- Single-molecule nanospectroscopy and femtosecond ultrafast measurement technologies to be combined

- Global Partner Lab network expands to five sites, following partnerships in US, Switzerland and UK

Kim Yu-su, director of the IBS Center for Quantum Coherence in Condensed Matter (right), and Kato Yuichiro, chief researcher at the RIKEN PRI Nano Quantum Optics Laboratory (left), pose with the Global Partner Lab plaque at the IBS QCR-RIKEN PRI Global Partner Lab kickoff symposium held at GIST on Tuesday. [IBS]
Kim Yu-su, director of the IBS Center for Quantum Coherence in Condensed Matter (right), and Kato Yuichiro, chief researcher at the RIKEN PRI Nano Quantum Optics Laboratory (left), pose with the Global Partner Lab plaque at the IBS QCR-RIKEN PRI Global Partner Lab kickoff symposium held at GIST on Tuesday. [IBS]

South Korea and Japan's leading basic science institutions are joining forces to investigate quantum phenomena at the molecular and nanoscale levels. The collaboration aims to lead next-generation quantum science research by combining Korea's nanospectroscopy technology, which enables precise spatial observation, with Japan's ultrafast measurement technology capable of capturing changes at intervals of one quadrillionth of a second.

The Institute for Basic Science said it launched a Global Partner Lab at the RIKEN Pioneering Research Institute in Japan and held a kickoff symposium Tuesday at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology.

The Global Partner Lab program establishes collaborative research units at leading overseas basic science institutions to carry out long-term joint research with IBS centers.

The newly launched IBS QCR-RIKEN PRI Global Partner Lab brings together the IBS Center for Quantum Coherence in Condensed Matter, led by Director Kim Yu-su, and the RIKEN PRI Nano Quantum Optics Laboratory, headed by Chief Researcher Kato Yuichiro.

At the heart of the collaboration is the fusion of two distinct precision measurement technologies. IBS has technology for precise nanoscale spatial observation using single-molecule nanospectroscopy and quantum state control, while RIKEN holds ultrafast temporal measurement technology capable of tracking changes at the femtosecond scale.

Combining the two technologies is expected to allow researchers to observe, in both space and time, the quantum states and energy conversion processes at molecular and nano interfaces — phenomena that have been difficult to capture through either technique alone.

The two institutions have maintained joint experiments and researcher exchanges centered on RIKEN's Single Molecule Science project. The launch of the partner lab marks a transition to a long-term, structured joint research framework. RIKEN PRI will provide research space, advanced equipment and facilities, and access to its HOKUSAI supercomputing resources.

"This is the starting point for developing the research cooperation we have built with RIKEN into a sustainable research framework," Kim said. "We will continue to expand the foundation for Korea-Japan basic science collaboration."

IBS launched three Global Partner Labs at research institutions in the United States, Switzerland and the United Kingdom last year, and this year added partner labs at RIKEN's Nishina Center and PRI, bringing the total number of operating Global Partner Labs to five.


nbgkoo@heraldcorp.com