Paul M Thibado

Paul M Thibado is a Professor in the Department of Physics within the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Arkansas. With over 100 refereed publications and 51 patents worldwide, his work focuses on cutting-edge research in graphene physics and energy harvesting technology. He has secured over $12 million in external research funding from sources including NSF, DoD, and the Walton Foundation, with current support from the WoodNext Foundation.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Physics, 1994, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
• B.S. in Physics, 1990, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
• B.S. in Mathematics, 1990, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA

Professor Thibado's primary research focuses on the physical properties of novel two-dimensional systems, particularly pristine freestanding graphene and chemically-functionalized graphene. His work investigates electronic, mechanical, electromechanical, spin-dependent tunneling, and transport properties. A significant portion of his recent research centers on developing multimodal energy harvesting technology using graphene, with power sources including kinetic, solar, thermal, ambient radiation, acoustic, and nonlinear thermal energy. His groundbreaking discovery that thermal fluctuations in graphene can be harnessed to generate usable electrical power represents a paradigm shift in nanoscale energy generation.

Analysis of his recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a clear progression from fundamental studies of graphene properties to the development of functional energy harvesting devices. Key research themes include spectrum analysis of thermally driven curvature inversion in graphene ripples, transient thermal energy harvesting at single temperatures using nonlinearity, and creating arrays of graphene solar cells on silicon wafers. His work demonstrates how Brownian motion in two-dimensional materials can be converted into electrical energy through innovative device architectures.

Scientific Awards:

• Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors
• NSF CAREER Awardee
• ONR award recipient
• NSF MRSEC funding
• NSF FRG funding
• NSF MRI funding
• NSF REU funding
• NSF-EM funding
• NRC Post-doctoral Fellow, Naval Research Laboratory (1994-96)
• Master Researcher Award, Fulbright College (2014)

Professor Thibado has successfully mentored numerous students and postdocs, including Dr. Vince LaBella who was elected APS Fellow for clicker development work. His research has been supported by over $12 million in external funding from diverse sources. His laboratory combines advanced scanning tunneling microscopy techniques with electrical measurements to study and harness the unique properties of two-dimensional materials. Future work appears directed toward scaling up graphene energy harvesting technology for practical applications and commercialization, with several patents recently granted for energy harvesting devices and sensors.