(Director CHO Mun-ho of the Center for Epitaxial van der Waals Quantum Solids)

IBS has launched a new research center in the field of physics, the Center for Epitaxial van der Waals Quantum Solids, on February 11th (Friday) at the POSTECH Campus. Professor CHO Mun-ho from the POSTECH Department of Materials Science and Engineering was appointed as its director. This means that IBS is now operating a total of 32 research centers in the fields of physic, chemistry, life science, earth science, interdisciplinary, and mathematics.

Newly appointed Director Cho obtained B.Sc from Yonsei University, and obtained his Ph.D. at Cambridge University, studying materials science. After pursuing a research career at Harvard University, he returned to South Korea and has been a professor at POSTECH since 2004. He has led the IBS Center for Artificial Low Dimensional Electronic Systems as its Group Leader since 2013 and as Associate Director since 2015.

Director Cho is a leading scientist in the field of the epitaxial growth of low-dimensional heterojunction materials and the realization of new quantum device platforms through the study of light-material interactions at these junctions.

In 2017, he developed a new two-dimensional semiconductor by freely controlling the semiconductor-metal properties of the atomically layered material. In 2018, he successfully controlled the electrical properties of a two-dimensional semiconductor using different wavelengths of light. In addition, in 2021 Director Cho announced the control of two-dimensional superlattice materials by stacking different atomic layer semiconductors by epitaxial growth. Many of Director Cho's past research in the field of low-dimensional semiconductor materials so far have been successfully translated into industrial applications, which illustrates the importance of integrating basic and applied research in achieving technological progress.

Since 2013, Director Cho has exerted academic leadership in the field as an Associate Director of the Center for Artificial Low Dimensional Electronic Systems. His leadership and efforts to provide an autonomous and creative research environment to junior researchers were instrumental in his group’s success and their excellent research records over the past years. Based on these achievements, Director Cho received the LS Academic Award (2017) from the Korean Society of Metals and Materials and was also appointed as SeAh Chair Professor (2011-2018) and Mu Eun-Jae Chair Professor (2018-present) at POSTECH.

Director Cho stated, “By using epitaxial growth to manipulate the lattice symmetry of the materials bound by relatively weak van der Waals forces, it may be possible to create completely new semiconductors, semi-metals, superconductors, topological materials, etc. Based on this, we want to explore their potential as new platform materials in the quantum technology fields.

IBS President NOH Do Young said, “The new quantum material system that Director Cho wants to implement may serve as a platform material in new quantum technology. It is expected to provide us with a decisive advantage in the competitive field of quantum science.” He added “An influx of completely new material science knowledge that the foundation of this new Center brings will have a beneficial effect on the development of physics in Korea as well as the IBS.”