LOVE, PASSION, AND OBSESSION

Ferroelectricity is a physical property of a material whose net electric polarization is non-zero and has two or more orientated states in absence of external applied electric field, and can be switched from one to another when the external electric field is applied. For those who have never heard of the term may be heard of ferromagnetism or simply put magnet. Magnet possess non-zero net magnetic moment attract materials like iron. If iron filings are scattered around a permanent magnet, soon these iron filings form a certain pattern linking one end of the magnet to another. The filings forms such pattern because of the presence of the magnetic field which runs from one end (magnetic north pole) to the other (magnetic south pole).

<Iron filings that have oriented in the magnetic field produced by a bar magnet: Image is from Wikipedia>

Ferromagnetism is a physical property of a material exhibit a permanent magnetic moment suchas magnet. Miscroscopic description for ferromagnetism is that such materials possessmagnetic dipoles, and they are aligned in a certain direction in absence of theexternal magnetic field and can be switched from one orientation to another one.In analogy to ferromagnetism, ferroelectricity exhibit a permanent electricdipole moment they behave similar to the ferromagnetic counterparts excep thatthey response to the electric field. The term “ferro (meaning iron)” is invokedto describe the property although most ferroelectric materials do not have ironas their composing element.

When I first got here in the States, I of course needed an internet so I looked for internet provider available. Because I was new to Oak Ridge and was going to stay here only for six months, I wasn't really care which to select. After couple searches on google, I found what seemed to be great for me. It was Comcast and it said that I would be able to use the high-speed-internet (the name is misleading, it should have been named high-my-ass-speed-internet.) for 33$ without any obligations to subscribe either Cable TV or digital phone service. (Here is a catch, they don't leave any evidence that it said 33$ without any other obligations.)

When I got the bill, I found that they charge me 43$ for the first 25 days of March and 48$ for the April. When I got my first bill I called Comcast to complain and all I got was that they don't believer the deal exist which I was supposed to pay only 33$. I thought I didn't have time for this so I was gonna let it go although I was mad at them. I told myself that it is going to be only six months and after that I don't have to deal with them in my life. If I come back to the States, In May, all of sudden, they charged me 68$ without no apparent reason and I got really furious. I think I need to come down to their office and do something about this, but this is absurd and this is waste of my time even if I can square this thing away.

I also found out that I am not the only one who have such problem with Comcast. One of my lab mate in the Oak Ridge National Lab is now having the same problem and her husband has to come down the Comcast office to make the change in their bill. Furthermore, I also found that almost every researchers in my building had some problem with Comcast one way or another, eventually led them to change their internet provider.

Whenever I think of what this Comcast have done to me, I find myself getting furious and swearing. This is just one of those fucking Comcast thing. If any of you are looking for an internet service, I strongly recommend you not to use Comcast for any reason. Or you might end up where I am right now--swearing whenever you come across Comcast.




 

JONGOK KIM

Room 123, Department of Physics, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756, Korea

RESEARCH AREA                                                                               

Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
My main interest is to design and understand the nano-ferroelectric system including geometries of thin film, artificial supperlattices, nanotubes, nanowires, and nanoparticle/dots.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE                                                      

        February, 2008 – Present
Advanced Short Term Research Opportunity Program, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA.

       April, 2004 – Present
Research and Teaching Assistant, Department of Physics, Chonbuk National University, Korea.

       October2002 -September 2003
Short Term Research Intern, Research Centre for Neutrino Science, Tohoku University, Japan.

EDUCATION                                                                                       

       Ph.D. in Physics, Chonbuk National University, Korea (Candidate)
- Cumulative GPA: 4.0 / 4.0
- dviser: Prof. Sang Don Bu, Ph.D.

       M.S. in Physics, Chonbuk National University, Korea, August 2006
- Cumulative GPA: 3.90 / 4.0
- Thesis: Study on Synthesis and Characterization of Ferroelectric Nanostructures
- Adviser: Prof. Sang Don Bu, Ph.D.

       B.S. in Physics, Chonbuk National University, Korea, August 2004
- Cumulative GPA: 3.75 / 4.0, Major: 3.87 / 4.0
- Thesis: Neutrino Oscillation
- Adviser: Prof. Seong Youl Choi, Ph.D.

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS                                                                 

       Synthesis and Growth Systems
- Complex Oxide Sol-Gel Synthesis
- Anodic Aluminum Oxide Synthesis
- Pulsed Laser Deposition
- Radio Frequency Sputter
- Photolithography

       Characterization Systems
- Four-Circle/Powder X-Ray Diffractometer
- Atomic Force Microscope
- Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope
- Ferroelectric Tester

       Computer Skills
- LabView, Origin, and Microsoft Office

       Language Skills
- Korean (Native), English(Fluent in speaking and writing), and Japanese (Fluent in speaking)

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS                                                      

       Material Research Society

       Korean Physical Society

DISTINCTIONS                                                                                     

       The BK21 Global Internship Program, Korea Research Foundation, Korea, September 28, 2007.

       Poster Award, The 3rd Ferroelectric Symposium, Korea, February13, 2007.

       AMF-5Poster Award, The 5th Asian Meeting on Ferroelectricity, Japan, September 6, 2006.

       Scholarship for Graduate Students in Science and Engineering, Korea Research Foundation,Korea, Spring 2005.

       Short-Term Student Exchange Promotion Program Scholarship (AIEJ Scholarship), Association of International Education, Japan,October 2002 - September 2003.

       Scholarship for the First Rank, Chonbuk National University, Korea,Fall 2001 and Spring 2002.

       Dean's List, Chonbuk National University, Korea, February22, 2002.

PUBLICATIONS

The following is a presentation of professor Stephen Hawking given in TED2008. He askes some big questions about the universe: How did we get here? Are we alone? Will we survive? I am not exactly sure whether I agree or disagree with him given in the presentation, and I am not exactly a big fan of cosmology.

What I, however, find his talk inspiring is his passion for his life as a scientist and the effort he (has to) make to pusue his quest. Near the end of his talk, he said something that have thought I would hear from him:

"All my life, I have thought to understand the universe and find the answers to these questions. I have been very lucky that my disability has not be a serious handicap. Indeed, it has probably given me more time than most people to pursue the quest of knowledge."

After the his talk, an audience asked him a question and that was one of those moments that I felt shivers up and down my spine. He answered in two sentences, but it took him about "7 min" to form those two sentences. The movie showed how he make up a sentence and that was just amazing. If he has to spend 7 min to form two sentences, can you imagine how long he should have spent to prepare for this 10 min presentation? I have got nothing, but to say he is such a inspiration!  

Dear readers of this blog:

I would like to ask you some favor. I am going to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) from Feb. 25, 2008 to do some research and I have no idea about the life in the area. Hence, I would like to gather some information about the life in Oak Ridge/ORNL in general. The first and urgent thing I need to know is about how to get an inexpensive second hand car and place to stay. I would be truly grateful if anyone can tell me about such information and any information about the life in the area is welcomed as well.

Oxidejo