CV

Contact Information

Name Lee Yeong Kim
Email leeyeong.kim@univie.ac.at
Website https://leeyeongkim.github.io/my_research/

Experience

  • 2026 - present

    Vienna, Austria

    Postdoctoral Researcher
    University of Vienna
    Research advisor: Prof. Markus Arndt (Quantum Nanophysics Group)
    • Studying matter-wave interference of biomolecules in the BIOTIMA project, extending interferometry from peptides (>2,000 Da) towards intact proteins
    • Supported by the quantA Postdoctoral Fellowship (2026-2027)
  • 2023 - 2025

    Zürich, Switzerland

    Seeking academic opportunities to continue my research career
    Career transition period (spouse's postdoctoral stay)
    • Remained research active: two peer-reviewed publications (2024) and contributions to MOLEC 2024 and ISMB 2025
    • Prepared fellowship applications leading to the quantA Postdoctoral Fellowship and an MSCA Seal of Excellence (proposal score 95.8/100)
  • 2022 - 2023

    Ulsan, Korea

    Postdoctoral Researcher
    UNIST
    Research advisor: Prof. Bum Suk Zhao
    • Revealed effects of macroscopic surface curvature, grating magnification, and beam emergence in grazing incidence atom scattering, directing two graduate students (Phys. Rev. A 110, 013313)
    • Analyzed diffractive mirrors for neutral-atom matter-wave optics (Farad. Disc. 251, 160)
  • 2014 - 2019

    Berlin, Germany

    Visiting Student
    Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
    Research advisors: Dr. Wieland Schöllkopf and Prof. Bum Suk Zhao
    • Seven visits: 4 months (2014, 2017), 2 months (2015, 2016), and 10 months (2019).
    • Carried out 4He, 4He2, 4He3 and D2 scattering experiments on the FHI molecular-beam apparatus
    • Experimentally tested Babinet’s principle in matter-wave diffraction and identified multiple-edge diffraction, a non-destructive mechanism that enhances elastic reflection from microstructured surfaces (PCCP 23, 8030; PCCP 24, 21593 – front cover)
    • Observed the transition from quantum reflection to edge diffraction in a periodic array of half planes (Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 040401 – Editor’s Suggestion)
  • 2014 - 2016

    Ulsan, Korea

    Undergraduate Research Assistant
    UNIST
    Research advisor: Prof. Bum Suk Zhao
    • Built Monte-Carlo trajectory simulations of molecules deflected by pulsed non-resonant optical standing waves, showing that rotational-state-dependent polarizability governs the optical dipole force (Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 223001)

Education

  • 2016 - 2022

    Ulsan, Korea

    Combined MS/PhD
    Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
    Physics
    • Advisor: Prof. Bum Suk Zhao. Dissertation: “Study on matter-wave optics under grazing incidence condition with solid surfaces.”
    • Grade: 4.02/4.3
  • 2011 - 2016

    Ulsan, Korea

    BS
    Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
    Physics (Minor: Energy Engineering)
    • Grade: 3.60/4.3
    • Full scholarship recipient

Funding and Fellowships

  • 2026-Present – quantA Postdoctoral Fellowship, quantA
  • 2017-2021 – Global Ph.D. Fellowship, The Korean Government (acceptance rate 7.6:1)
  • Jul.-Nov. 2014 – Global Internship Program Scholarship, The Korean Government

Honors and Awards

  • 2026
    Seal of Excellence, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowship
    European Commission

    Proposal score: 95.8/100

  • 2023
    UNIST Best Research Award
    UNIST

    Top 5 excellent graduates

  • 2021
    Best Poster Presentation Award
    The Korean Physical Society
  • 2021
    Best Poster Presentation Award
    The Korean Physical Society
  • 2016
    Best Oral Presentation Award
    The Korean Physical Society
  • 2016
    Ulsan Mayor Award
    Ulsan

    Top 5 excellent graduates

Publications

  • 2024
    Comprehensive peak-width analysis in matter-wave diffraction under grazing incidence conditions
    Phys. Rev. A 110, 013313

    Lee Yeong Kim†, Do Won Kang†, Jong Chan Lee, Eunmi Chae, Wieland Schöllkopf, and Bum Suk Zhao*

  • 2024
    Diffractive mirrors for neutral-atom matter-wave optics
    Farad. Disc. 251, 160

    Lee Yeong Kim†, Do Won Kang†, Sanghwan Park, Seongyeop Lim, Jangwoo Kim, Wieland Schöllkopf, and Bum Suk Zhao*

  • 2022
    Enhanced elastic scattering of He2 and He3 from solids by multiple-edge diffraction
    Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 24, 21593 (Front cover)

    Lee Yeong Kim, Sanghwan Park, Chang Young Lee, Wieland Schöllkopf*, and Bum Suk Zhao*

  • 2021
    Experimental test of Babinet's Principle in matter-wave diffraction
    Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 23, 8030

    Lee Yeong Kim†, Ju Hyeon Lee†, Yun-Tae Kim, Sanghwan Park, Chang Young Lee, Wieland Schöllkopf*, and Bum Suk Zhao*

  • 2020
    Scattering of adiabatically aligned molecules by nonresonant optical standing waves
    Sci. Adv. 6, eaaz0682

    Lee Yeong Kim†, Byung Gwun Jin†, Tae Woo Kim, Ju Hyeon Lee, and Bum Suk Zhao*

  • 2019
    Matter-wave diffraction from a periodic array of half planes
    Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 040401 (Editor's Suggestion)

    Ju Hyeon Lee†, Lee Yeong Kim†, Yun-Tae Kim, Chang Young Lee, Wieland Schöllkopf*, and Bum Suk Zhao*

  • 2016
    Effect of rotational-state-dependent molecular alignment on the optical dipole force
    Phys. Rev. A 94, 013428

    Lee Yeong Kim, Ju Hyeon Lee, Hye Ah Kim, Sang Kyu Kwak, Bretislav Friedrich, and Bum Suk Zhao*

  • 2015
    Rotational-state-dependent dispersion of molecules by pulsed optical standing waves
    Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 223001

    Xing Nan Sun†, Lee Yeong Kim†, Bum Suk Zhao*, and Doo Soo Chung*

  • †Equal contribution. *Corresponding author.

Co-Authored Publications

  • Zhang, W.†, Lee, J.H.†, Kim, H.A., Jin, B.G., Kim, B.J., Kim, L.Y., Zhao, B.S.*, and Schöllkopf, W.*, “Universal diffraction of atomic and molecular matterwaves: A comparison of He and D2 quantum reflected from a grating,” Chem. Phys. Chem. 17, 3670 (2016). DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201600965
  • Sun, X.N.†, Jin, B.G.†, Kim, L.Y., Kim, B.J., and Zhao, B.S.*, “Strong optical dipole force exerted on molecules having low rotational temperature,” Chem. Phys. Chem. 17, 3701 (2016). DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201600838
  • †Equal contribution. *Corresponding author.

Technical Skills

  • Laboratory Techniques
    • Matter-wave scattering experiments of 4He, D2 at 2-100 neV under grazing incidence at high vacuum (10-6 to 10-12 mbar)
    • Vacuum systems: diffusion, rotary, NEG, and turbo pumps
    • Nanosecond IR lasers (Nd:YAG: Surelite, Powerlite) and visible dye (Sirah) lasers – operation, maintenance, troubleshooting
    • Molecular beams and ion detection techniques: Time-of-Flight mass spectrometry, Velocity Map Ion Imaging, Resonance Enhanced Multiphoton Ionization
    • Atomic Force Microscopy (Dimension ICON, NX10): image acquisition, processing, and analysis
    • Authored operating manuals and standard procedures for daily laboratory experiments
  • Computational Skills
    • Molecular trajectory calculations with the Monte-Carlo method, solving the Schrödinger equation (C++)
    • Experimental automation using LabVIEW programming
    • Converted and upgraded simulations between C, Python, Mathematica, C++, Matlab, and LabVIEW
    • C++, Matlab, LabVIEW, LaTeX, Origin, Adobe Illustrator

Languages

Korean : Native
English : Fluent; working language of research and publication
German : Intermediate (B1 TELC certificate)

Supervising and Mentoring

  • Provided guidance to 4 graduate and 3 undergraduate students in research projects
  • Served as teaching assistant (TA) 5 times for experimental physics laboratory courses
  • Designed experiments and assisted as TA twice for physical chemistry laboratory courses
  • Student representative, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (2012): liaison between students and faculty, organizing departmental meetings and student activities. Later, I changed my major from Device Physics to Physics.

Conference Activities

  • Sep. 2026, Germany – Oral: Hot topic, 25th European Conference on the Dynamics of Molecular Systems
  • Jun. 2026, Austria – Poster: Conference on Quantum Fluid Clusters, QFC 2026
  • May 2026, Austria – Oral: COST COSY WG4 Meeting
  • Jun. 2025, Switzerland – Poster: 2025 International Symposium on Molecular Beams (ISMB)
  • Jul. 2024, Poland – Poster: 24th European Conference on the Dynamics of Molecular Systems
  • Oct. 2021, Korea – Poster: 2021 Korean Physical Society Fall Meeting
  • Jul. 2021, Online – Oral: Invited talk, 2021 International Symposium on Molecular Beams (ISMB)
  • Apr. 2021, Korea – Poster: 2021 Korean Physical Society Spring Meeting
  • Mar. 2021, Online – Oral: The 5th Asian Workshop on Molecular Spectroscopy (AWMS)
  • Nov. 2020, Korea – Oral: 2020 Society of Global Ph.D. Fellows Annual Conference
  • Nov. 2020, Korea – Oral: 2020 Korean Physical Society Fall Meeting
  • Nov. 2019, Korea – Oral: 2019 Society of Global Ph.D. Fellows Annual Conference
  • Oct. 2019, Korea – Oral, Poster: 2019 Korean Physical Society Fall Meeting
  • Sep. 2018, Greece – Poster: 2018 Frontiers of Matter Wave Optics (FOMO)
  • Sep. 2017, Korea – Poster: 2017 Korean-French Joint Symposium
  • Apr. 2017, Korea – Oral: 2017 Korean Physical Society Spring Meeting
  • Oct. 2016, Korea – Poster: 2016 Korean Physical Society Fall Meeting
  • Aug. 2016, Norway – Poster: Scattering of Atoms and Molecules from Surfaces (SAMS)
  • Apr. 2016, Korea – Oral: 2016 Korean Physical Society Spring Meeting
  • Feb. 2016, Korea – Oral: The 13th Symposium on Gas-phase Chemical Dynamics & Spectroscopy
  • Aug. 2015, Korea – Oral: The 12th Symposium on Gas-phase Chemical Dynamics & Spectroscopy
  • Jun. 2015, Spain – Poster: 2015 Symposium on Molecular Beams (ISMB)
  • Apr. 2015, Korea – Oral: 2015 Korean Physical Society Spring Meeting
  • Apr. 2015, Korea – Oral: 2015 Korean Chemical Society Spring Meeting
  • Jun. 2014, Korea – Poster: The 116th 2014 Korean Physical Chemistry Society Fall Meeting