Mastering matter to empower diverse research fields

Advanced materials play an increasingly important role across multiple facets of scientific development. At the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, South Korea, the development and use of advanced materials is uniting research fields as diverse as neuroscience, nanoscience and fundamental physics.

Nanomaterials development is a core focus of Il-Doo Kim, who leads the Advanced Nanomaterials and Energy Lab at KAIST. “We specialize in the synthesis of semiconducting nanofibres, which we are developing as gas sensors,” Kim says.

Smart yarns spun from Kim’s catalyst-coated nanofibres, which are laced with thin molecular sieving layers, can detect their target gas in the air at minute concentrations of just tens of parts per billion.¹ “They vastly outperform commercial sensors, whose detection levels are typically in the order of 1 part per million,” Kim says. “These ultra-high-sensitivity nanofibre-based gas sensors could swiftly identify trace amounts of toxic gases for atmospheric monitoring.”

Nanofibre sensors could also be suitable for medical diagnostics in the form of breath analysis. Kim plans to combine his advanced nanomaterials with artificial intelligence (AI)-powered data analysis, to develop miniature sensors able to detect the target molecule among the myriad other gases and moisture in exhaled air.

Brain implantable devices

AI combined with innovative materials is also set to advance the research impact of Daesoo Kim, a neuroscientist at KAIST who is studying how innate instincts control behaviour. His team makes brain-implantable devices made from bio-compatible materials, forming a brain-computer interface able to activate target brain circuits. In mice, the team has used their implantable materials to activate object-seeking neurons, as well as to help the animals to overcome fearful memories.^2,3

“While our use of these materials and tools has so far primarily been confined to animal studies, they are poised to be employed in human-brain interfaces to aid people with disabilities,” Daesoo Kim says. Integrating onboard AI functionality into his brain-compatible devices would be a groundbreaking development the field, he adds.

Spintronics

The powerful computer hardware required to run AI can have a heavy energy demand. In the physics labs of Kyung-Jin Lee at KAIST, advanced materials that could enable energy efficient computing are the subject of his research.

Lee’s research focuses on harnessing two intrinsic properties of electrons, their spin and orbital angular momentum, to develop computer components known as spintronic devices.

One area where spintronics could make a big difference is in data storage. Today’s computer chips use memory called static random-access memory (SRAM) to cache frequently accessed data. “The issue with SRAM is that it needs constant power to maintain data, leading to unnecessary energy consumption when inactive,” Lee says.

The team is developing advanced materials that could be the basis of magnetic RAM (MRAM), which stores data in magnetization.^4,5 MRAM retains information without power, which could enable low power-consumption devices, he adds.

The challenge for MRAM development is to create materials capable of generating larger spin currents than those currently available. “Our research explores alternative mechanisms for spin current generation,” Lee says. “We aim to unlock the full potential of spintronics, enabling more energy-efficient memory solutions that could have a profound impact on technology and society.”

Such advanced materials, enabling devices that power or are powered by AI, increasingly look set to touch every aspect of life.