Research

Glancing Angle Deposition (GLAD) is a technique that permits one - unlike any other method - to rapidly generate a wide variety of 3D-shaped nanoparticles from an extensive library of materials and, at the same time, directly control their material composition across the whole substrate. We develop/advance this method to fabricate novel hybrid nanoparticles and metasurfaces whose function and shape can be programmed to perform multiple tasks in various applications, including photonic devices (displays and photodetectors), sensors, actuators, and their combinations.

Reference

1. Advanced Functional Materials 34, 2314434 (2024): Cover

2. Advanced Optical Materials 12, 2301730 (2024): Cover

3. Advanced Materials 35, 210797 (2023): Cover

4. ACS Nano 13, 11453 (2019)

5. Advanced Science 4, 1700234 (2017): Cover

6. Advanced Science 2, 1500016 (2015): Cover

Project

1. NRF: 2024-2027 (3 yrs) Young scientist (global) program (PI)

2. INNOPOLIS: 2023-2025 (3 yrs) Megaproject (host: YM Song @ GIST) 

3. Hyundai: 24 (1 yr) Future research project (PI)

4. NRF: 2021-2023 (3 yrs) Nanoinfra (host: JBNU)

5. NRF: 2021-2023 (3 yrs) Young Scientist Program (PI)

6. GIST: 2020-2021 (2 yrs) Global University Project (PI)

7. KIAT: 2020-2021 (1 yr) Semiconductor Infra (PI)

Underwater adhesion processes in nature promise controllable assembly of small-scale objects, presenting a valuable model for industrial mass production. Drawing inspiration from nature, we develop a scalable nanoparticle transfer technique. This innovation facilitates the swift and efficient transport of nanoparticles from water in microscopic volumes to large-scale surfaces within a remarkably short timeframe of seconds, all while maintaining precise control over surface coverage. Through this method, we develop novel functional plasmonic metasurfaces, demonstrating their immense potential for applications in full-color painting, optical devices, and sensors.

Reference

1. Nature Communications 16, 6269 (2025) 

2. Advanced Materials 36, 2313299  (2024): Cover

3. Advanced Science 8, 2002419 (2021)

Project

1. Corning: 2025 (0.5 yrs) industrial project (PI)

2. COIST: 2020-2024 (5 yrs) COIST Collaboration Research (host: DGIST)

We develop scalable electrically driven color-changing metasurfaces that control the crucial plasmonic resonance with an active medium. Electrochromic nanoparticles are fabricated at the wafer scale, providing the smallest-area active plasmonic pixels to date. These nanopixels show strong scattering colors and are electrically tunable visible colors. We aim to develop such plasmonic pixels to be fully functional for future display and adaptive optics by advancing their color performance, scalability, and integration with other electronic devices.

Reference

1. ACS Nano (online)

2. Materials Horizons (2025)

3. Microsystems & Nanoengineering 10, 22 (2024): Samsung Humantech Bronze Award

4. Advanced Materials 36, 2310556 (2024)

5. Science Advances 5, eaaw2205 (2019)

Project

1. NRF: 2021-2025 (5 yrs) Active hologram metasurfaces (host: ETRI)

2. GIST: 2021-2025 (5 yrs) GIST-MIT ACE-AI project (host: YM Song @ GIST)

3. NRF: 2020-2021 (1 yr) Basic Research (PI)

Key advantages of multifunctional nanosensors are high densities and infinite scalability of their applicable platform in diverse applications. In particular, plasmonics supported by metallic nanostructures are promising for biosensing & imaging applications. We thus plan to unlock the full potential of hybrid plasmonic nanostructures and devices for their applications, especially towards commercially available nano-biosensing platforms.

Reference

1. Advanced Materials 37, 2511261 (2025)

2. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces  16, 16622 (2024) 

3. ACS Nano 16, 21120 (2022)

4. Advanced Materials 34, 2110003 (2022): Cover

5.  Laser & Photonics Reviews 15, 2100235 (2021): Cover 

6.  Physical Review X 9, 011024 (2019)

7.  Small 14, 1702990 (2018): Cover

8.  Nature Communications 7, 11331 (2016)

Project

1. MSIT: 2025-2027 (3+2 yrs) InnoCORE (host: E Lee @ GIST)

2. NRF: 2021-2023 (3 yrs) Quantum Info Research (host: SY Lee @ GIST)

3. GIST: 2022 (0.5yrs) AI project (PI)

4. GIST: 2020-2021 (1.5 yrs) Creative Research Project (host: YM Song @ GIST)

We conduct multidisciplinary researches in an entirely novel and intriguing field of ‘Nanorobotic systems with hybrid nanoparticles’, aiming to develop cost-effective large-scale 3D nanofabrication techniques and use them to discover superior multifunctional nanostructures and devices for various applications in nanorobotics including nanodisplays, sensors, actuators, and their combinations. In the long run, we would like to establish novel nanorobotic platforms to realize ‘early-self’ diagnosis and ‘non-invasive’ therapy, which would benefit to reduce medical error and thus transform the major industry and change the way we live, work, and play.

Reference

1.  Science Advances 4, eaat4388 (2018)

2.  Advanced Materials 29, 1701024 (2017): Cover

3.  Nano Letters 16, 4887 (2016)

4.  Science Advances 1, e1500501 (2015): Cover

Project

1.  NRF: 2023-2024 (1 yr) KOR-GER R&D network program