Professor Sang-Shin Lee (Department of Electronic Engineering) of Kwangwoon University and his research team selected for the Mid-Career Research Program

- Independent research project of 1.5 billion KRW over four years under Type 2 (Global) Mid-Career Research Program -

- Selected for creative research on LiDAR sensor development using metasurfaces -

Professor Sang-Shin Lee from the Department of Electronic Engineering at Kwangwoon University, leading the Photonics Laboratory, has been selected for the 'First Half of 2024 First Individual Basic Research Program Mid-Career Research-Type 2 (Global)'.

The mid-career research program in the field of basic science and technology supports creative individual research to cultivate excellent basic research capabilities and provide a foundation for growth as a leading researcher. Particularly, Type 2 (Global) supports creative research by outstanding researchers to foster and leap as global leader researchers and achieve innovative outcomes. This program is supervised by the Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation of Korea.

Professor Lee's research team has been selected for the project titled 'Silicon Photonic Single-Wavelength Beam Scanner Integrated with Metasurface-Integrated On-Chip Circulator,' and will receive 1.5 billion KRW in research funding over four years until April 2028.

The research team plans to address the critical issues of size, cost, durability, and power consumption associated with mechanical beam scanners used in existing LiDAR systems by researching silicon photonic beam scanners, which are gaining attention as solid-state beam scanners. Unlike the Optical Phased Array method, which has emerged as a promising alternative for non-mechanical beam scanners, this research will introduce a beam scanner method using a focal plane array and integrate an on-chip circulator with a metasurface, a novel approach. This research will be conducted as an international collaboration with the Australian National University, aiming to implement the world's first solid-state LiDAR sensor integrated with a silicon photonic on-chip circulator.

“The solid-state beam scanner developed in this study will be crucial as a spatial recognition sensor for future autonomous driving, emphasizing the importance of LiDAR device technology using metasurfaces, with expected industrial impact,” said Professor Lee. He added, “As the eyes of the Fourth Industrial Revolution characterized by 'hyper-connectivity, hyper-intelligence, and hyper-convergence,' it will be applied in various fields such as autonomous vehicles, free-space optical communication, drone LiDAR sensors, next-generation 6G communication, virtual reality, space internet, scientific training simulators, 3D mapping, and smart factories, aiming for innovative performance improvements.”

Meanwhile, Professor Lee was selected for the University Focused Research Institute Support Program in 2018 and the Mid-Career Research (Type 2) in 2020. As the research director, he has achieved outstanding research results through focused research on next-generation devices and ICT applications based on nano-device technology driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution. He is also making every effort to develop into a leading research institution with world-class research capabilities, aiming for a future-oriented university.

Prof. Sang-Shin Lee from the Department of Electronic Engineering at Kwangwoon University