Eunbi Rha

Eunbi Rha is a graduate student in nuclear science and engineering whose research develops quantum materials engineering through controlled defect design via fast-ion implantation. Drawing from her experience operating advanced AEGIS radar systems during naval service, she recognized how material limitations constrain technological performance. Her current research investigates whether materials can be designed rather than discovered to exhibit targeted quantum properties. Her recent work on ion-implanted topological semimetals demonstrated that carefully engineered disorder can enhance quantum transport signatures, while preserving crystallinity. She develops end-to-end MATLAB workflows connecting materials design, measurement, and machine learning, from high-dimensional parameter space exploration to real-time measurement optimization during cryogenic transport studies. As a MathWorks Fellow, Eunbi will refine closed-loop discovery paradigms where machine learning predictions guide experiments and processed outputs feed back into models. Her research demonstrates the feasibility of programmable quantum materials design, opening potential pathways for next-generation electronic and energy applications.