At ASU, he has expanded his research to focus on oxides in materials, primarily ceramic materials that play a critical role in powering batteries, energy systems and even nuclear fusion technology. These ion- and proton-conducting ceramics can improve battery performance and resilience under extreme environmental conditions. His work examines how lithium ions improve battery performance and other conditions.
“We started the ion moving in material at a very high electrical field,” says Xu. “No one had done this before, but we had bold and reasonable hypotheses about where it could lead.”
Xu is also a member of the graduate faculty in the clean energy systems program within The Polytechnic School, the systems engineering program in the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, and the materials science and engineering program in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport, and Energy, all schools in the Fulton Schools.
His cross-disciplinary research seeks to establish a theory explaining how ions behave in materials exposed to extreme electrical fields. A deeper understanding of that behavior could strengthen technologies that rely on ion transport, from lithium-ion batteries to fuel cells and advanced nuclear systems.
Hands-on research experiences for dozens of students
As part of his research, Xu places strong emphasis on preparing students for careers in advanced energy research.
He anticipates recruiting one doctoral student and two to three undergraduate students per year over the next five years. Some of these students will be directly supported by the Department of Energy, or DOE, project. Doctoral students will receive a stipend, while undergraduate researchers will earn funding to cover research-related expenses. Over the duration of the project, at least eight doctoral students and 15 to 20 undergraduates are expected to have opportunities to conduct research.
“The Department of Energy sees the promise in Professor Xu’s work,” says Kurt Paterson, director of The Polytechnic School. “It is investing in research that will underpin the next generation of energy businesses in the U.S. All kinds of technology in our power-hungry world would stand to benefit. A 1,000-mile electric vehicle range, a month-long phone battery or bountiful fusion energy don’t sound like science fiction to Xu and his students.”
Xu is also developing a new course in solid-state ionics for the spring 2027 semester. Serving both undergraduate and graduate students, the course will incorporate concepts and case studies related to the DOE project.
Expanding horizons of materials science and engineering
For students, participating in the research will provide an experience that extends far beyond traditional classroom learning. They won’t simply be learning established knowledge; they will be contributing to the creation of new knowledge. That shift is transformative early in an engineering career, Xu says.
Students in his lab will design experiments, operate advanced materials characterization tools and analyze complex datasets tied to real energy challenges.
“They gain experience working at the frontiers of materials science,” Xu says. “That early exposure builds technical depth and prepares them for careers in energy, at national laboratories and in advanced manufacturing.”
He says they’ll learn to frame research questions with systems-level relevance, communicate their findings effectively and collaborate across disciplines — all skills that translate directly into leadership potential in industry, academia and government laboratories.
Through the experience, the students will also have opportunities to present at conferences, engage with collaborators and contribute to peer-reviewed publications.
“By the time they graduate, they are not just students,” Xu says. “They are emerging experts who have already contributed to solving real energy challenges.”
From lab experience to career-ready engineers
Ty Zurcher, a Fulton Schools student studying engineering with a concentration in mechanical systems engineering, says one of the most important lessons he is learning in Xu’s lab is how to communicate complex ideas clearly.
“No matter where my career takes me, I will be able to explain my ideas and demonstrate the value I can bring in various situations,” Zurcher says.
He also points to the lab’s collaborative environment.
“I see the people working under Dr. Xu getting excited about what they are doing and trying to accomplish, and I feel the same way,” he adds. “So, you get a sense of community that is motivating.”
Keegan Erdmann says his project in Xu’s group — building an air-free aluminum vessel — strengthened his machining skills and reinforced his interest in mechanical engineering. He says the experience has prepared him to contribute to the development of safer, more efficient solid-state battery technologies.
Engineering student Brendan Sourwine, who is in ASU’s Barrett, The Honors College, says he has gained hands-on experience operating advanced research equipment, including argon-atmosphere gloveboxes for lithium purification and vacuum furnaces used in battery development.
“It’s very likely I will need to use these machines in my career,” he says. “Learning about them now gives me an edge in preparing to work in this field.”
Sourwine adds that working in an advanced battery lab has expanded his ambitions.
“There is always something new to learn,” he says. “It inspires me about the opportunities I can have and the contributions I could potentially help to make. I’m hoping that with all that I’ve learned about solid-state batteries, I can use it to help develop and incorporate them into the aerospace field.”
