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Sung‐Min Choi

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology · Engineering

About the Lab

Professor Sung-Min Choi's research lab specializes in advanced optical diagnostics and sensing technologies for pulsed high-voltage and high-current systems, with a focus on the Pockels electro-optic effect for precise, non-contact voltage measurements. The lab develops innovative data analysis techniques—such as polar-coordinate-based methods—to enhance measurement accuracy, overcome range ambiguities, and correct for instrumental errors like beam splitter imbalance and Pockels cell misalignment. Their work is primarily applied in fusion and pulsed power research, including diagnostics for the SNU X-pinch device and neutron science applications. The lab also explores integrated optical sensing for current measurement using Faraday rotation, demonstrating a multidisciplinary approach to real-time plasma and field characterization.

optical voltage sensingPockels effectpulsed power diagnosticsX-pinch plasmasnon-contact measurement

Research Overview

Papers
9
Total Citations
17
Papers (5y)
6
Primary Field
Engineering

Research Output Trend

Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.

Publications per year (5y)
6total
2021
2023
2024
2025
2026
Citations per year (5y)
8total
20212023202420252026

Selected Papers

9
1
Article|8 citations·2020
Polar-coordinate-based data analysis scheme for high-voltage measurement system using the Pockels electro-optic effect
Seongmin Choi, Alvin Sugianto, D.-g. Lee, H.‐J. Woo, Sung‐Hoon Hong, Young-chul Ghim
SJR Q3Journal of Instrumentation

A voltage measurement system based on the Pockels electro-optic effect typically has, due to a half-wave voltage Vπ of a Pockels cell, a limitation on the unambiguous measurable range. To overcome such a limitation, we develop a polar-coordinate-based data analysis scheme with a simultaneous measurement of cos(π V/Vπ) and sin(π V/Vπ), where V is the voltage the Pockels cell experiences, i.e., the voltage we wish to measure. The developed data analysis scheme also corrects, without knowledge of V

Electrical and Electronic EngineeringEngineering
2
Article|6 citations·2021
Data analysis scheme for correcting general misalignments of an optics configuration for a voltage measurement system based on the Pockels electro-optic effect
Seongmin Choi, Dong‐Geun Lee, H.‐J. Woo, Sung‐Hoon Hong, Seunggi Ham, Jonghyeon Ryu, Kyoung-Jae Chung, Y. S. Hwang, Young-chul Ghim
SJR Q2Review of Scientific Instruments

Having a sub-ns response time and not requiring physical contacts to the measurement points, a voltage measurement system based on the Pockels electro-optic effect, referred to as a PE (Pockels effect)-based voltmeter, is widely used for pulsed high voltage devices such as accelerators and X-pinch systems. To correct for the misalignment of a Pockels cell and the transmittance ratio of a beam splitter, a polar-coordinate-based data analysis scheme has been proposed. This scheme also overcomes a

Electrical and Electronic EngineeringEngineering
3
Article|1 citations·2023
Measurement of the voltage evolution on a load of X-pinch plasma system using the Pockels effect
Seongmin Choi, Seunggi Ham, Jonghyeon Ryu, Sungbin Park, Jung-Hwa Kim, YeongHwan Choi, Kyoung-Jae Chung, Y. S. Hwang, Young-chul Ghim
SJR Q3Journal of Instrumentation

Abstract A diagnostic system using the Pockels effect (linear electro-optic effect) has been developed to measure a voltage on a load of the SNU X-pinch device [Ryu et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 92, 053533 (2021)]. The sensor component of the diagnostic system comprises of a lithium niobate (LN) crystal and its mount. When the LN crystal is subjected to an external electric field, the refractive indices of the LN crystal change due to the Pockels effect, leading to a change in the polarization stat

Ocean EngineeringEngineering
4
Article|1 citations·2024
Simultaneous measurements of temporal evolutions of the voltage and the current on the load of the Seoul National University X-pinch device using the optics-based systems
Seongmin Choi, Seunggi Ham, Jonghyeon Ryu, Sungbin Park, Jung-Hwa Kim, YeongHwan Choi, Mu-Hyeop Cha, Seungmin Bong, Kyoung-Jae Chung, Y. S. Hwang, Young-chul Ghim
SJR Q2Review of Scientific Instruments

Optics-based measurement systems have been developed to measure the voltage and the current on a load of the Seoul National University X-pinch device [Ryu et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 92, 053533 (2021)]. A lithium niobate crystal that changes the polarization state of the propagating laser beam due to the Pockels effect induced by the electric field across the crystal, thus capable of measuring the voltage, is located next to the load. For the current measurement, an optic fiber is wound around th

Electrical and Electronic EngineeringEngineering
5
Article|1 citations·2009
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF NEUTRON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN KOREA
이기홍, J. M. SUNGIL PARK, HARK-RHO KIM, BYUNG JIN JUN, YOUNG-JIN KIM, JAE-JOO HA, 김만원, 최성민

Neutron science and technology, the utilization of neutron beams for a wide variety of scientific and engineering research ranging from materials and life science to industrial applications, has been one of the key elements of modern science and technology. Currently, the neutron science and technology in Korea is in rapid growth with the operation of the 30 MW High-flux Advanced Neutron Application Reactor (HANARO) at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, which is one of the most powerful

6
Article|0 citations·2020
Feasibility study on various optics design for X-pinch high voltage measurement system using the Pockels electro-optic effect
Seongmin Choi, Alvin Sugianto, Dong‐Geun Lee, H.‐J. Woo, Sung‐Hoon Hong, Seunggi Ham, Jonghyeon Ryu, Kyoung-Jae Chung, Y. S. Hwang, Young-chul Ghim
APS Annual Gaseous Electronics Meeting Abstracts
Electrical and Electronic EngineeringEngineering
7
Preprint|0 citations·2026
Bright Spot Characterization of Low dI/dt X-pinch Plasmas using Soft X-ray Spectroscopy with Bennett Relation
YeongHwan Choi, Muhyeop Cha, Hakmin Lee, H. Chi, Seongmin Choi, Seungmin Bong, Seonghun Jeon, Ookjin Choi, Young-chul Ghim, Yong-Seok Hwang, Kyoung-Jae Chung
arXiv (Cornell University)OA

This study investigates the characteristics of X-pinch plasmas driven under low current rise rate ($dI/dt$) conditions using soft x-ray spectroscopy combined with the Bennett relation. X-pinch experiments were conducted on the SNU X-pinch device using copper wires at a low $dI/dt$ of 0.2-0.3 kA/ns. The resulting 1-10 keV soft x-ray signals, measured by an x-ray filtered AXUV photodiode array (XFPA), exhibit significant nonlinear effects due to the high intensity of the soft x-ray pulses. This wo

Nuclear and High Energy PhysicsPhysics and Astronomy
8
Article|0 citations·2025
Commissioning of collective Thomson scattering diagnostic system for ion features on SNU X-pinch device
Jongmin Lee, Jung-Hwa Kim, Young-Gi Kim, Yi You, YeongHwan Choi, Mu-Hyeop Cha, Seungmin Bong, Seongmin Choi, Sungbin Park, Jaeseok Lee, Young-chul Ghim, Y. S. Hwang
SJR Q3Journal of Instrumentation

Abstract A collective Thomson scattering (CTS) diagnostic system has been commissioned to measure the ion features of the jet plasma region of X-pinch plasma, including electron temperature, ion temperature, electron density, average charge state, and plasma bulk velocity. Due to the inherent nature of CTS, signals with two peaks within a very narrow wavelength range are observed, depending on the ion motion. To analyze CTS signals, a spectrometer with a high dispersion and high resolution is re

Electrical and Electronic EngineeringEngineering
9
Article|0 citations·2026
Bright Spot Characterization of Low dI/dt X-pinch Plasmas using Soft X-ray Spectroscopy with Bennett Relation
YeongHwan Choi, Muhyeop Cha, Hakmin Lee, H. Chi, Seongmin Choi, Seungmin Bong, Seonghun Jeon, Ookjin Choi, Young-chul Ghim, Yong-Seok Hwang, Kyoung-Jae Chung
arXiv (Cornell University)OA

This study investigates the characteristics of X-pinch plasmas driven under low current rise rate ($dI/dt$) conditions using soft x-ray spectroscopy combined with the Bennett relation. X-pinch experiments were conducted on the SNU X-pinch device using copper wires at a low $dI/dt$ of 0.2-0.3 kA/ns. The resulting 1-10 keV soft x-ray signals, measured by an x-ray filtered AXUV photodiode array (XFPA), exhibit significant nonlinear effects due to the high intensity of the soft x-ray pulses. This wo

Nuclear and High Energy PhysicsPhysics and Astronomy

Research Areas

Electrical and Electronic EngineeringNuclear and High Energy PhysicsOcean Engineering

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