PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Donggyu Kim

Also known as Dongkyu Kim, Dong-Kyu Kim, 김동규

Donggyu Kim is a quantum physicist and AI researcher whose work brings machine learning into control of atomic qubits. He earned a mechanical engineering PhD at MIT, focused on quantum technologies that use atoms and optics. His 2018 and 2019 papers cover CMOS-integrated diamond sensing, large optical focus arrays and quantum-reference-beacon-guided superresolution. As a founding member of QuEra, he helped develop a 256-qubit neutral-atom computer and coauthored an APS talk on its Aquila simulator in 2023; in 2025, he coauthored a neural-network paper on atomic-qubit control and OQT, which he founded, raised seed funding. As of October 2026, he is CEO of OQT and a professor at KAIST, where the AI College lists him in AI-based quantum control.

Now at
OQT and KAIST
Badges

Timeline

  1. By 2025

    An MIT mechanical engineering PhD

    By 2025, he holds a PhD in mechanical engineering from MIT, specializing in quantum technologies based on atoms and optics.

  2. 2018–2019

    MIT sensing and optical papers

    In October 2018, he submits a first-author paper on a diamond nitrogen-vacancy sensor integrated with CMOS that reduces the instrumentation footprint for quantum magnetometry and thermometry. In March 2019, he reports uniform arrays of about 1,000 optical foci with over 98 percent intensity uniformity. He also coauthors a 2019 Science paper with Dirk R. Englund on quantum-reference-beacon-guided superresolution optical focusing in complex media.

  3. By 2025

    A founding role at QuEra

    By 2025, he is a founding team member at QuEra and contributes to the development of its 256-qubit neutral-atom computer.

  4. June 2023

    A protocol on QuEra's Aquila

    In June 2023, he coauthors an APS talk with a KAIST affiliation on a hybrid adiabatic-quench-adiabatic protocol run on QuEra's Aquila programmable quantum simulator.

  5. February 2025

    Seed funding for OQT

    In February 2025, OQT, the company he founded, announces seed funding of about US$2.25 million (KRW 3 billion) from Kakao Ventures and Bluepoint Partners.

  6. November 2025

    AI-designed pulses for qubits

    In November 2025, he coauthors a paper that uses a deep neural network trained on atom-laser dynamics to design composite pulses for site-selective control of atomic qubits. The pulses improve local control fidelities tenfold while remaining compatible with existing hardware.

  7. 2026

    A lecture on quantum industry

    In 2026, he gives a public lecture at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, co-hosted with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Pretoria and the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation. He covers quantum imaging, quantum sensing and neutral-atom quantum computing.

  8. As of October 2026

    CEO of OQT and KAIST faculty

    In June 2026, he is an assistant professor of physics at KAIST and CEO of OQT. As of October 2026, he is CEO of OQT and a professor in KAIST's Physics Department; the AI College also lists him as an adjunct professor whose research areas include quantum computing, AI-based quantum control and quantum-AI computing. OQT develops fault-tolerant quantum computers on logical qubits using laser-cooled neutral atoms and announces KRW 14 billion in pre-Series A funding in October 2026, led by DSC Investment with Kakao Ventures and Bluepoint Partners participating in the follow-on.

Career

  1. NowOQTFounder, CEO
  2. NowKAISTAssistant Professor of Physics
  3. QuEra ComputingFounding team member

Education

  1. Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyPhD in mechanical engineering

From the biography.

  1. The United States employs an estimated 48% of people shaping AIIncludes KAIST. We estimate where the people shaping AI work today, how universities, companies and research institutes split across countries, and how country shares have changed since the 1960s.
  2. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes KAIST. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.
  3. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes KAIST. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.
  4. 44% of AI career moves go from one university to anotherIncludes KAIST. We estimate how 26,439 AI career moves link universities, companies, labs, nonprofits and government research centers, with decade counts, net flows and the top paths.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Donggyu Kim yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. OQT Secures $2.25M Seed Investment to Advance Neutral Atom QPU Development en.wowtale.net. Checked 22 October 2026.
  2. CMOS-Integrated Diamond Nitrogen-Vacancy Quantum Sensor arxiv.org. Checked 22 October 2026.
  3. Large-Scale Uniform Optical Focus Array Generation with a Phase Spatial Light Modulator arxiv.org. Checked 22 October 2026.
  4. Publications | KAIST OQT Lab oqt.kaist.ac.kr. Checked 22 October 2026.
  5. Quantum Computing Firm OQT Raises KRW 14 Billion in Pre-Series A Funding view.asiae.co.kr. Checked 22 October 2026.
  6. Exploring quench dynamics as a shortcut to adiabaticity in programmable atoms arrays meetings.aps.org. Checked 22 October 2026.
  7. Autonomously Designed Pulses for Precise, Site-Selective Control of Atomic Qubits arxiv.org. Checked 22 October 2026.
  8. From Quantum Computing to Quantum Industry: Expert Explores Future of Scalable Quantum Technologies ukzn.ac.za. Checked 22 October 2026.
  9. Faculty | AX aicollege.kaist.ac.kr. Checked 22 October 2026.