Samsung Future Technology Development Program Achieves Publication of 1,244 Papers in Scientific Journals Including Science and Nature

Research Projects Supported by Samsung Future Technology Development Program Published in Leading Global Journals
①Technology Controlling Electronic Signal Timing Errors to One Ten-Quadrillionth of a Second Using Lasers
②Next-Generation Quantum Dot Materials with Over Twice the Color Reproduction Quality of Existing Materials
③Identification of Causes of Cytokine Storms in Severe COVID-19 Patients

Professors supported by the Samsung Future Technology Development Project. From the left in the photo: Professor Jeongwon Kim of KAIST, Professor Namho Heo of Kyungpook National University, and Professor Euicheol Shin of KAIST.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyewon] Various research projects supported by the 'Samsung Future Technology Development Program' are continuously appearing in world-renowned academic journals.

Recently, papers on topics such as ▲information and communication base technologies ▲next-generation quantum dot (QD) materials ▲immunology have been published in journals like Nature Communications and Advanced Materials.

The Samsung Future Technology Development Program is a research support initiative launched in 2013 with an endowment of 1.5 trillion KRW, aiming to foster science and technology that will lead Korea's future. So far, it has funded 601 projects with 771.3 billion KRW.

It has shown active results with a total of 1,244 papers published in international journals. Among them, 96 papers have appeared in top-tier international journals such as Science (5 papers) and Nature (2 papers).

Under Samsung Electronics' CSR vision 'Together for the Future! Enabling People,' the company is conducting win-win activities and youth education social contribution programs, including the Samsung Future Technology Development Program, smart factories, C-Lab Outside, and the partner company win-win fund.

◆Technology for Measuring and Controlling Electronic Signal Timing Using Lasers... Potential Application in Next-Generation Communications Such as 6G

A joint research team led by Professor Kim Jungwon of KAIST and Professor Jung Hayun of Korea University has developed a technology that can measure and control the timing error of digital electronic signals to less than one ten quadrillionth of a second for the first time in the world.

The research results were published on the 22nd (UK local time) in the world-renowned journal Nature Communications.

With the rapid increase of electronic devices requiring high-speed data transmission such as 5G communications and autonomous vehicles, efforts to synchronize time and reduce timing errors between electronic devices to tens of femtoseconds (one quadrillionth of a second) are actively underway.

However, current technology has limitations in measuring and controlling time below tens of femtoseconds, making it difficult to apply to future information and communication technologies such as 6G communications that require precise time synchronization.

In academia, attempts have been made to reduce timing errors by introducing 'ultrafast pulse lasers' that generate optical signals with timing errors below femtoseconds, but previous studies were limited to generating analog electronic signals, making it difficult to apply to information and communication systems.

Professor Kim Jungwon's research team developed a new technology that converts optical signals from ultrafast pulse lasers into digital electronic signals and measures them, providing a breakthrough for this issue.

Using this technology, timing errors between optical signals and digital electronic signals can be measured with an accuracy of 50 attoseconds (one two hundred quadrillionth of a second), enabling precise measurement and control of digital electronic signals that were previously impossible.

Professor Kim Jungwon said, "Using the results of this research, timing errors in 5G and data center communications can be controlled with up to 100 times greater precision than current levels," adding, "It is expected to dramatically improve the performance of next-generation data converters, ultrafast communications, and integrated circuits that require precise timing performance."

Samsung Electronics selected this research as a supported project under the Samsung Future Technology Development Program in December 2017.

◆Next-Generation Quantum Dot Material Research with More Than Twice the Color Reproduction and Stability Maintained for Over One Year Underwater

Professors Heo Namho and Joo Jin from the Department of Applied Chemical Engineering at Kyungpook National University and Professor Han Jungwoo from the Department of Chemical Engineering at POSTECH jointly developed next-generation quantum dot material technology with excellent color reproduction and moisture stability.

The research results were recognized as innovative material technology and published on the 20th (Germany local time) in Advanced Materials, a world-leading journal in materials science.

Quantum dots are particles with a diameter on the order of one billionth of a meter, known for their excellent color reproduction and used as key materials in QD display implementation.

Recently, research on perovskite quantum dot materials, which have more than twice the color reproduction of existing materials, has been actively conducted.

However, perovskite has the drawback of reduced performance when exposed to moisture, resulting in poor stability. Although various studies to block moisture contact are underway in academia, stability at a level suitable for commercialization has not yet been achieved.

Professor Heo Namho's research team developed a technology that combines perovskite with zeolite, a porous material, to prevent performance degradation even when exposed to moisture, presenting a breakthrough.

The resulting luminescent material maintains stability even after being submerged in water for over a year, and during the bonding process with zeolite, the size and arrangement of perovskite became uniform, improving color reproduction by 10% compared to conventional perovskite.

Samsung Electronics selected this research as a supported project under the Samsung Future Technology Development Program in December 2019.

◆Identification of the Cause of Cytokine Storm in Severe COVID-19 Patients

Since December 2014, Professor Shin Eui-cheol of KAIST Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, supported by the Samsung Future Technology Development Program, has been researching the 'mechanism of immune cell-induced host damage in severe viral diseases.' In collaboration with Professor Jung In-kyung of KAIST Department of Biological Sciences, Professor Kim Seonghan of Asan Medical Center, Professors Choi Junyong and Ahn Jinyoung of Yonsei University Severance Hospital, and Professor Jung Hyewon of Chungbuk National University Hospital, they have identified for the first time in the world the cause of the cytokine storm (excessive inflammatory response) that rapidly worsens the condition of severe COVID-19 patients.

The research results were published on the 10th (US local time) in Science Immunology, a world-leading journal in immunology, and are expected to present a new paradigm for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the future.

Previously, in January 2018, they received worldwide attention by revealing the detailed mechanism of how immune cells cause liver damage in viral hepatitis patients.

Professor Shin Eui-cheol said, "The experience and infrastructure accumulated over six years of severe virus research supported by the Samsung Future Technology Development Program greatly helped in the sudden research on COVID-19."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.