Subramanian (Subbu) Ramachandran, Ph.D. (he/him/his)

Preferred name: Subbu

Part-Time Lecturer (multiyear)

Subramanian (Subbu) Ramachandran, Ph.D. (he/him/his)

Preferred name: Subbu

Part-Time Lecturer (multiyear)

Dr. Subramanian (Subbu) Ramachandran is a strong advocate for students getting exposed to a hybrid approach of structured learning aligned and complemented with experiential learning. Creating opportunities for students where their study culminates with research experiences on applied problems or experimental research exploring the fundamentals. An experimental condensed matter physicist with interest in studying phase transitions at low temperatures and to employ such fundamental knowledge to understand gas (hydrogen) - solid interactions. He is keenly interested in developing and teaching courses related to experimental methods, statistical physics, condensed matter physics, and electronics that support student engagement in undergraduate research.

Education

  • University of Washington, Seattle, WA
    • Ph.D. – Physics
  • Wayne State University – Detroit, MI
    • M.S. – Physics
  • Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India
    • M.Tech. – Cryogenic Engineering
  • Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India
    • M.Sc. – Physics and B.E. ChE

Courses

  • BPHYS 224 Thermal Physics
  • BPHYS 231 Introduction to Experimental Physics
  • BPHYS 328 Statistical Physics
  • BPHYS 431 Experimental Physics – Analog Circuits
  • BPHYS432 Experimental Physics – Digital Circuits
  • BPHYS 441 Condensed Matter Physics I

Teaching Interests

Physics in the Arts, Analog and Digital Circuits, Statistical Physics, Condensed Matter Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Optics

Research and Scholarship Interests

Low Temperature Physics, Study of Phase transitions, Materials development for hydrogen storage and studying gas solid interactions. Scholarship interest is to develop a structured approach that takes students from formal learning to using the tools learned and applying them to experiential learning of real-world applied problems. Developing unified modules that integrate experiments, theory and computational modeling.

Creative Interests

Music, beginner in playing a violin, gardening

Peer-reviewed publications

  • Thermodynamics of the first layer of Ne adsorbed on closed-end single-walled carbon nanotube bundles, S. Ramachandran and O. E. Vilches, Phys. Rev. B, 76, 075404, 2007.
  • Heat capacity of H2 adsorbed on carbon nanotube bundles, S. Ramachandran et al., Jour. Low. Temp. Phys, 134, pp 115, 2004.

Talks

  • Seminar speaker University of Washington Bothell Fall 2025. Titled “Experimental Study of Phase Transitions”
  • Colloquium speaker (remote), Department of Physics, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, August 19, 2024, and Sep 30, 2024. Titled “Surface Phase Transitions in Physiosorbed Systems”
  • Contributed talk – Cascade Rain, University of Washington Bothell, April 13, 2018. Titled “Single diode modeling of photovoltaic cells”
  • Colloquium speaker – Department of Physics, SRM University, Tamilnadu, India, July 30, 2009. Titled “Thermodynamics of one- and two-dimensional matter adsorbed on graphite and carbon nanotube bundles”
  • Contributed talk at the APS March Meeting 2005-07. Titled: Thermodynamic of one- and two-dimensional Neon adsorbed on carbon nanotube bundles

Posters

  • Poster co-authored with Laurie Andersen and Arkady Retik (University of Washington Bothell Division of Computing & Software Systems). University of Washington T & L Symposium, April 2017. Titled: “Two Active-Learning Teaching Approaches Converted from Lecture-Based Teaching”
  • Poster presented at the 2005 UW/ PNNL Nanotech and Nano Science Symposium. Titled: “Thermodynamic studies of Neon adsorbed on carbon nanotube bundles”
  • Poster presented at the 2003 conference on Quantum Fluids and Solids, Albuquerque, New Mexico, August 2003. Titled: “Hydrogen adsorption on carbon nanotube bundles”

Recipient of the Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award, University of Washington 2025

Patents

  • Issued
    • Co-Inventor of the US patent titled “Hydrogen powered scooter” (patent number: 6,918,382 issued July 19, 2005)
    • Co-Inventor of the US patent titled “High-Capacity Transition Metals Based Hydrogen Storage Materials for the Reversible Storage of Hydrogen” (patent number: 6,616,891, issued Sep 9, 2003)
    • Co-Inventor of the US patents titled “Magnesium Mechanical Alloys for Thermal
    • Co-Inventor of the US patent titled “Method for Combining Metals with Different Melting Points” (patent number: 6,340,376, issued Jan 22, 2002)
    • Co-Inventor of the US patents titled “Hydrogen Cooled Hydride Storage Unit” (patent number: 6,425,251 issued July 30, 2002, and 6,293,110 issued Sept 25, 2001)
    • Hydrogen Storage” (patent number: 5,976,276, issued Nov 2, 1999, and 5,916,381 issued June 29, 1999)
  • Provisional
    • “Quantum well heterostructure with insulating magnetic layer based thermoelectric and thermogalvanomagnetic device”, No. US 61/199,199 dated 11/24/2008 and May 2010
Senior Project Mentoring (UW Bothell)
  • Study of Nuclear Engineering and use of metal hydrides as moderators (Spr and Fall 2025)
  • Using model of a magnetic heterostructure (Spr 2024)
  • Using Zacros, a Kinetic Montecarlo Package for heterogenous catalysis (Spr 2021)
  • Mathematical Modeling of an Integrated Photovoltaic -Electrolyzer System (Spr 2020)
  • Simulating a Logic Circuit Using NAND or NOR gates on a Xilinx FPGA to Compare the Performance Metrics (Spr 2020)
  • Synthesis of BiSrCaCuO thin film in a thermal evaporator and its evaluation for superconductivity (Spr 2019)
  • Optical Properties of Thin Film Waveguide: Aluminum Oxide on Borosilicate Glass Substrate (Spr 2019)
Summer Research
  • Physics REU mentor and Summer Research (UW Bothell)
    • Preparing thin films of Ti on graphite to study interaction with hydrogen gas.
    • Preparing MgB2 pellets to study superconducting transition. Developing a measurement set-up to determine resistance using van der Pauw method.
    • Build a time-of-flight measurement circuitry to measure speed of light.
  • Paws on Science 2015 faculty co-presenter representing the Physical Sciences Division. Activity titled ‘Physics’
  • Inspire STEM faculty presenter October 2015 – topic titled ‘Physics Around Us’
  • iUrban Teen workshop faculty presenter October 2015 – participants engaged in activities related to physics
  • Sally Ride Science Festival – October 2014

Member of the APS IDEA team to promote Inclusivity, Diversity and Equity – Fall 2020- Win 2024.

Co-Chair Model UN Northwest (munnorthwest.org) – a non-profit 501 c (3) organization, established in 2014, governed by youth to provide educational opportunities for middle and high school youth.

  • American Physical Society
  • ALPhA (Advanced Laboratory Physics Association)
  • AAPT (American Association of Physics Teachers)