Kevin Verhaegh, Assistant Professor at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the Science and Technology of Nuclear Fusion group, focuses on one of fusion power’s most critical challenges: managing the immense heat in the plasma edge. This heat is concentrated in a narrow region of the divertor, exceeding engineering limits.

To address this complex, multidisciplinary challenge, Verhaegh conducts experiments worldwide, explaining power exhaust on a macroscopic scale by investigating its microscopic origins—plasma-neutral interactions, where fusion physics meets low-temperature plasmas. His research demonstrated the role plasma-molecule interactions play in power exhaust and involves developing innovative diagnostic tools and supporting real-time sensor technology for fusion reactors. Conventional solutions may not be sufficient, especially in compact fusion reactors. To address this, Verhaegh leads EUROfusion research on Alternative Divertor Configurations (ADCs) across international fusion devices, including MAST Upgrade (UK) and TCV (Switzerland). 

Kevin Verhaegh is an Early Career scientist and the first graduate of the TU/e MSc program in Science and Technology of Nuclear Fusion (2014). He earned his PhD from the University of York in 2019, focusing on spectroscopic studies of divertor power exhaust on the TCV tokamak. His PhD work earned him the Institute of Physics (IoP) and European Physical Society (EPS) Plasma PhD prizes.After completing his PhD, Verhaegh joined UKAEA, working on the MAST Upgrade tokamak as a senior plasma exhaust scientist. Initially funded by UKAEA and EuroFusion postdoctoral fellowships, he led key experiments on MAST-U’s Super-X divertor. In 2024, he joined Eindhoven University of Technology, where he advances experimental power exhaust research and contributes to fusion education.