Beginning September 13 to 16, researchers from the Max Planck Society, POSTECH, Seoul National University, QNS-IBS, and the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI initiated the Max Planck-Korea-PSI Center for Quantum Emergent Spintronics, known as KOMQUEST, with a kick-off meeting at Schloss Ringberg in Bavaria. The international collaboration will focus on quantum emergent spintronics, aiming to advance spin-based technologies through atomically engineered materials.

“KOMQUEST represents a truly exceptional partnership,” said Prof. Stuart Parkin of the MPI-MSP, Chairperson of the KOMQUEST Management Board, as the center integrates complementary capabilities in materials growth, advanced measurement, and quantum nanoscience to explore new frontiers in condensed matter physics.

International Partnership Establishes KOMQUEST for Quantum Spintronics

KOMQUEST officially commenced operations on September 13 to 16, 2026, with its inaugural kick-off meeting held at Schloss Ringberg in Bavaria, signaling a concrete start to this international collaboration focused on quantum emergent spintronics. This partnership utilizes distinct strengths, with POSTECH and PSI providing access to advanced synchrotron and free-electron laser facilities important for X-ray spectroscopy and imaging. The IBS Center for Quantum Nanoscience at Ewha Womans University contributes quantum nanoscience expertise, including electron spin resonance scanning tunneling microscopy, enabling atomic-scale observation of quantum states.

Complementing these capabilities, advanced measurements under extreme conditions are conducted at Seoul National University and the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, creating a comprehensive experimental portfolio. “By uniting world-class materials synthesis, unparalleled X-ray facilities, and pioneering quantum nanoscience expertise, we have created a center whose collective reach far exceeds what any single institution could achieve.” The scientific vision of KOMQUEST centers on four interconnected research pillars: superconducting spintronics, chiral spintronics, topological spintronics, and spintronics for quantum-coherent control.

This focused approach builds on the understanding that the emergent properties of atomically engineered interfaces hold immense potential for future spin-based information technologies. Researchers will investigate how manipulating the spin of electrons, alongside their charge can lead to advancements in information storage and sensing beyond current limitations.

The center’s emphasis on emergent properties suggests an intention to explore phenomena arising from the interaction of materials at the nanoscale, rather than relying solely on the properties of individual components. The establishment of KOMQUEST reflects a growing trend in international scientific collaboration, particularly in the demanding field of quantum technologies. PsiQuantum, a company developing photonic quantum computers, exemplifies this trend through its own partnerships, including a collaboration with Brookhaven National Laboratory.

PsiQuantum’s technology relies on photonic qubits, utilizing barium titanate integration to pursue scalable quantum computation, and the company has secured $1.67B+ in private funding to support its ambitious goals. The collaborative spirit extends beyond research facilities, with initiatives like the partnership between PsiQuantum, Mitsubishi Chemical, and the University of Tokyo, part of a NEDO-funded program with the goal of training over 80 professionals in Japan.

This workforce development program underscores the recognition that a skilled workforce is essential for realizing the potential of quantum technologies. Similarly, KOMQUEST’s focus on fostering collaboration between institutions and researchers is intended to accelerate the pace of discovery and innovation, the company says.

“No single institution represented in KOMQUEST possesses the full range of capabilities that this scientific program demands,” noted Prof. Gabriel Aeppli (PSI / ETH Zürich / EPF Lausanne). “It is precisely the combination of our respective strengths that will allow us to address questions that are currently beyond reach.” Following the initial meeting in Germany, KOMQUEST will expand its scientific program with a launch event at Seoul National University from November 16 to 18, 2026.

This broader program will build upon the foundation laid at Schloss Ringberg, solidifying the center’s position as a leading hub for quantum spintronics research. “KOMQUEST opens a remarkable new chapter for quantum materials research in Korea,” said Prof. Jun Sung Kim (POSTECH). The center’s success will depend on its ability to integrate these diverse capabilities and foster a truly collaborative environment, pushing the boundaries of materials science and spin-based technologies.

KOMQUEST gives us an extraordinary opportunity to bring together world experts in van der Waals magnetism and quantum materials with world-leading capabilities in interface engineering, advanced photon science, and atomic-scale quantum measurements.
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Research Pillars: Superconducting, Chiral, Topological Spintronics

This focus on interfaces distinguishes the center’s approach, aiming to move beyond bulk material properties to harness phenomena unique to layered structures. The team intends to use the advanced X-ray facilities at POSTECH and PSI to probe these interfaces with high resolution, revealing quantum states inaccessible through conventional methods. These facilities will be important for characterizing the behavior of electrons at the atomic scale, providing insights into the fundamental mechanisms driving spintronic effects.

Superconducting spintronics research within KOMQUEST centers on combining superconductivity with spin-based information storage, potentially leading to devices with significantly reduced energy consumption and increased speed, according to the company. Researchers will investigate novel materials and heterostructures where superconductivity and magnetism coexist, aiming to create hybrid devices that exploit both phenomena.

Simultaneously, the chiral spintronics pillar will explore materials exhibiting strong spin-orbit coupling, where the electron’s spin is linked to its motion, enabling the manipulation of spin currents without external magnetic fields. This approach could lead to more energy-efficient and compact spintronic devices, bypassing the limitations of traditional ferromagnetic materials. Topological spintronics represents a particularly ambitious research direction, focusing on materials with topologically protected surface states, electronic states that are robust against defects and disorder.

These states offer the potential for creating highly stable and reliable spintronic devices, immune to the fluctuations that plague conventional systems. The center’s expertise in quantum materials growth, particularly at SNU and POSTECH, will be instrumental in fabricating these complex materials with the necessary precision.

The integration of spintronics with quantum-coherent control aims to harness the principles of quantum mechanics to manipulate spin states with high accuracy. This could lead to quantum sensors and quantum information processing technologies, leveraging the unique properties of spin to encode and process information. The breadth of experimental techniques available to KOMQUEST is a key differentiator, the firm reports. This combination of atomic-scale imaging and spectroscopic analysis will be important for understanding the complex interplay between structure, magnetism, and quantum phenomena.

By carefully controlling the arrangement of atoms at material boundaries, researchers aim to create entirely new quantum states and functionalities. This requires precise control over thin-film deposition techniques, as developed at the MPI-MSP, combined with the ability to characterize these interfaces with atomic-scale resolution.

The resulting materials are expected to exhibit emergent properties, behaviors that cannot be predicted from the properties of the individual components, opening up new possibilities for spin-based technologies. Beyond the core research pillars, KOMQUEST also emphasizes workforce development, recognizing that a skilled talent pool is essential for translating scientific discoveries into practical applications, the company states.

This commitment to education and training underscores the center’s long-term vision, aiming to establish a sustainable ecosystem for quantum spintronics research and innovation. The collaborative spirit extends beyond the immediate research partners, with ongoing connections to the University of Bristol, where foundational work in photonic quantum computing was first established.