Margaret Kim, a professor at the University of Alabama, advances the science and technology of light-matter interactions for sensing, imaging, communication and information technology. Her research spans the optical spectrum, from visible and near-infrared to terahertz.

Before joining the University of Alabama, Kim was a research associate and consulting professor at Stanford University. She also has industry experience with Samsung and Agilent. Since 2024, she has served as a program director at the National Science Foundation.

Kim leads a research group exploring the intersections of photonics, quantum science and advanced sensing to create transformative technologies. The team specializes in metamaterials and metasurfaces, micro- and nanofabrication, and flat optics, developing innovative devices for quantum information, terahertz and millimeter-wave systems, and ultrafast spectroscopy.

Her work also advances biomedical and neurophotonics, enabling breakthroughs in imaging and spectroscopy for health and neuroscience. The group’s next-generation polarimetric lidar and integrated sensor technologies support applications in underwater imaging, bathymetry, and remote sensing for environmental monitoring and defense.

Kim’s research has applications in quantum networks, sixth- and seventh-generation communication, artificial intelligence-aided bioimaging, space exploration, and brain science. The departments of Defense and Energy, NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, and the National Science Foundation have supported her work.

She has published more than 180 peer-reviewed papers, six book chapters, and holds three patents. Kim is a recipient of the National Science Foundation CAREER Award and a fellow of Optica, one of the world’s leading societies for optics and photonics.