The Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics (MPI-MSP), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Seoul National University (SNU), the IBS Center for Quantum Nanoscience (QNS) at Ewha Womans University, and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) have launched the Max Planck-Korea-PSI Center for Quantum Emergent Spintronics (KOMQUEST), an International Max Planck Center focused on spin-based quantum materials research. The founding partners signed KOMQUEST's Cooperation Agreement and held its inaugural kick-off meeting at Schloss Ringberg in Bavaria. The center will launch its broader scientific program at Seoul National University from November 16 to 18, 2026.
KOMQUEST is organized around four research pillars: superconducting spintronics, chiral spintronics, topological spintronics, and spintronics for quantum-coherent control, built on the premise that the emergent properties of atomically engineered interfaces represent one of the richest frontiers in condensed matter physics for future spin-based information technologies.
The center is designed around complementary capabilities across its partners: MPI-MSP's decade of work preparing atomically engineered interfaces in complex multilayered thin films, SNU's expertise in van der Waals magnetism and crystal growth under extreme conditions, POSTECH's quantum materials growth and device fabrication alongside its Pohang Light Source II synchrotron and PAL X-ray free-electron laser, PSI's Swiss Light Source and SwissFEL facilities, and QNS's electron spin resonance scanning tunneling microscopy for atomic-scale access to quantum states.
"KOMQUEST represents a truly exceptional partnership," said Stuart Parkin of MPI-MSP, chairperson of the KOMQUEST Management Board. "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." Gabriel Aeppli of PSI, ETH Zürich, and EPF Lausanne added: "No single institution represented in KOMQUEST possesses the full range of capabilities that this scientific program demands. It is precisely the combination of our respective strengths that will allow us to address questions that are currently beyond reach."
KOMQUEST is funded for an initial five-year period, with each of the five partners contributing €500,000 (about $571,000) annually — roughly €2.5 million (about $2.85 million) per year, or €12.5 million (about $14.3 million) over the full term. The center is chaired by Parkin, with Banabir Pal of MPI-MSP as deputy director, and places early-career researchers at the center of its mission through a Young Researcher Development Program covering doctoral training, postdoctoral leadership roles, and a Junior PI Advancement Program offering co-leadership positions and prioritized infrastructure access.