POSTECH Research Team Sponsored by Samsung Develops Ultra-High Sensitivity Microwave Detector

Research Team Led by Professor Gilho Lee, POSTECH Department of Physics
Achieves Ultra-Sensitive Detection at 1 AttoWatt Level

Professor Gilho Lee (right) from the Department of Physics at POSTECH and Woochan Jung, an integrated master's and doctoral student (left), who developed an ultra-high sensitivity detector capable of detecting microwave intensity with a sensitivity approximately one billion times higher than before.

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Samsung Electronics announced on the 4th that the research team led by Professor Gilho Lee of the Department of Physics at POSTECH, supported by the Samsung Future Technology Development Project, has developed an ultra-high sensitivity detector capable of detecting microwave intensity at the theoretical limit of 1 atto-watt (1/100 quadrillionth of a watt) measured over one second.

This research was conducted in collaboration with Raytheon BBN Technologies in the United States, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology in Spain, and the National Institute for Materials Science in Japan. The research results were recognized as foundational research for the commercialization of next-generation quantum information technology and were published on September 30 (local UK time) in the top-tier international journal Nature.

Advancing Quantum Technology Commercialization through Material and Structural Innovation

Microwaves, a type of electromagnetic wave familiar to us through their use in microwave ovens, are utilized in a wide range of scientific and technological fields such as mobile communications, radar, and astronomy. Recently, as their potential use in quantum computing and quantum information communication has become known, active research is underway to detect microwaves with ultra-high sensitivity.

Currently, bolometers used as microwave detectors consist of microwave-absorbing materials, materials that convert absorbed microwaves into heat, and materials that convert the generated heat into electrical resistance. The intensity of the absorbed microwaves is calculated by measuring changes in electrical resistance.

However, bolometers use semiconductors such as silicon or gallium arsenide as microwave-absorbing materials, limiting their detection sensitivity to about 1 nanowatt (one billionth of a watt) measured over one second, making precise intensity measurement impossible.

Professor Gilho Lee’s research team succeeded in overcoming this limitation through innovation in the materials and structure of the bolometer. First, they increased microwave absorption by using graphene instead of semiconductors as the microwave-absorbing material.

By introducing a 'Josephson junction structure' that sandwiches graphene between two superconductors, they enabled detection of changes in electrical resistance occurring in graphene within 10 picoseconds (one hundred billionth of a second). As a result, microwave detection sensitivity was raised to the theoretical limit of 1 atto-watt (1/100 quadrillionth of a watt) measured over one second.

Professor Lee said, "This research is significant in that it establishes foundational technology for the practical implementation of next-generation quantum devices," adding, "Utilizing this technology is expected to maximize measurement efficiency in quantum computing and enable the development of large-scale quantum computers." Professor Lee’s research team has been supported since June 2017 as a project under the Samsung Future Technology Development Project.

Samsung Future Technology Development Project: 1.5 Trillion Won in Research Support since 2013

The Samsung Future Technology Development Project is a public research support initiative launched in 2013 with an endowment of 1.5 trillion won, aimed at fostering science and technology that will lead Korea’s future.

To date, the project has funded 603 research tasks with 772.9 billion won and has produced 1,255 papers published in international journals, demonstrating active achievements. Among these, 101 papers have been published in top-tier international journals such as Nature (4 papers) and Science (5 papers).

Under the CSR vision "Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People," Samsung Electronics is conducting shared growth activities and social contribution programs including the Samsung Future Technology Development Project, the Win-Win Fund for partner companies, smart factories, and C-Lab Outside, as well as youth education initiatives.

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