In July 2026, Dr. Chang-Jong Kang (Chungnam National University, South Korea), an external member of the GAČR project Strongly-correlated magnetic topological materials by band engineering (SMTM-BEST, No. 26-20860S) led by Dr. Evgenia Chitrova, visited the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences (FZU).
During his stay, Dr. Kang spent several days at FZU discussing ongoing activities within the SMTM-BEST project, which brings together the experimental team at FZU and the theoretical team at VSB–Technical University of Ostrava. He subsequently visited the group of Dr. Dominik Legut in Ostrava, where he delivered a series of tutorials on Dynamical Mean Field Theory (DFT+DMFT) for project members, contributing to the development of advanced theoretical expertise within the consortium.
Dr. Kang is a former member of the research group of Prof. Gabriel Kotliar (Rutgers University, USA, one of the founders of DMFT and a pioneer in the development of first-principles DFT+DMFT methods), and is a recognized expert in the theory of strongly correlated electron systems and the computational study of quantum materials.
The visit further strengthened Czech–Korean scientific ties and resulted in the preparation of a new Czech–Korean bilateral proposal under the INTER-EXCELLENCE II programme of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS). The proposed project aims to establish chemistry as a control parameter for correlated quantum states in f-element chalcogenides, combining synthesis, spectroscopy, many-body theory, machine learning, and high-performance computing.
Dr. Kang's visit highlights the growing importance of international collaboration in the field of strongly correlated electron systems and its potential impact on the development of advanced materials for future quantum technologies, including quantum computing.
