Dr. Yalin joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University (CSU) in 2002 and is currently an Associate Professor. He received his undergraduate degree in Engineering Physics from Queen's University in 1995, and Masters and PhD degrees from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University in 1997 and 2000 respectively. From 2000 to 2002, he held a post-doctoral position at Stanford University in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Chemistry. His current research focuses on laser-based diagnostics and non-intrusive measurements of gases and plasmas. The diagnostics are used for studies of atmospheric plasmas, low-pressure plasmas, and plasma sputtering, with application towards plasma science, plasma-processing, and electric propulsion. Other interests include applications of lasers and plasmas to combustion, especially laser ignition of engines, and laser sensing for atmospheric monitoring, healt, and environmental applications. Dr. Yalin has more than 30 journal publications, 50 conference proceedings and presentations, and 3 patents in these research areas. His awards include the SAE Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award (2009) and the Abell Outstanding Early-Career Faculty Award from CSU's College of Engineering (2007). He also serves as Director of CSU's NASA Space Grant Program and as faculty advisor to the AIAA Student Chapter. From 2002-2008 he served as the Vice-Chair and then Chair of the Applied Spectroscopy and Environmental Sensing Technical Group of the Optical Society of America.

     Sachin Joshi received his Ph.D. in 2008 from Colorado State University while working on laser ignition of natural gas engines at the Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory. He continued with the group as a post-doc in February 2009 and is currently continuing his work on fiber optic based laser ignition and optical combustion diagnostics of gas engines. During his graduate studies, he was involved in international cook-stove research and multiple business competitions. He is a co-founder of NGOs such as Engineers without Borders/Nepal and STARIC-Nepal. His primary interest lies in research and development of technologies for increasing energy efficiency of combustion devices, international development and technology/financial analysis/validation for business startups.

     Binyamin Rubin joined the group in 2007 after receiving his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the Technion (Israel Institute of Technology). During his graduate career, he developed a new non-contact diagnostic method for Hall Thrusters and participated in the development of a novel Hall Thruster design. Before pursuing a Ph.D. he worked as a scientific researcher in the Keldysh Research Center of the Russian Space Agency, where he focused on low power Hall Thrusters. His current research interests include ion sputtering, non-contact plasma diagnostics, and simulation of space plasma environments in ground-based vacuum facilities.

Brian Lee received his BS from Colorado State University in 2008 with a double major in Engineering Science and Physics with Cum Laude honors. Senior year, Brian was awarded a certificate of merit from the Colorado Engineering Council. His undergraduate research focused on compact extreme ultraviolet laser sources with Dr. Jorge Rocca. Prior to beginning graduate school, Brian completed an internship at Advanced Energy, working on RF power calibration. He joined Dr. Yalin's group in the summer of 2009 and will be using cavity ring-down spectroscopy to study the erosion lifetimes of ion beam thrusters.

     Frank started working in the Yalin Group in August of 2008 after receiving a BS in Physics with a minor in Mathematics from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. He is currently working on laser ignition of natural gas engines in the Engines and Energy Conversion Lab. Frank is also an avid mountain biker when he is not working, reading research papers, preparing his thesis, studying, doing homework, or in class.

     Lei joined the Yalin group in August 2006 after he earned a B.E. in Physics Engineering and an M.S. in Nuclear Science and Engineering from Tsinghua University, China, in 2004 and 2006 respectively. During his Master's degree, he developed a new instrument to measure the diameter of pipes with a scanning laser in real time on a product line. Currently he is doing laser spectroscopy measurement for sputtering with CRDS, with a focus on CW-CRDS. His Ph.D. research involves the development of a CW-CRDS system for measuring BN erosion in Hall thrusters. His interests include lasers and laser spectroscopy, optical electronics, and plasma measurement.

Jim became a member of the Yalin group in 2007 after receiving his Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan. While at Michigan, he worked with the esteemed Dr. A.D. Gallimore, who directed him towards Colorado State for his graduate career. His current projects focus on differential and total sputter yields of various materials using the QCM system. Jim is an avid outdoorsman (seen here climbing Long's Peak), and spends his time skiing and hiking when not in the lab. His research interests include ion sputtering yields, thermal and surface effects on ion sputter yields, ion thruster design, ion thruster optics design and analysis, and laser measurement techniques of sputter yields.

     Lucam is a French student from Ecole Centrale Paris, France. He was accepted in February 2009 to the Yalin group as an undergraduate research intern for a period of 5 months. His current project focuses on testing an characterizing fiber optics, in the perpective of laser ignition of natural gas engines. When not working in the lab, he enjoys hanging out with the campus Intervarsity Christian Fellowship association. Still an undergraduate and coming from a versatile engineering college, his research interests are wide, including optics, plasmas and combustion, but also fluid mechanics and thermal transfer.