Professor Kim's research area is experimental condensed matter physics with an emphasis on physical properties and applications of nanoscale low-dimensional materials. The unique properties of low dimensional systems are generally understood by considering enhanced quantum effects and increased correlations due to the reduction of available phase space. The focus of my research is the mesoscopic investigation of transport phenomena, particularly, electric, thermal and thermoelectrical properties of low dimensional nanoscale materials. The recent availability of novel nanoscale materials, such as fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, nanowires, nanocrystals, and atomically thin 2-dimensional crystals is enabling the assembly and study of ‘molecular’ electronics and mechanical devices, and also, the exploration of fundamental physics in low-dimensional systems. These progresses have been made possible partly due to invention of new experimental tools, such as scanning probe microscopy (SPM), and the advance of semiconductor device fabrication technology including techniques for microelectromechanical systems. Combining these new experimental techniques to nanoscale materials produce an ample space to explore the new physical phenomena, which may bring an impact to future technologies. The use of modern state-of-the-art semiconductor device fabrication techniques and the development of new methods of material synthesis/manipulation are essential parts of this research.

Specifically, my research subjects in this statement are:

• Quantum electronic and thermal transport phenomena in low-dimensional nanoscaled materials
• Van der Waals heterostructures and their physical properties
• Low-dimensional correlated materials
• Application of mesoscopic electron transport and thermodynamic processes for sensors and electric devices

The detailed description of research areas can be found in Research Section of the Kim group web page.