Welcome to the Department of Physics and Photon Science
Research Highlights & News
Meet our Scientists
Seung Cheol Park
Self-introductionHello. I am Seong Cheol Park, a researcher at the Center for Relativistic Laser Science (CoReLS) within the Institute for Basic Science(IBS) and the Department of Physics and Photon Science at GIST.
Research Area Introduction I study the extreme states of matter using high-powr lasers and work on developing new light sources for attosecond science. I am researching and developing liquid targets to overcome the limitations of conventional solid targets.
Future Plans I would like to conduct practical application experiments using the high repetition rate attosecond light sources I have developed so far.
Memorable Graduate School Experience I remember the first conference I attended during my first year of graduate school. At the time, I felt intimidated by the thought that my research results were insufficient, so I left my spot under the pretext of looking at other posters. However, a foreign professor sought me out, and at his request, I returned to stand in front of my poster. Contrary to my worries, the professors gave me serious feedback on my results. Being genuinely treated as a researcher in this way became a turning point that allowed me to immerse myself even more in my research.
Reason for Pursuing Graduate Studies &Advice to Prospective Graduate Students I entered graduate school because I was intrigued by the idea of expanding the horizons of cutting-edge science. However, I am learning every day that these horizons do not expand on their own, but rather widen little by little through numerous failures. For those hoping to enter graduate school, I would like to suggest keeping in mind that failure is not the end, but a necessary process leading to success.
Seongmin Lee
Self-introduction Hello, my name is Seongmin Lee, and I am a MS–PhD student in the laser–fusion laboratory.
Research Area Introduction My main research interests are laser–cluster interactions and nuclear fusion. When intense laser pulses irradiate clusters, strong Coulomb explosions occur, accelerating ions to energies high enough to induce nuclear fusion. I also work in the field of warm dense matter. By heating materials with laser-accelerated ions, ultrafast energy deposition can drive solids to extremely high temperatures (>10,000 K) while remaining in a dense state for a short time.
Future Plans As I am still before graduation, my immediate goal is to complete my ongoing projects. I plan to focus on writing papers and preparing for graduation. In parallel, I intend to prepare for a postdoctoral position and plan to spend about one year as a postdoc in Korea.
Memorable Graduate School Experience Having access to GIST’s large-scale laser facility has been a very meaningful opportunity. The time spent conducting experiments with my lab members, often working together until late at night, is the most memorable part of my graduate life. Through this experience, I learned that some achievements simply can’t be done by myself.
Reason for Pursuing Graduate Studies &Advice to Prospective Graduate Students I first joined the laser–fusion laboratory as an undergraduate intern in my third year and continued there through internships, undergraduate thesis, and graduate school. I chose this lab because I found the research closely connected to astrophysics and had respect for my supervisor. It is difficult to fully understand graduate research as an undergraduate, so for those who feel uncertain, I recommend trying a research internship before deciding.
Colloquium & Seminar
