QISCA Newsletter - March 2026

DGIST Networking Conference of Physics & Chemistry Held

March 3rd, 2026 (Tue)

By Eunji Park (DQQQ)

DQQQ co-hosted the 2026 DGIST Networking Conference of Physics & Chemistry together with DGIST's physics club D-Orbital and chemistry club Allchemist on March 3rd (Tuesday). The event took place from 10:00 to 13:00 in front of E7-L45 Haedong Changuimaru, with student presentations across two sessions covering Computational Physics & Applied Chemistry and Quantum Information. Burgers were provided to the first 50 registered participants. From DQQQ, Chanwoo Kim presented "Towards Imperfect-Modulator-Free Quantum Communication: Fully Passive QKD and MDI-QKD Protocols", Wonjung Baek presented "Implementing the Color Code on a Superconducting Processor", Sumin Moon presented "Quantum Algorithms: Capabilities, Constraints, and Outlook", and Eunji Park presented "Principles of Superconducting Qubits and Couplers". The roughly three-hour program gave members from each club the chance to share their research interests across disciplinary boundaries.

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SQRT x GLEAP Study Abroad Information Session

March 10th, 2026 (Tue)

By Yoonjin Bae (SQRT)

Following the SQRT Study Abroad Information Session that began in 2025, this year's session was held again on March 10th (Tuesday) at 17:00 in Seoul National University Building 28, Room 101. This year, the program was organized jointly with GLEAP, an outstanding student organization at the College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University. Three speakers from the Department of Physics and Astronomy, all class of 2020, participated: Donghyun Eom (incoming UChicago QSE Ph.D., research interests: experimental quantum sensing, quantum computing, solid-state spin defects), Sungbin Lee (incoming Harvard QSE Ph.D., research interests: quantum information theory, condensed matter theory, tensor networks), and Sehyun Oh (incoming UChicago QSE Ph.D., research interests: quantum material, time-resolved ARPES, MBE, time-resolved XRD, accelerator physics). The program offered an overview of the graduate school application process abroad, a Q&A session to address attendees' questions, and practical tips drawn from the speakers' own preparation experiences.

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UNIST QuantumFab Opening Ceremony and Tour

By Jaehyun Baek (PQR Executive)

QISCA members visited the UNIST QuantumFab on March 13th (Friday) to attend the opening symposium and a facility tour.

Director Yongho Lee delivered a presentation titled "Superconducting Quantum Computers." He introduced several methodologies for improving the dilution refrigerators that are essential to superconducting quantum computers, with the Flexible Fiber-based approach standing out as particularly compelling. Professor Jeehyung Kim then gave a talk on "Quantum Light-Emitting Materials and Devices for Quantum Applications," introducing techniques that leverage temperature, electric field, and strain to precisely control quantum light sources. The work demonstrating the superposition of quantum light sources with other physical observables was especially impressive.

The cleanroom tour revealed that thin-film deposition equipment used in semiconductor processing is also being utilized for fabricating quantum devices. The fact that additional space had been reserved in advance for future quantum research equipment showed what it means to build research infrastructure with a long-term vision. In Professor Jeehyung Kim's lab, members observed a system in which previously bulky experimental setups had been miniaturized to ensure stable light source operation.

This visit offered a firsthand look at cutting-edge research in superconducting quantum computers and quantum light sources. The way semiconductor fab equipment is being used in parallel for quantum device research was particularly interesting, and we plan to look more deeply into how semiconductor process equipment can be coupled with quantum research going forward.

Heeseop Song (PQR Executive)

"The visit to the UNIST QuantumFab was a valuable opportunity to witness the frontline of quantum hardware through Director Yongho Lee's lecture on superconducting quantum computers and Professor Jeehyung Kim's symposium on quantum light-emitting materials and devices. The cleanroom and lab tours allowed me to intuitively understand nanoprocess equipment and quantum device fabrication that I had previously only encountered in theory, reaffirming the importance of precise materials engineering for quantum state control. Building on the insights gained from this visit, I plan to set concrete research interests that connect my materials science and engineering background with quantum device implementation, deepen my understanding of actual process equipment, and aim toward more sophisticated quantum materials design research in the future."

Gyuhyeon Kim (PQR Vice President)

"During the cleanroom tour, I was able to examine in detail the facility's environmental control system and the operation of process equipment. I noticed how lighting zones are separated by process purpose to prevent the photoresist from reacting during photolithography, and how the QuantumFab maintains particle control and minimizes vibration through a precise air-conditioning design without perforated floor panels, ensuring experiments are not disrupted. Confirming that equipment used in advanced semiconductor processing can be applied directly to quantum device fabrication, I came to view the integration of existing semiconductor infrastructure into quantum hardware scale-up as a meaningful indicator of the growth of the quantum information industry. As a student aspiring to launch a quantum startup, this was an excellent opportunity to see firsthand how quantum hardware processing and analysis equipment operate inside a QuantumFab."

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SQRT Orientation and Undergraduate Research Intern Panel Discussion

March 16th, 2026 (Mon)

By Yoonjin Bae (SQRT)

With a new cohort of SQRT members joining in 2026, an orientation (OT) introducing the activities planned for the semester was held on March 16th (Monday). As in previous years, the OT was followed by an undergraduate research intern panel discussion. The panel discussion invited students with prior research internship experience to share practical information on choosing a research lab, conducting research, and other aspects of undergraduate research life, with the goal of improving accessibility to research in quantum information science. The panelists were Heemin Kim (Department of Physics and Astronomy, class of 2021, Prof. Eunjong Kim's lab), Kyungmin Yu (Materials Science / Physics and Astronomy, class of 2022, Prof. Seungseop Lee's lab), and Minseong Jeong (Department of Physics and Astronomy, class of 2024, Prof. Yongil Shin's lab), who shared insights that are typically difficult to obtain. After the OT, a dinner gathering was hosted for SQRT members.

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DQQQ Quantum Information Seminar

March 23rd, 2026 (Mon)

By Eunji Park (DQQQ)

DQQQ's Chanwoo Kim hosted a quantum information seminar for new members on March 23rd (Monday). Aimed at helping new members—many of whom were encountering quantum information for the first time—explore their areas of interest, the talk covered the subfields of quantum information theory, methods of implementing quantum computers, and quantum communication.

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DQQQ Roundtable with DGIST Quantum Information Faculty

March 26th, 2026 (Thu)

By Eunji Park (DQQQ)

DQQQ held a roundtable with the quantum information faculty of the DGIST Department of Interdisciplinary Studies on March 26th (Thursday). Over a meal, students engaged in a wide range of academic discussions with the professors and received mentorship on academic and research career paths.

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Discussion with MSIT Deputy Director Haeil Jung

By Sungbin Lee (QISCA)

On March 30th (Monday), QISCA held a discussion with Deputy Director Haeil Jung of the Quantum Innovation Technology Development Division at the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) to review the outcomes of QISCA's repeated proposals for undergraduate-targeted support programs.

Budget and Policy Direction

The 2026 budget for the Quantum Innovation Technology Development Division is approximately KRW 280 billion, an increase of about 40% from the previous year, with seven staff members executing the budget. Similar increases are expected going forward, but most new programs are likely to be cut, and 2027 new programs remain uncertain. Since this year's budget was already planned last year, direct financial support for student clubs is not realistic this year, and indirect support is being explored. Given the budget structure with priority competition among programs, support for student clubs ranks lower, making it very difficult to launch new club support programs in the short term.

Talent Cultivation Policy Structure

Of the total budget, about KRW 60 billion is allocated to talent cultivation, a substantial share of the KRW 280 billion total. After accounting for KRW 10 billion for the Quantum Graduate School program, KRW 30 billion for international joint research, and KRW 1.3 billion for Quantum Korea, only about KRW 5 billion per year remains for talent cultivation and outreach across elementary, middle, high school, undergraduate, graduate, and postdoc levels. Programs have historically focused on graduate students, leaving undergraduate-targeted support relatively underdeveloped. Efforts will be made to secure additional budget, but a large increase in the short term is not feasible.

Overseas Dispatch and Internship Programs

A quantum hackathon dedicated to undergraduates will be newly established and operated separately from existing competitions, with participation limited to undergraduates. Hackathon winners will be offered overseas exchange/dispatch programs. Currently, around 20-30 graduate students are dispatched abroad each year, and a plan to include 1-2 undergraduates is under discussion, though nothing has been confirmed. Corporate internships are realistically very difficult; matching with companies is challenging, top overseas firms are not particularly inclined to accept undergraduates, and even if a student secures an internship independently, providing dedicated support only for the quantum sector poses significant policy challenges.

Experimental and Educational Programs

A comprehensive quantum information portal is being built and will provide integrated access to internships and lectures. Quantum experiment camps for undergraduates are realistically difficult, as equipment usage is fully booked and the required training leaves little time. As an alternative, partial experience programs leveraging the KIST/UNIST QuantumFabs are being considered.

Talent Recruitment and Education Policy

Establishing a gifted-student class for undergraduates is difficult. Specialized education in particular fields runs counter to the principle of universality and creates policy burden. This requires cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the Office of Budget Planning and must be pursued over the long term.

Future Outlook

Quantum technology remains in the basic R&D stage with low industry maturity, and corporate demand is also limited, leaving little budgetary slack. As a result, support for quantum clubs and undergraduate programs is inevitably deprioritized. In the medium-to-long term, as quantum technology matures and budget room expands, expanding club support will be reviewed.