Humboldt-Fellowship for Dongsung Choi

Dongsung Choi, a postdoctoral researcher in the Quantum Condensed Matter Dynamics group led by Andrea Cavalleri, has been awarded a Humboldt Research Fellowship. He joined the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD) in September 2024 and will continue his work in the institute as a humboldt fellow.

Dongsung’s research focuses on controlling ferroic orders in quantum materials using light. A key approach is nonlinear phononics, a technique that breaks crystal symmetries by the coherent excitation of vibrational modes and the anharmonic response of the crystal lattice. This approach explores new regimes of light-matter interaction and enables control of functionally important material properties, offering potential routes beyond traditional limitations in materials control.

“The Humboldt Fellowship will give me the great opportunity to continue working in the Cavalleri group, which is well known for its pioneering work and expertise in the coherent control of emergent phenomena in quantum materials,” Dongsung says. “The MPSD also offers a highly international and interdisciplinary environment, which helps me broaden both my scientific and cultural horizons.”

Before joining MPSD, Dongsung earned his PhD at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) under the supervision of Nuh Gedik. During his doctoral research, he studied Floquet–Bloch states in graphene as well as light-induced phase transitions in a strongly correlated material and topological materials. His work utilized time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to probe the dynamics of electronic bands, as well as molecular beam epitaxy to synthesize thin-film materials.

Profile of Dongsung on the Humboldt Website