Dr. Seongsin Margaret Kim
Professor
Contact
- 2031 NERC
- phone (205) 348-5755
- fax (205) 348-6959
Research Areas
Education
- Ph.D., Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northwestern University
- M.S., Physics, Northwestern University
- B.S., Physics, Yonsei University, South Korea
Dr. Kim’s research aims to advance the fundamental science and technology of light-matter interactions for sensing, imaging, communication, and information technology across the optical spectrum from visible and near-infrared to Terahertz.
Before joining UA, Dr. Kim was a research associate and Consulting Professor at Stanford University. Dr. Kim also had industry experience at Samsung and Agilent. Since 2024, Dr. Kim has been the Program Director of the National Science Foundation.
Dr. Kim’s research group explores the intersections of photonics, quantum science, and advanced sensing to develop transformative technologies across multiple domains. The group specializes in metamaterials and metasurfaces, micro/nanofabrication, and flat optics, applying these platforms to engineer novel devices for quantum information, THz/mm-wave systems, and ultrafast spectroscopy. Their work also advances biomedical and neuro-photonics, where light-based and quantum-enabled approaches enable breakthroughs in imaging and spectroscopy for health and neuroscience applications. At the same time, the team develops next-generation polarimetric LiDAR and integrated sensors for underwater imaging, bathymetry, and remote sensing for environmental monitoring and defense.
Our applications of photonics, metamaterials, and THz technologies are targeted for future diagnostics platforms, quantum sensing, quantum networks, 6G/7G and beyond, AI-aided bio-imaging, space exploration, underwater imaging, and understanding the brain. Our research has been funded by DoD, DoE, NASA, NOAA, NSF.
Dr. Kim has published over 180 peer-reviewed publications, 6 book chapters, and holds 3 patents. Dr. Kim is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award and was elected as a Fellow of OPTICA, one of the prestigious societies for optics and photonics.
Affiliated Areas
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Selected Publications
- A. Swaksharar, K. Schniera, C. Moseley, C. Coldwell, J. Martini, O. Adeoluwa, S. Gurbuz, S. M. Kim, and P. Kung, “Polarization De-Multiplexing Metasurface Based Polarimetric Imaging with Time of Flight Multi-Pixel Imager”, Proceedings Volume 12514, Image Sensing Technologies: Materials, Devices, Systems, and Applications X; 1251407 (2023)
- M. Z. Gungordu, P. Kung, S.M. Kim and, “Non-Destructive Evaluation and Fast Conductivity Calculation of Various Nanowires Based Thin Films with Artificial Neural Network Aided THz Time-Domain Spectroscopy” Optics Express, 31 (6), pp. 10657-10672 (2023)
- C. Moseley, S. Bolton, J.M. Lukens, Y.Y.Pai, M. Chilcote, B.J. Lawrie, S. Sun, M. Woodson, S.B. Estrella, S.M. Kim, and P. Kung, “Investigation of modified uni-traveling carrier photodiode for cryogenic microwave photonic links,” Optics Continuum 2, 2215-2224. (2023)
- Karsten Schnier, Anirban Swakshar, Cooper Coldwell, Sevgi Gurbuz, Seongsin M. Kim, Patrick Kung, Illuminating depth: polarimetric time-of-flight sensing with single-photon counting imager, Proceedings Volume 13050, Polarization: Measurement, Analysis, and Remote Sensing XVI; 130500K
- O. Adeoluwa, C. Moseley, S. M. Kim, P. Kung, and S. Gurbuz, “Evaluation of Laser Image Enhancement and Restoration for Underwater Object Recognition”, IEEE Sensors Journal, 23, 26136 (2023)
Awards and Honors
- Fellow, OPTICA/OSA (2025)
- Invited to White House representing NSF, on “New work place flexibility policies to support America’s scientists and their families”
- NSF CAREER Award (2010)
- HKN Outstanding Instructor Award (2014), (2021), (2024)
Dr. Kim's Impact
Kim Named to 2025 Class of Optica Fellows
Dr. Seongsin “Margaret” Kim, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been selected as an Advancing Optics and Photonics Worldwide Fellow. Kim joins a prestigious group of...
University of Alabama Researchers Awarded Nearly $1 Million in Department of Energy Funding
Dr. Patrick Kung, associate professor and associate department head for undergraduate programs, and Dr. Seongsin Margaret Kim, professor, of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, received nearly $1 million in funding from the Department of Energy for their research in quantum networking.
Terahertz Window Offers Untapped Potential
Sandwiched between the infrared and microwave parts of the electro-magnetic spectrum lies the terahertz window — a valuable and largely untapped portion of energy that can reveal a huge variety...