Research
In IoT society, there is a demand to develop new memory devices that can store ever-increasing amounts of information. As the devices become smaller, the search for materials and the development of processing technologies that exhibit better performance is underway. But conventional methods are approaching their limits and new technologies need to be developed.
In our laboratory, we focus on the "boundaries" which exist in materials. By understanding and utilizing the novel physical properties that emerge at the boundaries, we aim to solve the above mentioned problems.
Topics
We have two main themes; "Making materials" & "Investigating materials".
"Making materials"
When two different materials are joined together, not only do they possess their own properties, but also new functionalities emerge due to the interaction at the interface. In our laboratory, we are challenging to control molecular layers at the scale of a unit cell in order to design and create materials with the desired functionalities.
The characterizations of structure and physical properties of fabricated thin films are performed using various equipment such as thin-film X-ray diffractometers, scanning probe microscope and ferroelectric tester. Our aim is to create new materials which exhibit new physical properties that cannot be obtained with existing materials.
"Investigating materials"
Materials generally possess defects. In our laboratory, we are interested in boundaries which are known as the topological defects. It is becoming clear that the physics at the boundaries are completely different from the macroscopic properties or structures of materials. We perform non-destructive 3D measurements of exotic properties and structures at the boundaries by using a ultrashort pulsed laser. We also aim to control the properties that occur at the boundaries by using an external field. This approach is expected to dramatically improve the performance of existing materials.
Recent Research Topics
Understanding the origin of giant physical properties
We are challenging to find out the reason for the enhancement of physical properties by using synchrotron or neutron scatterings.
Controlling the physical properties at boundaries
Our aim is to observe the physical properties occurring at the domain boundaries and to control them by using the external stimulus.
Circularly polarized light Second Harmonic Generation
We established a new method to visualize the ferroaxial domain structure, which is difficult with conventional microscopy.
Development of 3D microscopy systems
We are developing a new microscope to enable non-destructive 3D observations of dynamic behaviors.
Development of new materials by using the PLD method
Our aim is to create materials that exhibit novel physical properties that cannot be obtained in bulk by using the PLD method.
Main International Collaborators
Prof. Mike Glazer University of Oxford & University of Warwick (U.K.)
Prof. E.K.H. Salje University of Cambridge (U.K.)
Prof. Nan Zhang Xi'an Jiaotong University (China)
Dr. Semën Gorfman Tel Aviv University (Israel)
Dr. Marek Pasciak FZU, Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Science (Czech)