Professional Background

• Division Leader, Material Science Working Group, Focused Materials Science, Weapon Physics And Design Program, Weapons & Complex Integration, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 8/19-present
• Program Working Group Leader, Material Science Working Group, Focused Materials Science, Weapon Physics And Design Program, Weapons & Complex Integration, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 4/16-3/20
• Associate Division Leader/Section Leader, Condensed Matter Section, Physics Division Physical & Life Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 10/14-5/20
• Group Leader, High Pressure Physics Group, Condensed Matter Section, Physics Division, Physical & Life Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 10/14-6/17
• Division Leader (Interim), Condensed Matter & Materials Division, Physical & Life Sciences, Science & Technology, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 5/14-10/14
• Group Leader, High Pressure Physics Group, Materials & Condensed Matter Division, Physical & Life Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 5/07-10/14
• Staff Physicist, High Pressure Physics Group, H-Division (Condensed Matter), Physics & Advanced Technologies, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 9/95-5/07

Research Interests

• Experimental Physics – Physics at High Pressures, Material Properties (EOS, Phase Transitions, Transition Kinetics & Metastability), Novel Materials Synthesis and Characterization, IR, Visible and Raman Spectroscopies, X-Ray Scattering (Diffraction & Spectroscopy), Cryogenics
• William Evans’ research covers a broad range of subjects aimed at understanding the physics and chemistry of materials under extreme conditions (pressure, temperature, strain rate,…). These activities include investigation of kinetic processes and phase transformations in molecular solids and metals; characterization of metals and molecular solids under high-pressure/temperature conditions; synthesis and characterization of novel technological materials.
• His experimental activities involve several techniques such as ultrahigh-pressure diamond anvil cell work and associated diagnostics; micro-optical probing techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, visible absorption/transmission, and IR spectroscopy; X-ray scattering - diffraction and spectroscopy (inelastic scattering techniques). William has been employees at LLNL since 1995. He received his B.Sc. (Physics) from the California Institute of Technology and his S.M and Ph.D. (Applied Physics) from Harvard University. He is a member of the American Physical Society, American Chemical Society, Optical Society of America, Tau Beta Pi Honors Society, and often serves as a science fair judge.

Professional Memberships

• American Physical Society, 1987–
• The Tau Beta Pi Association, National Engineering Honor Society, 1986–

Professional Activities

• Asst. Editor, 18th APS-SCCM and 24^th AIRAPT Conference Proceedings, Seattle, WA '13
• Chair, American Physical Science Committee on Minorities, ’11
• Member, American Physical Science Committee on Minorities, ‘08–‘11
• Member, Lawrence Scholar Selection Committee Reviewer, LLNL, Livermore, CA ’07–‘15
• Member, LLNL Physics & Advanced Tech. Awards Committee, ’04–‘08
• Reviewer/Referee, NNSA/DOE, Physical Review B, Physical Review Letters, NSF Graduate Research Fellow Program (Physics Panel)

Ph.D., Applied Physics, Division of Engineering & Applied Science, Harvard University

S.M., Applied Physics, Division of Engineering & Applied Science, Harvard University

B.S., Physics, California Institute of Technology

1. Zs. Jenei, E. F. O’Bannon, S. T. Weir, H. Cynn, M. J. Lipp & W. J. Evans, "Single crystal toroidal diamond anvils for high pressure experiments beyond 5 megabar", Nat Commun 9, 3563 (2018) [pdf]
2. J.-Y. Chen, C.-S. Yoo, W. J. Evans, H.-P. Liermann, H. Cynn, M. Kim, and Z. Jenei, “Solidification and fcc to metastable hcp phase transition in krypton under variable compression rates”, Phys Rev B 90, 144104 (2014) [pdf]
3. W. J. Evans, C.-S. Yoo, G. W. Lee, H. Cynn, M. J. Lipp and K. Visbeck, “Dynamic diamond anvil cell (dDAC): A novel device for studying the dynamic-pressure properties of materials”, Rev Sci Instrum 78, 073904 (2007) [pdf]
4. W.J. Evans, M.J. Lipp, C.-S. Yoo, H. Cynn, J.L. Herberg, R.S. Maxwell, M.F. Nicol, Pressure-induced polymerization of carbon monoxide: Disproportionation and synthesis of an energetic lactonic polymer, Chem Mater, 18 (10), 2520 (2006) [pdf]
5. Magnus J. Lipp; William J. Evans; Bruce J. Baer, et al. "High energy density extended CO solid", Nat Mater 4, 211 (2005) [pdf]
6. H.E. Lorenzana, M.J. Lipp, and W.J. Evans, "Anomalous Molecular Phase of Nitrogen: Implications to the Phase Diagram", Intl J High Press Res 22, 5-8 (2002) [pdf]
7. W.J. Evans, and I.F. Silvera, “The Index of Refraction, Polarizability and Equation of State of Solid Molecular Hydrogen”, Phys Rev B 57, 14105 (1998) [pdf]
8. W.G. Hoover, B. Moran, C. Tull and W.J. Evans, Irreversibility in the Galton Board via Conservative Classical and Quantum Hamiltonian and Gaussian Dynamics, Phys Lett A 133, 114 (1988) [pdf]
9. S. Ram, W.J. Evans, D.S. Wise, L.B. Townsend, and J.W. McCall, Synthesis of Potential Anti-Filarial Agents 2. Methyl 2-Substituted Purine 8-Carbamates and Related Compounds, Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry 26, 1053 (1989) [pdf]
10. W.J. Evans and D.K. Lambert, Wavemeter for lead-salt diode laser calibration, Appl Opt 25, 2867 (1986) [pdf]
11. Google Scholar Link

Professional

• Award of Excellence For Significant Contribution to the Stockpile Stewardship Program, 2014 Defense Programs, 2014 – “In recognition of an integrated effort that demonstrated the technical and facility readiness to execute the first high-pressure high-Z diffraction experiment on the National Ignition Facility”
• Excellence in Publication for “Synthesis and Characterization of Nanocrystalline Diamond Aerogels”, PNAS  2011, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate Award, ‘11
• Recognition Award for “Aged Plutonium EOS Studies”, LLNL-Physical Data Research Program Award, ‘04

Doctoral

• Hertz Fellow, Fannie and John Hertz Foundation, ‘87-92

Undergraduate

• GM Scholar, General Motors Corporations, ‘85-‘87
• Elected to Tau Beta Pi) National Engineering Honor Society, California Institute of Technology, ‘86.
• Carnation Prize, Merit Scholarship, California Institute of Technology, ’85 and‘86
• American Physical Society Scholarship for Minority Undergraduate Students in Physics, Corporate Scholarship from AT&T Foundation, ’84-‘86
• Scholarship, Los Angeles Council of Black Professional Engineers, Spring ‘84