Research Interests

Our group focuses on a range of applications with advancements in signal processing techniques at circuit and system levels in order to achieve the break-through in the field of: 

• Broadband Wireless Link for 5G/6G;

• Energy Efficient Circuits for biomedical and bio-telemetry applications;

• Cryogenic CMOS Circuits and Systems for quantum-computer and space electronics;

Broadband Wireless Link for 5G/6G

Next-generation (5G/6G) mobile communication is entering a stage where not only wide frequency aggregation is employed to meet the increasing data rate demands, but also millimeter-wave frequencies are beginning to be utilized as primary communication bands. In response to this trend, wireless transceivers must meet unprecedented requirements in terms of dynamic range and sensitivity. At the same time, minimizing the use of off-chip filter components—which directly impact device cost—has become essential. Our group focus on software-defined radio (SDR) as a general-purpose transceiver architecture, cognitive radio for enhanced spectral efficiency, and circuit techniques that minimize the reliance on off-chip components. .

Prof. Kim commercialized the world-first LTE-A (4G+) transceiver design in 2012 at Qualcomm, San Diego, CA, USA, and now leads his group to investigate next generation transceiver solutions for

• Millimeter-wave Transceiver to support broader bandwidth and data-rate;

• Cognitive Radio Transceiver for better spectrum efficiency;

• Software-Defined Radio to accommodate multi-standards and applications.

• #Millimeter-wave #Cognitive Radio #Software-Defined Radio # Future generations

Energy Efficient Circuits for biomedical and bio-telemetry applications

With the rise of aging populations, the need for smart hospital and cloud-based disease management and self-diagnosis technologies is rapidly growing. Integrated with IoT (or IoE), these systems enable real-time patient monitoring, precise data transmission, context-aware analysis, and remote diagnostics. In this context, it is essential to develop biosignal diagnostic devices that support not only remote monitoring but also mobility, miniaturization, non-invasiveness, label-free diagnostics, and rapid response times.

Prof. Kim developed the world-first self-sustained CMOS  Microwave chemical sensor during his Ph.D. years at Texas A&M University, and now leads his group to investigate advanced low-power bio-signal acquisition circuits and long-range, high-sensitivity wireless transceivers for remote bio-signal monitorning solutions.

• UWB Based Radar ICs for high-resolution and low-power and in-vivo devices;

• Microwave Sensing Based Bio-signal Monitoring Solution for non-invasive and label-free diagnosis;

• Broadband Spectroscopy for dielectric imaging and portable blood-analysis.

• #UWB #Broadband Spectroscopy #Microwave Sensing #Radar #in-vivo devices

Cryogenic CMOS Circuits and Systems for quantum-computer and space electronics

Quantum computing leverages parallel processing using quantum processors (qubits) and computation based on quantum interactions and properties, offering groundbreaking problem-solving capabilities and applications across various fields. To achieve high computational fidelity and stable operation, it is critical to minimize thermal noise and environmental disturbances. As a result, qubits operate at temperatures of a few millikelvin, while control/readout ICs (ROICs) are typically operated at cryogenic temperatures of 3–5 K. For the commercialization and practical realization of quantum computers, extremely high computational fidelity is required—greater than 99.999% for qubits and more than 99.9% for qubit control/ROIC.

Prof. Kim pioneered the research on the cryogenic CMOS interconnect electronics in Korea from 2021 and now leads his group to investigate quantum-limited noise performance, >50dB SFDR CMOS controller/ROIC targeting superconducting and spin quantum processor. In particular, we are interested in

• Parametric Amplifier for Quantum-limited noise performance;

• RF Reflectometry based ROIC for high-fidelity quantum-sensing;

• Multi-qubit Controller/ROIC for scalable quantum-computer

• #Quantum-Computer #Cryogenic #Quantum-Limited #Parametric Amplifier