Kenneth Lee

EPFL SPC-PB
PPH 277 (Bâtiment PPH)
Station 13
1015 Lausanne

EPFL SPC-PB
PPH 277 (Bâtiment PPH)
Station 13
1015 Lausanne

EPFLETUEDOCEDPY

Research Interests

  • Plasma physics and nuclear fusion
  • Experimental tokamak physics
  • Plasma boundary physics: edge, scrape-off layer, divertor
  • Fusion power exhaust, divertor detachment
  • Alternative divertor configurations
I am a PhD student at the Swiss Plasma Center, EPFL, advised by Prof. Christian Theiler. As part of the TCV tokamak experimental team, I work on plasma boundary physics and fusion power exhaust. My research focuses on the experimental investigation of alternative divertor configurations — using innovative magnetic shaping of the tokamak divertor to reduce the extreme heat fluxes that plasma-facing components in future reactors will need to withstand.

I am a main contributor to the EUROfusion Tokamak Exploitation Programme on Alternative Divertor Configurations (WPTE RT07), in collaboration with MAST-U, AUG, and WEST. I was a selected participant of the JT-60SA international school in 2024, on the topic "From JET to JT-60SA" covering the operation of two largest fusion experiments in the world.

I serve as a teaching assistant for the graduate-level plasma physics course (PHYS-423 – Plasma I) on fundamental concepts of plasma fluid and kinetic theories, and have received the SB Dean’s Award for teaching excellence in 2025. Prior to EPFL, I read for an MMathPhys in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics at St Hilda's College, University of Oxford. I was born and raised in Hong Kong.

Education

MMathPhys

| Mathematical and Theoretical Physics

2019 – 2020 University of Oxford

BA

| Physics

2016 – 2019 University of Oxford

Distinctions and awards

  • SB Dean’s Award for teaching excellence (2025)
  • Selected participant of JT-60SA International School: European cohort speaker representative (2024)
  • St Hilda's College Prize in Physics (2020)

Publications