Annual Report 2010

Research Institute of Electrical Communication,Tohoku University

Annual report of Research Institute of Electrical Communication 2010

Contents
1. Preface

   1

2. Organization

   3

3. Research Activities
Research Division
Information Devices Division

   5

Broadband Engineering Division

   11

Human Information Systems Division

   21

Systems & Software Division

   29

Sponsored Division

   37

Laboratories and CenterLaboratory for Nanoelectoronics and Spintoronics

   39

Laboratory for Brainware Systems

   47

Research Center for 21st Century Information Technology

   53

Management Office for Health and Safety

   56

Flexible Information System Research Center

   57

Fundamental Technology Center

   58

4. Nation-wide Cooperative Research Projects

   59

5. Symposium

   68

6. Study Groups on Electrical Communication

   73

7. International activities

   77

8. Periodicals Published by the Institute   81

9.  Staff, Land and Buildings, Budget

   83

10.Afterword

   85

2010 Preface

1. Preface
On behalf of the Research Institute of Electrical Communication (RIEC) of Tohoku
University, I would like to express my gratitude for the kind and unfailing support ourwork receives. I invite you all to read this report of RIEC’s research activities in fiscal
2010 and to give us your opinions and comments.
RIEC was established in 1935 as a research institute affiliated with the School ofEngineering, where pioneering work in information and communications had alreadyresulted in breakthroughs such as the Yagi-Uda antenna and the split-anode magnetron.
Over the years, researchers dedicated to addressing the “theory and applications ofintelligent information science and communication Engineering” have given backto society the fruits of their work in these fields. Close and smooth interpersonalcommunication is fundamental to maintaining and developing a flourishing and humane
society, and the technologies that make this possible are taking on ever-increasing
importance in the information age. To meet these social needs, RIEC is organizedwith a three-part structure: four Research Divisions whose programs have a twentyyear horizon; two research facilities working with a ten-year horizon; and the ResearchCenter for 21st Century Information Technology, which aims at the practical applicationof IT results within a five-year time frame. Furthermore, through close collaboration
between RIEC and the six major courses run by the Graduate Schools of Engineering,
Information Sciences, and Biomedical Engineering that together make up the Groupof Electrical Engineering, Communication Engineering, Electronic Engineering, andInformation Engineering, we endeavor to train international researchers and highly
skilled engineers while concurrently pursuing cutting-edge research.
Since Tohoku University became a national university corporation, its research
institutes have also been undergoing a transformation. In April 2010, RIEC took afurther step forward when it was promoted from a National Center for Cooperative
Research to a Joint Usage/Research Center. This represents both an opportunity todemonstrate RIEC’s important role within the university, and a time of challenge
as we question the value of our existence and invite society’s evaluation. Throughvarious partnerships within RIEC, and through the management of over 70 nationwide
cooperative research projects of Types A, B, and S, and now Type U, whose aim iscreative reconstruction after the Great East Japan Earthquake of 3/11, we will expedite
technology exchanges and liaisons with industry and government. In these ways, wewill do everything in our power to fully realize human communication.
I look forward to your continuing support and encouragement of our endeavors.

Professor Masataka Nakazawa
July 4, 2011
Director, Research Institute of Electrical Communication(RIEC),
Tohoku University2010 Organization Chart
2. Organization Chart
Director

Advisory Council

Information Devices Division

Deputy Director
Research
FacultyCouncilBroadband Engineering Division

Human Information Systems Division

Systems & Software Division

Sponsored Division
Research Facilities

Electromagnetic Bioinformation Engineering
Advanced Acoustic Information Systems
Visual Cognition and Systems
Interdisciplinary Field for Informatics
Ubiquitous Communications System
Multimodal Computing
Software Construction
Computing Information Theory
Communication Network
Information Contents
Information Social Structure
Environmental-Adaptive Information
and Communication Engineering
Atomically Controlled Processing
Semiconductor Spintronics
Nano-Molecular Devices
Nano-Spin Memory

Laboratory for Brainware Systems

Real-World ComputingIntelligent Nano-Integration System
Microarchitecture
New Paradigm VLSI System

Research Centor for21st Century Information Technology

Project Planning Division
Technology Development Division:‫ ޓޓޓޓޓޓ‬Mobile WirelessTechnology Group
Storage Technology GroupIntelligence Archive Group

Flexible Information System
Research Center
Fundamental Technology Center

Administration
OfficeUltrahigh-Speed Optical Communication
Applied Quantum Optics
Advanced Wireless Information Technology
Information Storage Systems
Ultra-Broadband Signal Processing
Basic Technology for Broadband Communication

Laboratory For
Nanoelectronics and Spintronics

Management Office for Safety and HealthCommon Research
Facilities

Nano-Photoelectronics
Quantum-Optical Information Technology
Solid State Electronics
Dielectric Nano-Devices
Materials Functionality Design
Magnetic Dvices

Machine Shop Division
Evaluation Division
Process Division
Software Technology Division
General Affairs Section
Cooperative Research Section
Library Section
Accounting Section
Purchasing Section

3.RESEARCH ACTIVITIES2010 Information Devices Division

Targets and achievements of the Information Devices Division
The main aim of the information devices division is to create new materials and devices fornext generation communication technology.
To accomplish the goals of this division, we have the following 6 sub-divisions withdifferent research fields. Furthermore, we also have a partnership with atomically controlled
processing research section in the Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics.
1. Nano-Photoelectronics
2. Quantum-Optical Information Technology
3. Solid State Electronics
4. Dielectric Nano-Devices
5. Materials Functionality Design
6. Magnetic Devices (Visitor Section)
The target and the summary of achievements of the each sub-division in 2010 are describedin the following pages. In addition, about the summary of achievement of the atomicallycontrolled processing research section will be written in the chapter of the Laboratory for
Nanoelectronics and Spintronics.

2010 Information Devices Division
Nanophotoelectronics

Exploring optical and electronic properties of nanometer-sized structures andtheir applications in photoelectronic devices

Nanophotoelectronics Yoichi UEHARA, Professor[Research Target and Activities]
Our main interest lies in studying the physical and chemical phenomena that take place innanometer-scale regions and their applications in nanophotoelectronic
devices.
We investigate the material properties of nanostructures
through their optical responses to the local excitation induced by electrons
from the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM), as illustrated inFig. 1. In this year, we have succeeded in elucidating the mechanism of
appearance of vibration-induced structures in STM light emission spectraof a single molecule of benzene adsorbed on Cu(110). Last year, we foundFig. 1 STM light emissionthat vibrational energies of substrates can be determined from the STM
spectroscopy
light emission spectra of silver nano-particles placed on their surfaces.
This phenomenon has also been elucidated with a mechanism different from that of thebenzene-Cu(110) system. STM light emission spectra of alkane-thiol self-assembled single monolayer(SAM) films formed on Au substrates show a strong red shift, unexpected from the dielectric propertiesof SAM and Au. This shift is found to be caused by electronic transitions induced at the interface of
SAM and Au. Surface polaritons are nonradiative in flat surfaces but become radiatiative innanometer scale structures. We have theoretically investigated radiation by surface phonon
poraritons in the THz spectral range, and found that intense emission is expected by optimizing sizes
and shapes of the nanostructures. On the basis of this finding, we are planning to develop THz
spectroscopy with atomic spatial resolution and THz light sources. Phonons play various critical roles
in electronic devices. It is also well known that phonon properties show strong size effects. Thus,
measurements of phonon properties of individual nanostructures are important for developing
high-density electronic devices. We are developing a novel method for this purpose.

[Staff]
Professor
Assistant Professor

Yoichi UEHARA, Dr.
Satoshi KATANO, Dr.

[Profile]
Dr. Yoichi Uehara obtained his D. Eng. degree from the Department of Engineering, University ofOsaka prefecture in 1986, after which, he was initially appointed as an Assistant Professor at the
Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University. He eventually became a Full
Professor at the institute in 2005. Dr. Uehara has worked on three main surface physics problems at
Tohoku University: (1) light emission from metal-insulator-metal and metal-oxide-semiconductor(MOS) tunnel junctions, (2) low-energy electron spectroscopy, and (3) light emission spectroscopy of
STM.
[Papers]
[1]

[2]

[3]

S. Katano, S. Ushioda, and Y. Uehara, “Vibrational Excitation of a Single Benzene Molecule Adsorbed
on Cu(110) Studied by Scanning Tunneling Microscope Light Emission Spectroscopy”, J. Phys. Chem.
Lett. 1, 2763-2768 (2010).
S. Katano, K. Toma, M. Toma, K. Tamada, and Y. Uehara, “Nanoscale coupling of photons tovibrational excitation of Ag nanoparticle 2D array studied by scanning tunneling microscope lightemission spectroscopy”, Phys. Chem. Chem Phys. 12, 14749-14753 (2010).
W. Iida, S. Katano, and Y. Uehara, “Finite-Difference Time-Domain Analysis of Scanning TunnelingMicroscope Light Emission Spectra”, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., 49, 095202 (2010).

Contact to Professor Yoichi UEHARA：uehara@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

2010 Information Devices Division
Quantum-Optical Information Technology

Development of optoelectronic devices for quantum information andcommunication technology
Quantum-Optical Information Technology: Keiichi EDAMATSU, Professor
Quantum Solid State Physics: Hideo KOSAKA, Associate professor[Research Target and Activities]
Our goal is to develop the quantum information devices
utilizing quantum interaction between electrons and photons
in semiconductor nanostructures, to get further understanding of their physics, and to apply them to practical quantum
information technologies. We are particularly working toward
the development of future quantum information devices utilizing entangled photon pairs and electron spins in semiconductor nanostructures.
In 2010, we have achieved (1) development of novel entangled photon sources and heralded, pure single-photon
sources using quasi-phase matched devices, (2) quantum media conversion from photons to electron spins in semiconductor quantum structures, and (3) development of heterodyne
Kerr-rotation spectroscopy of single quantum dots.

Fig. 1 Entangled photon generation using quasi-phase matchingand extended phase matching.
Electron(Poincaré sphere)

Electron(Bloch sphere)
Light hole

Stokes vector[Staff]
Professor: Keiichi EDAMATSU,Dr.
Associate Professor: Hideo KOSAKA,Dr.
Assistant Professor: Yasuyoshi MITSUMORI,Dr.

PhotonPhotonUnitarytransformationp

B

Bloch vector

BxeFig. 2 Quantum media conversion

from photon polarization to an[Profile]
Keiichi EDAMATSU received B.S., M.S., and D.S. degrees inelectron spin.
Physics from Tohoku University. He was a Research Associate
in Faculty of Engineering, Tohoku University, a Visiting Associate in California Institute of Technology,
and an Associate Professor in Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University.

Hideo KOSAKA received B.S., M.S degrees in Physics from Kyoto University, and PhD degree inElectrical Engineering from Kyoto University. He was a Principal Researcher in NEC Opto-electronics
and Basic Research Labs, a Visiting Associate in California University of Los Angeles, a Principal Investigator of JST-CREST and MIC-SCOPE projects. He is also a Visiting Associate Professor in National Institute of Informatics.

[Papers]
[1]

[2]
[3]

A. Syouji, S. Nagano, R. Shimizu, K. Suizu, and K. Edamatsu, “Efficient up-conversion detection of
1550nm photons using bulk periodically-poled LiNbO3,” Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 49, 040213/1-3 (2010)
H. Kosaka, H. Shigyou, T. Inagaki, Y. Mitsumori, K. Edamatsu, T. Kutsuwa, M. Kuwahara, K. Ono, Y.
Rikitake, N. Yokoshi, H. Imamura, “Coherent spin preparation, manipulation and read-out with lightand microwaves in a quantum well and dot”, J. Phys. 245, 012001 (2010)
R.-B. Jin, J. Zhang, R. Shimizu, N. Matsuda, Y. Mitsumori, H. Kosaka, and K. Edamatsu,“High-visibility nonclassical interference between intrinsically pure heralded single photons andphotons from a weak coherent field,” Phys. Rev. A 83, 031805(R)/1-4 (2011)

Contact to Professor Keiichi EDAMATSU：eda@riec.tohoku.ac.jp2010 Information Devices Division
Solid State Electronics Laboratory

Paving a Way for Introducing Graphene into Silicon Technology
Solid State Electroncis Maki SUEMITSU, Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
Grapheneisatwo-dimensional
SiC
honeycomb network of carbon atoms. Its
Graphene
Siliconextremely high carrier mobility, which is~100 times as high as that of silicon, makes
SiC
graphene a dream material. We havedeveloped a method to form an epitaxial
Graphenegraphene onto silicon substrates for the first
GOS (Graphene on Silicon)
time, by growing a heteroepitaxial SiC thin
SiC
film on a Si substrate and by sublimating
the surface Si atoms from the SiC film (graphene-on-Si, or GOS, technology). We are currently working
on the clarification of the growth kinetics of the epitaxial graphene formation in GOS as well as on thedevelopment of graphene devices such as gas sensors, digital and RF field-effect transistors, andoptical devices using the GOS structure.
In FY2009, we discovered by changing the crystallographic orientation of the Si substrate used in
the GOS technology that we can control the interfacial structure at the graphene/SiC boundary. This is
a property unique to GOS technology, which leads us to possible control of electronic structures of thegraphene by simply changing the orientation of the Si face used as the substrate.

䋫[Staff]
Professor : Maki SUEMITSU, Dr.
Assistant Professor : Hirokazu FUKIDOME, Dr.
Technical Assistant : Akemi MIURA[Profile]
Prof. Maki Suemitsu obtained bachelor degree on electronic enginnering (1975), Ph.D on electronicengineering (1980). He started his service at Research Institute of Electrical Communication (RIEC)
as research associate (1980), and became associate professor (1990). He then became professor atCenter for Inderdisciplinary Research (2003). Since 2008, he has been professor at RIEC. He has been
engaged mainly on surface engineering of semiconductor thin fims. He was awarded the 30 th
Kumagai prize of the best paper from the Vacuum Soceity of Japan and the Paper of the Year 2009
from the e-Journal of Surface Science and Nanotechnology.
[Papers]
[1]

[2]
[3]

M Suemitsu and H Fukidome, “Epitaxial graphene on silicon substrates, ” J.Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 43,
p.374012(11pp), 2010
H. Handa, R. Takahashi, S. Abe, K. Imaizumi, M.H. Jung, S. Ito, H. Fukidome and M. Suemitsu, “TEMcharacterization of epitaxial graphene formed on Si(111), Si(110), Si(100),” 2010 International
Conference on Solid State Devices and Materials, pp.125-126, 2010
Arnold Alguno, Sergey N. Filimonov and Maki Suemitsu, “Step bunching and step “rotation” inhomoepitaxial growth of Si on Si(110)-16×2,” Surface Science Vol.605, issue 7-8, pp.838-843, 2011Contact to Professor Maki SUEMITSU：suemitsu@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

2010 Information Devices Division
Dielectric Nano-Devices

Research on Dielectric Nano Science and Technology
Dielectric Nano-Devices

Yasuo CHO, Professor[Research Target and Activities]
Our main area of interest is evaluationand development of dielectric materials, including
ferroelectric and piezoelectric materials and theirapplication to communication devices andferroelectric data storage systems. Our major
contributions to advancement in these fields are
the invention and the development of “Scanning
Fig.1 Digital bit data written on ferroelectric
Nonlinear Dielectric Microscope” (SNDM) which issingle crystal with the areal recording
the first successful purely electrical method fordensity of 4 Tbit/inch2.
observingtheferroelectric
polarization
distribution without the influence of the shielding
effect by free charges and it has already been put into practical use. The resolution of the microscope
has been improved up to atomic scale-order. Therefore, it has a great potential for realizing theultra-high density ferroelectric recording system.
Major achievements of studies in 2010 are as follows: (1) Surfaces of semiconductors wereobserved with atomic resolution using non-contact SNDM. Especially, dipole moment distributions indomain boundaries on Si (111) surfaces were observed. (2) Single track read/write operations were
demonstrated using our HDD-type ferroelectric data storage testing system. (3) A novel label-freebiaoaffinity sensing system was developed based on a lumped-constant LC microwave resonator, which
is used as a sensing probe of SNDM.
[Staff]
Professor : Yasuo CHO, Dr.
Assistant Professor : Yoshiomi HIRANAGA, Dr.
Assistant Professor : Kohei YAMASUE, Dr.

Technical Official : Yasuo WAGATSUMA
Research Fellow : Noriaki OKAZAKI, Dr.

[Profile of Professor Cho]
Yasuo Cho graduated in 1980 from Tohoku University in electrical engineering department.
In 1985 he became a research associate at Research Institute of Electrical Communication Tohoku
University. In 1990, he received an associate professorship from Yamaguchi University. He thenbecame an associate professor in 1997 and a full professor in 2001 at Research Institute of ElectricalCommunication Tohoku University. During this time, his main research interests included nonlinear
phenomena in ferroelectric materials and their applications, research on the scanning nonlinear
dielectric microscope, and research on using the nonlinear dielectric microscope in next-generation
ultrahigh density ferroelectric data storage (SNDM ferroelectric probe memory).
[Papers]
[1]

[2]
[3]

Nobuhiro Kin and Yasuo Cho, “Imaging of the surface structure of TiO2(110) by non-contact scanning
nonlinear dielectric microscopy”, J. Appl. Phys., Vol. 107, No.10, pp.104121-1-4, 2010.
Kenkou Tanaka and Yasuo Cho, “Actual information storage with a recording density of 4 Tbit/in.2 ina ferroelectric recording medium”, Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol.97, pp.092901-1-3, 2010.
Noriaki Okazaki, Taito Nishino, Toyohiro Chikyow, and Yasuo Cho, “Development of Label-Free
Bioaffinity Sensor Using a Lumped-Constant Microwave Resonator Probe”, Appl. Phys. Express Vo. 4,
pp.017001-1-3, 2011.

Contact to Professor Yasuo CHO：yasuocho@riec.tohoku.ac.jp2010 Information Devices Division
Materials Functionality Design

Computational Design of Functional Materials for Spintornics Devices
Materials Functionality Design : Masafumi SHIRAI, Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
Our research targets are as follows: (1) theoretical analyses of quantum phenomena which appear inmaterials and nanostructures for advanced information devices, (2) computational design of materials
and nanostructures which possess new functionalities for improvement of device performance, and (3)development of new design procedures based on large-scale computational simulation techniques.
Our research activities in FY 2010 are as follows:(1) Mechanism of the phase transition in shape memory alloys
We have revealed the underlying mechanism of the phasetransition in shape memory alloys Ni2Mn1+xSn1-x by hard x-ray
photoelectron spectroscopy and first-principles calculations.
The Ni 3d eg state in the cubic phase shifts towards the Fermi
energy with increasing the Mn contents (Fig. 1), ant its
intensity decreases abruptly below the transition temperature.
The phase transition is caused by the splitting of the Ni 3d eg
state into two levels, i.e. the Jahn-Teller mechanism [1].

Fig. 1(2) Tunnel magnetoresistance in perpendicularly magnetized junctions
We have investigated the tunnel magnetoresistance in perpendicularly magnetized Mn3Ga/MgO/
Mn3Ga junctions by using first-principles calculations. Although the Ʀ1-band exists in both spin states,
the tunneling conductance of the majority-spin electron is two orders of magnitude larger than that of
the minority-spin electron, owing to the difference in orbital components of the Ʀ1-bands [3].

[Staff]
Professor : Masafumi SHIRAI, Dr.
Assistant Professor : Yoshio MIURA, Dr.
Assistant Professor : Kazutaka ABE, Dr.
[Profile]
Masafumi Shirai was received the Doctor of Engineering degree from Osaka University in 1989.
From 1988 to 1996, he was a Research Associate, and then an Associate Professor at Osaka University.
From 2002 to the present, he has been a Professor at Tohoku University. Now his research interest is
focused on computational design of functional materials and device structures in spintronics.
[Papers]
[1]

[2]
[3]

M. Ye, A. Kimura, Y. Miura, M. Shirai, Y. Cui, K. Shimada, H. Namatame, M. Taniguchi, S. Ueda, K.
Kobayashi, R. Kainuma, T. Shishido, K. Fukushima, and T. Kanomata “Role of electronic structure on
martensitic phase transition of Ni2Mn1+xSn1-x studied by hard-x-ray photoelectron sprctroscopy and abinitio calculation,” Phys. Rev. Lett., Vol. 104, No. 17, Article no. 176401, pp. 1-4, 2010.
Y. Sakuraba, K. Izumi, T. Iwase, S. Bosu, K. Saito, K. Takanashi, Y. Miura, K. Futatsukawa, K. Abe,and M. Shirai, “Mechanism of large magnetoresistance in Co2MnSi/Ag/Co2MnSi devices with current
perpendicular to the plane,” Phys. Rev. B, Vol. 82, No. 9, Article no. 094444, pp. 1-5, 2010.
T. Kubota, Y. Miura, D. Watanabe, S. Mizukami, F. Wu, H. Naganuma, X. Zhang, M. Oogane, M. Shirai,
Y. Ando, and T. Miyazaki, “Magnetoresistance effect in tunnel junctions with perpendicularly
magnetized D022-Mn3-ǅGa electrode and MgO barrier,” Appl. Phys. Express, Vol. 4, No. 4, Article no.
043002, pp. 1-3, 2011.

10

Contact to Professor Masafumi SHIRAI：shirai@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

2010 Broadband Engineering Division

Broadband Engineering Division: Research Target and Results
In order to establish the future broadband communication systems and novel devices
that are flexibly applied to the future ubiquitous ultra-large capacity information
communication, research and development are carrying out over the wide bands ofmicrowaves, millimeter/submillimeter waves, terahertz waves, and lightwaves withregard to the information generation, transmission, processing, storage, andsemiconductor spintronics technologies.
(1) Advanced Wireless Information Technology
Since interchange of people and exchanges of information have been world wide,
next generation wireless network for ubiquitousness and broadband is one of the mostimportant technology. Especially, a signal processing circuit, RF device and packaging
technologies and the modulation/demodulation and network technologies are the twowheels of realizing next generation wireless network.
We are also actively engaged in work on following technologies for broadband,
low-power

consumption

andsmall-size

terminals;

RF-CMOSdevicesformillimeter-wave-band wireless modems and frequency domain equalizer (FDE) for
broadband mobile wireless modems.
(2) Ultra-Broadband Signal Processing
We are developing novel, integrated electron devices and circuit systems operatingin the terahertz region. One of our major concerns is a new material called “graphene”, asingle-layered honeycomb-lattice carbon crystal.

We have fabricated a logic gate

element utilizing heteroepitaxial graphene-on-silicon (GOS) FETs, demonstrating acomplementary logic operation.
We also succeeded in observation of the gain profile and pumping threshold behaviorof stimulated terahertz emission in femtosecond IR laser-pumped graphene. The result
is a manifestation of occurrence of the negative dynamic conductivity that our group hastheoretically predicted, leading to realization of a new type of terahertz lasers.
(3) Ultrahigh-Speed Optical Communication
To achieve a global high-capacity optical network, we have been engaged in the
research on ultrahigh-speed Optical Time-Division Multiplexing (OTDM) transmission
and highly spectral-efficient coherent Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM)
transmission.
As regards the ultrahigh-speed transmission, we successfully demonstrated the first
1.28 Tbit/s/channel ï 525 km transmission of single-polarization DQPSK signals byusing an ultrafast time-domain optical Fourier transformation technique. In coherent

112010 Broadband Engineering Division

optical transmission, QAM multiplicity as high as 512 levels was achieved for the firsttime in optical communications, and a 54 Gbit/s transmission was realized within an
optical bandwidth of only 4.1 GHz. This corresponds to a spectral efficiency exceeding
12 bit/s/Hz.
(4) Applied Quantum Optics
Novel functional semiconductor photonic devices are investigated to explore newgeneration photonic network systems. Ultra-broadband coherent terahertz (THz) wave
radiation, called as “Tera-Photonics,” is also studied.
Ultra-high-speed operation of semiconductor photonic active devices is being
investigated. It is confirmed experimentally and numerically that the bandwidth ofsemiconductor laser sources can be broadened drastically to some tens of GHz bycontrolling them with high-speed signal light injection. Novel THz biosensors using
surface plasmon resonance are also studied. High-quality THz resonators are realized
by using novel fabrication process. It is confirmed experimentally that THz wave cantransmitted through the resonator successfully.
(5) Information Storage Systems
High density magnetic recording technology to store the tremendous information is
crucial to meet the strong demand of information increase. Both high density recording
and low power consumption are important for future high capacity storage systems.
A large areal density of 5 Tbit/inch2, which is tenfold of current density, wasendeavored by theoretical approach with a computer simulation. This year we showedthat cooperative nano-area heating for bit patterned media recording is effective toincrease the areal density. Novel storage sub-system to reduce power consumption by
50% was developed and evaluated for petabyte-class large-capacity systems.
(6) Basic Technology for Broadband Communication (Mizuno Lab.)  Development of measurement instruments using the passive millimeter- andterahertz-wave imaging is the research object of this laboratory.
Under the promising results obtained with prototype 77GHz–band passive imaging
devices tested in-site at the Narita International Airport in 2009, development ofdevices with sophisticated performance for practical use has been started.
(7) Basic Technology for Broadband Communication (Inutake Lab.)
Synthetic aperture radars (SAR) are useful for all-weather surveillance and rescue.
In this fiscal year we have developed a real-time image, air-borne SAR under the
research contract with Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT).
Hardware of a spotlight-mode SAR system has been successfully completed, with a highresolution (10 cm), small size and light weight (25 kg) at Ku-band. Scientists and122010 Broadband Engineering Divisionengineers of universities and industries collaborate on the program.
(8) Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics: Semiconductor Spintronics
The

nanoscienceandnanotechnology

tocontrol the quantum states insemiconductors, especially the spin-states and optical transitions, are investigated torealized new functional devices, such as memories and logic devices using spin states aswell as quantum cascade lasers (QCL) with THz emission.
We have found a perpendicular magnetic easy axis in thin CoFeB films arising froman interfacial anisotropy at CoFeB/MgO interface, and demonstrated its modulation by
the application of electric fields. We have fabricated nano-dot ensemble from a(Ga,Mn)As thin layer by the application of electric fields, where an electric-field effectstructure with a meshed gate was employed. We have established the relationshipbetween the magnitude of nuclear quadrupole interaction and spin phase relaxation
time in nonmagnetic semiconductor quantum structures.
(9) Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics: Nano-Spin Memory
Technologies to realize advanced spin memory and logic devices using magnetic
tunnel junctions (MTJs) consisting of ferromagnetic metal electrodes and insulating
barriers are developing.
CoFeB/MgO based perpendicular anisotropy MTJs (p-MTJs) after annealing at
350°C showed a tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio > 120%, good thermal stability
at dimensions as low as 40 nmI and low Ic0 < 50 ǍA, all at the same time. We achieved
a TMR ratio of 100% in MgO barrier p-MTJs consisting of CoFe/Pd multilayerelectrodes and CoFeB insertions after annealing at 350°C.

13

2010 Broadband Engineering Division
Research Laboratory of Ultrahigh-Speed Optical Communication

Advanced optical communication technologies approaching the Shannon limit

Research Area of Optical Transmission  Masataka NAKAZAWA, Professor
Research Area of Optical Signal Processing  Toshihiko HIROOKA, Associate Professor[Research Target and Activities]
With the vast growth of traffic on theInternet from simple text data to highquality voice, images, and real-time video,
it has become increasingly important torealize a high-capacity and high-speed
network to support the daily needs ofmoderncommunications.
Ultrahigh-speed optical communicationis the key technology for building such aninterconnected world. This laboratory
aims to achieve a global ultrahigh-speed
optical network in the 21 century by Fig. 1 512 QAM transmission setup and constellations
engaging in the research of ultrashort before and after transmission.
pulse generation and transmission.
As regards ultrahigh-speed transmission, a single-channel 1.28 Tbit/s transmission over 525 km wasdemonstrated for the first time with a single-polarization DQPSK signal. A time-domain optical
Fourier transformation technique was adopted for improving the system tolerance to transmission
impairments due to higher-order PMD. As regards multilevel coherent transmission, QAM multiplicity
as high as 512 levels was realized for the first time. In this scheme, 54 Gbit/s data were transmitted
over 150 km with an optical bandwidth of 4.1 GHz (Fig. 1). The adoption of large area fibers andRaman amplifiers contributed greatly to the realization of this high QAM multiplicity. This result
indicates the possibility of achieving a spectral efficiency of more than 12 bit/s/Hz.
[Staff]Distinguished Professor: Masataka NAKAZAWA, Dr. Associate Professor: Toshihiko HIROOKA, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Masato YOSHIDA, Dr.
JSPS Fellow: Keisuke KASAI, Dr.
[Profile]
Masataka NAKAZAWA received the Ph. D. degree from the Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1980. He
joined the Ibaraki Electrical Communication Laboratory, Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Public
Corporation. He was a visiting scientist at MIT in 1984-1985. In 2001, he became a Professor of the
Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, where he has been engaged inresearch on ultrahigh-speed optical communication including soliton transmission, nonlinear effects infibers, mode-locked lasers, and photonic crystal fibers. He was promoted to a Distinguished Professor
in 2008. He is currently the Director of the Institute. He is a Fellow of IEEE, OSA, JSAP, and IEICE,
and has received various awards including IEEE Daniel E. Noble Award and OSA R. W. Wood Prize.
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Waveform
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Amplifier

12 GSample/s

Optical Filter(䌾3 nm)Att 㼠
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IQ Mod.

C2H2 FrequencyStabilized Fiber
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75 km SLA

EDFA

OFS
(fOFS=2.03 GHz)FBG (6 GHz)PBS Att

Raman Pump
(1.44 Pm)

OFS: Optical Frequency Shifter
PBC: Polarization Beam Combiner
FBG: Fiber Bragg Grating
SLA: Super Large Area fiber
B-PD: Balanced Photo-detector
DBM: Double balanced Mixer

PBC

Polarizer

Optical Filter(䌾1 nm)Optical Filter (䌾2.5 nm)

Baseband Signal

Digital
B-PD A/D
SignalB-PD A/D
Processor
90oOpticalHybridDBM Feedback
PD
Circuit

Synthesizer
fsyn=2.03 GHz
Local
Oscillator (Tunable Fiber Laser)

Toshihiko HIROOKA received the Ph. D. degree from Osaka University in 2000. From 2000 to 2002, he
was a Research Associate at University of Colorado at Boulder. He is currently an Associate Professor
at the Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University. He has been engaged inresearch on ultrahigh-speed optical communications and nonlinear fiber optics, including OTDM
transmission, optical solitons, and photonic crystal fibers.
[Papers][1] K. Kasai, T. Omiya, P. Guan, M. Yoshida, T. Hirooka, and M. Nakazawa, “Single-channel 400-Gb/s
OTDM-32 RZ/QAM coherent transmission over 225 km using an optical phase-locked loop technique,”IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett., vol. 22, no. 8, pp. 562-564, April (2010).
[2] F. Shohda, M. Nakazawa, J. Mata, and J. Tsukamoto, “A 113 fs fiber laser operating at 1.56 Ǵm using acascadable film-type saturable absorber with P3HT-incorporated single-wall carbon nanotubes coated onpolyamide,” Opt. Express, vol. 18, no. 9, pp. 9712-9721, April (2010).
[3] P. Guan, H. C. Hansen Mulvad, Y. Tomiyama, T. Hirano, T. Hirooka, and M. Nakazawa, “Single-channel
1.28 Tbit/s-525 km DQPSK transmission using ultrafast time-domain optical Fourier transformationand nonlinear optical loop mirror,” IEICE Trans. Comm., vol. E94-B, no. 2, pp. 430-436, February (2011).

14

Contact to Professor Masataka NAKAZAWA：nakazawa@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

2010 Broadband Engineering Division
Applied Quantum Optics

Research on Innovative Highly Functional Photonic Semiconductor Devices andUltra-wide band coherent light sources, and their applications

Highly Functional Photonics
Broadband Photonics

Hiroshi YASAKA, Professor
Jun-ichi SHIKATA, Associate Professor[Research Target and Activities]
Novel functional semiconductor photonic devices including photonic integrated circuits are being
investigated to explore new-generation photonic network systems. We have also been studying
ultra-broadband coherent terahertz (THz) wave radiation to explore novel science and technology,“tera-photonics”.
Ultra-high-speed semiconductor photonic active devices is being investigated It is confirmed
numerically and experimentally that the bandwidth of semiconductor laser sources can be broadened
to some tens of GHz by controlling them with high-speed signal light injection. It is also confirmed thatthe bandwidth can be broadened drastically by a novel passive feedback laser diode with an external
cavity. Novel THz biosensors using surface plasmon resonance are also studied to achieve sensitive
detection of biomolecules, high-spatial-resolution THz imaging beyond diffraction limit. High-quality
THz resonators for local-field enhancement are realized by using novel fabrication process. It is
confirmed experimentally that THz wave can transmitted through the resonator successfully.
DC
TE
TM

Experimental setup (left) and measured and calculated responses (middle) of optically controlled
semiconductor laser source, and fabricated surface-plasmon THz-wave resonator (right)[Staff]
Professor ： Hiroshi YASAKA, Dr.
Associate Professor ： Jun-ichi SHIKATA, Dr.
[Profile]
Hiroshi YASAKA received M.S. degrees in physics from Kyusyu University in 1985, and Ph.D. degree
in electronic engineering from Hokkaido University in 1993. In 1985 he joined Nippon Telegraph andTelephone (NTT) Corporation. Since then, he has been engaging in research and development on
semiconductor photonic devices for optical fiber communication systems. From 2008 he has been aprofessor of Tohoku University.
Jun-ichi SHIKATA received his Ph.D. degree in electronic engineering from Tohoku university in
1998. From 1998 to 2003, he was a research associate at the Research Institute of ElectricalCommunication (RIEC) of the same university. Since 2003, he has been an associate professor. His
research interests include lasers, nonlinear optical effects and their applications.

[Papers][1] Hiroki Ishihara, Hiroshi Yasaka and Junichi Shikata, “High-Speed Control of Semiconductor Laser by
Gain Modulation,” The 3rd Student Organizing International Mini-Conference on Information
Electronics Systems (SOIM-GCOE10), F7P-6, 2010.

Contact to Professor Hiroshi YASAKA ： yasaka@riec.tohoku.ac.jp15

2010 Broadband Engineering Division
Advanced Wireless Information Technology

For realization of the next generation mobile network

Noriharu SUEMATSU, Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
CMOS RF-IC䋬mm-wave CMOS-IC
In order to realize the next generation
mobile network, we concentrate on thedevelopments of following wireless network;(1) next generation mobile broadband
wireless access (MBWA), (2) dependable
broadband wireless local area network(WLAN), and (3) ultra broadband wirelessHeterogeneous/
Digitally Assisted RF
Channel Estimation
Digital RF Signal Processing
personal area network (WPAN).
Signal Processing
In this year, we have developed following
technologies for broadband, low power
consumption and small size terminals; (1) RF
Fig. The target system of Advanced Wirelesspower amplifier, synthesizer and mixer
Information Technology Laboratory.
devices for millimeter wave (mmW) wirelessmodems, (2) Ultra small antennas for mmW mobile terminals, (3) frequency domain equalizer (FDE)
devices on application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Moreover, we have evaluated the hybrid
single-carrier and multi-carrier mobile communication system for wide-area and broadband mobile
communication network.
Radio wave
(UHF/microwave/
mm-wave)

HPA

Tx Mixer

FilterFilterAntenna

Voltage controlled
oscillator (VCO)

Tx/Rx
SwitchLNA

FilterTx Signal(Digital)

DAC

PLL

FilterRx Mixer

ControlsignalSynthesizer

ADC

Rx Signal(Digital)

Modulator

Encoder

Channel selector

Channel measurement
and estimation

Frequency
domainequalizer(FDE)

Demodulator

Decoder[Staff]
Professor: Noriharu SUEMATSU, Ph. D
Assistant Professor: Suguru KAMEDA, Ph. D
Research Fellow: Shoichi TANIFUJI, Ph. D[Profile]
Noriharu SUEMATSU Prof. Suematsu received the M.S. and Dr. degrees in Electronics andCommunication Engineering from Waseda University in 1987 and 2000. From 1987 to 2010, he had
been with the R&D center of Mitsubishi Electric, Japan. Since 2010, he has been a professor of
Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University.
He received the OHM
technology award from the promotion foundation for electrical science and engineering in 2002 andPrize for Science and Technology, the Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in 2009. He is a member of the IEEE, the IEICE,
the Japan Society of Applied Physics, the Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan and the Japan
Institute of Electronics Packaging.
[Papers]
[1]

[2]
[3]

S. Yoshida, S. Tanifuji, S. Kameda, N. Suematsu, T. Takagi, and K. Tsubouchi, “Copper Balls
Interconnection Technology for 60GHz Band 3-D System-in-Package Modules,” 2010 Asia-PacificMicrowave Conference (APMC2010), TH3F-1, Yokohama, Dec. 2010.
T. T. Ta, K. Ando, S. Tanifuji, S. Kameda, N. Suematsu, T. Takagi, and K. Tsubouchi,“5GHz Band Low
Phase Noise Si-CMOS Oscillator with Flip-Chip Mounted FBAR,” 2010 Asia-Pacific Microwave
Conference (APMC2010), TH4F-3, Yokohama, Dec. 2010.
S. Tomita, N. Tran, Y. Miyake, K. Komatsu, H. Oguma, N. Izuka, S. Tanifuji, S. Kameda, N. Suematsu,
T. Takagi, and K. Tsubouchi, “Influence of Hand Tremor for 60-GHz-Band Broadband WirelessCommunication Terminal Based on Advanced Kiosk Model,” 2010 Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference(APMC2010), FR1C-1, Yokohama, Dec. 2010.

16

Contact to Professor Noriharu SUEMATSU：suematsu@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

2010 Broadband Engineering Division
Information Storage System

Research on Large Capacity Information Storage System Using Perpendicular
Magnetic Recording
Information Storage Systems: Hiroaki MURAOKA, Professor
Recording Theory Computation: Simon J. GREAVES, Associate Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
The amount of digital information is rapidly growing year by year, and is
projected to exceed 1000 Exa-byte in 2010. An extremely large storage capacity
by high density magnetic recording is thus required to store this information.
Perpendicular magnetic recording was introduced in order to continuously
develop the areal density of hard disk drives beyond the conventional density
limit, i.e., a near-future target of 1 Tbit/inch2 and ultimately exceeding 5
Tbit/inch2. Theoretical studies including a micromagnetic computer simulationin association with an experimental approach are carried out to develop thenext generation of high density perpendicular recording devices.
As we have proposed, the magnetic nano-structure of recording media is
the most essential parameter to achieve high density perpendicular recording.
Bit-patterned media (Fig 1) are one promising candidate. Recently we haveclarified the possibility of an areal density of 5 Tbit/inch2 in conjunction withheat assisted recording.
In addition to the studies on magnetic recording, a novel low-power
consumption architecture was developed based on tiered operation of harddisk drives. (Fig. 2) A power reduction of 50% was confirmed from oursimulation work.
[Staff]
Professor: Hiroaki MURAOKA, Ph.D. (since 2000)
Associate Professor: Simon J. GREAVES, Ph.D. (since 2003)
Research Associate: Kenji MIURA, Ph.D. (since 2003)
Secretary: Chie WATANABE

Fig 1 Fabricated bit
patterned media

Fig 2 Developed low
power
consumption
storage sub-system.

[Profile]
Hiroaki MURAOKA joined Tohoku University in 1991. Since then, he has been engaged in research on
high-density magnetic recording devices, systems and recording theories, mainly for perpendicularmagnetic recording. He received PhD degree in 1981. He is a Fellow of IEEE.
Simon J. GREAVES has been at Tohoku University since 2003. He uses micromagnetic simulations atmagnetic recording to investigate the potential of future storage devices. He received his Ph.D in 1993
from Salford University, UK.
[Papers][1] Simon Greaves, Yasushi Kanai, Hiroaki Muraoka, “Shingled Magnetic Recording on Bit Patterned
Media,” IEEE Trans. Magn., vol. 46, no. 6, pp. 1460-1463, June 2010.
[2] Yasushi Kanai, Kazuya Koyama, Manabu Ueki, Toshio Tsukamoto, Kazuetsu Yoshida, SimonJohn Greaves, Hiroaki Muraoka, “Micromagnetic Analysis of Shielded Write Heads Using
Symmetric Multiprocessing Systems,” IEEE Trans. Magn., vol. 46, no. 8, pp. 3337-3340, Aug 2010.
[3] Hiroaki Muraoka, Simon Greaves, “Statistical Modeling of Write Error Rates in Bit Patterned
Media for 10 Tbit/inch2 Recording,” IEEE Trans. Magn., vol. 47, no. 1, pp. 26-34, January 2011.

Contact to Professor Hiroaki MURAOKA：muraoka@riec.tohoku.ac.jp17

2010 Broadband Engineering Division
Ultra-broadband Signal Processing

Novel Millimeter-wave and Terahertz Integrated Electron Devices and Systems
Ultra-broadband Devices and Systems : Taiichi OTSUJI, Professor
Ultrafast Electron Devices : Tetsuya SUEMITSU, Associate Professor
[Research Target and Activities]㩷㩷

Ultrafast photonic, electronic and plasmonic devices using graphene and III-V semiconductors.
(Left: terahertz amplified stimulated emission and its gain profile in optically pumped graphene, center: complimentary inverter logic operation using graphene FETs, right: coherent terahertz emission from a plasmon-resonant HEMT.)

We are developing novel, integrated electron devices and circuit systems operating in the terahertz(THz) region. Recent works and achievements are schematically shown in the above figures.

[Staff]
Professor: Taiichi OTSUJI, Dr. Eng.
Associate Professor: Tetsuya SUEMITSU, Dr. Eng.
Assistant Professor: Akira SATOU, Dr. Eng.
CREST Researcher: Susumu TAKABAYASHI, Dr. Eng.
JSPS Research Fellow: Stephane Albon BOUBANGA TOMBET, Ph.D.

Secretary: Kayo UENO

[Profile]
Taiichi OTSUJI: received the Dr. Eng. deg. from Tokyo Tech., Japan, in 1994. After working for NTT
Labs., Japan, since 1984, he joined Kyutech in 1999, as an Assoc. Prof., being a Prof. from 2002. Since
2005, he has been a Prof. at RIEC, Tohoku Univ., Japan. Recipient of the Outstanding Paper Award of
the 1997 IEEE GaAs IC Symposium. Member of IEEE, OSA (senior), IEICE, and JSAP.
Tetsuya SUEMITSU: received Dr. Eng. from Waseda Univ., Japan, in 2000. Research Scientist, NTT
Labs., Japan (1994- 2006); Visiting Scientist, MIT, USA (2002-2003); Assoc. Prof., Tohoku Univ., Japan(2006-). Recipient of the Best Paper Award, IEICE (2003), and the ELEX Best Paper Award, IEICE(2007). Member of IEEE, APS, JSAP, and PSJ.

[Papers][1] V. Ryzhii, M. Ryzhii, A. Satou, T. Otsuji, V. Mitin, J. Appl. Phys. 109, 064508 (2011).
[2] S. Boubanga-Tombet et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 262108 (2010).
[3] M. Ryzhii, V. Ryzhii, T. Otsuji, V. Mitin, M.S. Shur, Phys. Rev. B 82, 075419 (2010).
18

Contact to Professor Taiichi OTSUJI ： otsuji@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

2010 Broadband Engineering Division
Basic Technology for Broadband Communication

Development of Measurement Instrumentation by the Millimeter and THz Wave
[Research Target and Activities]
Development of measurement instruments using the millimeter- and terahertz- wave region of theelectromagnetic spectrum is the research target of this Division. Since the wavelength of this region islarger than that of the infrared and optical region, scattering by cloud, dust, flame, fabrics, skin, etc. ismuch smaller and since photon energy of this region is much smaller than thermal energy kTB at theroom temperature, non-invasive measurement for materials is possible. In this section passive
millimeter wave imaging systems are being developed for security and medical applications.

 

Simultaneous display of several pictures with different gradation treatments toshow objects of low emissivity.

[Staff]Visiting Professor: Koji MIZUNO[Profile]
Koji Mizuno was graduated from the Department of Electronic Engineering, Tohoku University,
Sendai, in 1963 and was appointed Professor at the University in 1984. He was a visiting researcher at
the University of London in 1972, and at California Institute of Technology in 1990. In 2004 he wasappointed Professor Emeritus of Tohoku University and also Research Professor of RIEC. He isrecipient of the IEEE Fellow grade in 1993, the Kenneth J. Button Medal in 1998, the Minister Award
of MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan) in 2003, and IEEE
MTT-Society Distinguished Educator Award in 2005.
[Papers]

[1]
[2]
[3]

K. Mizuno, “Millimeter-Wave Imaging through a Flame and Smoke,” IEEE MTT-S Int. Microw. Symp.
Workshop, Ahaheim, CA, WFC-11, May 2010.
K. Mizuno, “Radio Sensing Technologies for Security Use,” Instrumentation and Automation (JAPANINDUSTRIAL PUBLISHING CO. LTD.), Vol.38, No.12, pp. 1 - 5, November 2010 (in Japanese).
K. Mizuno, “Millimeter-Wave Imaging Technologies,” CAMP-Current Advances in Materials andProcesses, ISIJ (The Iron and Steel Institute of Japan), 161 Meeting, D1, March 2011 (in Japanese). Contact to Professor Koji MIZUNO ： koji@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

19

2010 Broadband Engineering Division
Basic Technology for Broadband Communication

High Resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar for Civilian Applications
Gimbal-fixing
flange2-axis gimbal㩷
Coax-waveguideconverter

Inertia
Meas. Unit

Feed-hornantenna
Offset parabolareflector

Antenna / Gimbal Assembly : 10 kg

Radar Electronics Assembly : 15 kg

INUTAKE Laboratory: Masaaki INUTAKE, Professor[Research Target and Activities]
We are developing air-borne synthetic aperture radars (SAR) for civilian applications. The SAR
is useful for all-weather surveillance and rescue in disastrous fires and smokes. Scientists andengineers from both universities and industries collaborate on this research project.
In this fiscal year we have developed a real-time image, air-borne SAR under the research contract
with Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). Hardware of a spotlight-mode
SAR : ”Live SAR” has been successfully completed, with a high resolution (10 cm), small size and lightweight (25 kg) at Ku-band, as shown in the above figures.
[Staff]Visiting Professor : Masaaki INUTAKE,Dr.
[Profile]
1966: Bachelor of Engineering, University of Tokyo.
1972: Doctor of Engineering, University of Tokyo.
1972-1974: Research Fellow, Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science, University of Tokyo.
1974-1980: Assistant Professor, Institute of Plasma Physics, Nagoya University
1980-1994: Associate Professor, Graduate School of Applied Physics, University of Tsukuba.
1994-2007: Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University.
2007-present: Visiting Professor, Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University.
Researches: Microwave / laser-aided plasma diagnostics. Alfven wave physics and its applications to
the wave heating of a fusion plasma and the acceleration of supersonic plasma flows in a magnetic
nozzle for an advanced space propulsion. Prizes for Science & Technology (Research Category),
Commendation for Science & Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology, (April, 2008).
[Papers][1] M. Inutake, H. Ikezi,A. Mase, Y. Kogi, M. Sato㧦Laser Radar and Laser SAR devices, Pat. 2011-015915.
[2] Y. Kogi, S. H. Jeong et al., M. Kwon, and K.,Kawahata: “Calibration of electron cyclotron emission
radiometer for KSTAR”, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 81, 10D916 (2010).
[3] S.-W. Chen and M. Sato: “A Novel Method for Polarimetric SAR Image Speckle Filtering and Edge
Detection”, The 4th Joint PI Symp. ALOS Data Nodes for ALOS Science Program, Tokyo (2010) pp. 55.

20

Contact to Professor Masaaki INUTAKE ： inutakem@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

2010 Human Information Systems Division
Aims and Achievements of Human Information Systems Division
In order to realize advanced information communications systems, it is essential tounderstand and apply sophisticated information processing mechanisms of human being aswell as to establish communications environments in that human can communicate
anywhere, anytime without recognizing the communications tools. The aim of this division isto research and develop core technologies and system technologies essential to advanced
human friendly information and communications systems through understanding biologicalinformation generation mechanisms, human information processing mechanisms focusing
on acoustic and visual inputs, integrating nano-technologies to bio-applications, andoptimizing the communications environments.
To achieve the goal of the Division, five laboratories have been carrying out
researches and developments in the following areas: (1) Electomagnetic Bioinformation
Engineering, (2) Advanced Acoustic Information Systems, (3) Visual Cognition and Systems,(4) Interdisciplinary Field for Informatics, and (5) Ubiquitous Communications Systems. The
goals and achievements in the fiscal year 2010 of each laboratory are described in detailbelow.
(1) Electomagnetic Bioinformation Engineering(Aims) The aim of our division are to obtain the high accuracy sensor system for the signals
from the human body or electric devices and to obtain the system for approaching action to
the human body, by using the nano-scale controlled magnetic materials and by thedevelopment of the devices under the functions of the magnetics.
(Achievements) We studied the relation between the sensitivity of magnetic sensors andthe anisotropy of the magnetic thin films. We obtained a non-metal probe for high frequency
magnetic field, and confirmed the probe can measure the high frequency magnetic field with
its phase information. In addition, 3D position detecting system using magnetic markers wasstudied to improve its position accuracy. The study about the magnetic actuator driven by
the external magnetic field was carried out for biomimetic robots using the rotational
magnetic field, and small wireless pumps were obtained and clarified for their application for
an artificial heart-support pump by an animal test.
(2)Advanced Acoustic Information Systems(Aims) To realize future high-definition communication systems with rich and natural senseof presence, acoustic information processing technologies based on good knowledge ofhuman auditory system as well as multimodal perception relating to hearing are studied.
(Achievement) In 2010, we deepen the understanding human spaciotemporal perceptual
processes of audio-visual and audio-vestibular information. This is particularly important torealize future multi-modal information processing and communication systems. We clearly
demonstrated that the sense of presence and vraisemblance are differently determined by21

2010 Human Information Systems Division
the foreground information and background information of an audio-visual multi-modal
content. We continued to develop methods, such as virtual auditory displays based on our
accumulated knowledge of human auditory space perception, sensing and reproduction
system based on High-order Ambinonics consisting of over 100 channels, 252-ch binaural
spatial sound sensing system (SENZI). They are keenly required to realize super-definition
audio-visual communications in near future. Furthermore, we developed new signal
processing algorithms of multiple description method for realizing high secrecy in voice overinternet protocols (VoIP), advanced digital hearing aids, and high-performance binaural
speech enhancement providing proper spatial information.
(3) Visual Cognition and Systems(Aims) To understand the vision-related brain functions in order to apply the knowledge torealize human oriented information communication systems.
(Achievements) We made achievements results in the fields of visual attention and color
perception. Firstly, we confirmed that our method to visual attention is useful to estimate
extent of visual attention, comparing the results with other typical techniques to measure
visual attention. Secondly, we showed experimental results that suggested that attentional
states can be estimated objectively functional near-infrared spectroscopy. These subjective
and objective methods to measure visual attention is expected to be used for investigate
function of visual attention. Thirdly, we achieved a successful modification in a color visionmodel. With our modification on the color vision model, nonlinear functions of the humancolor analysis are clearly described in the model.
(4) Interdisciplinary Field for Informatics(Aims) The interdisciplinary field of research combining nanobiotechnology and information
technology attracts our exceeding interests. These studies stand on the development of
new materials created by self-assembly of functional molecules and nanomaterials, leading
to new classes of biosensing devices.
(Achievements) This year we have focused on experimental and theoretical approaches tounderstand the principle of “collective” excitation of localized surface plasmon resonances(LSPR) on Ag nanoparticle 2D crystalline sheet. We found that particles are interacting
each other much longer distance than their diameter and excite homogeneous and strong
LSPR field in the sheet. The finite difference time domain (FDTD) calculation confirmed thevalidity of our experimental data. These studies of Ag nanoparticle crystalline sheet isapplied to surface plasmon enhanced fluorescence measurements for life-innovation.
(5) Ubiquitous Communications System(Aims) The goal of ubiquitous communications is to realize communications environmentsin that everybody can communicate with anybody, anywhere and anytime without
recognizing the communications tools. Towards this goal, the core technologies to realize
22

2010 Human Information Systems Division
Super Broad Band Indoor Wireless Communications have been in research anddevelopment with which people can enjoy multiple Gbps transmission freely. Also, thislaboratory has been contributing to /leading global standardization at IEEE and will continue
this activity.
(Achievements) Major achievements in this year include (i) development of commerciallyapplicable 60 GHz beam-forming antennas for portable terminals, (ii) 60 GHz CMOS power
amplifiers, and phase shifters research and development close to commercially applicablelevel, (iii) Improvement of indoor communications interruption probability by the factor of 10
leading to real Super Broad Band Indoor Wireless Communications deployment, (iv)
proposing and validating wireless harness systems for automobile applications.

23

2010 Human Information Systems Division
Electromagnetic Bioinformation Engineering

Communication with human body
Electromagnetic Bioinformation Engineering Kazushi ISHIYAMA, Professor
Electromagnetic Bioinformation Materials Shuichiro HASHI, Associate Professor
[Research Target and Activities]

Fig. 1 Sensitive magnetic field sensor

Fig. 2 Magnetic actuator for capsule-endoscope

We studied the relation between the sensitivity of magnetic sensors and the anisotropy of the magnetic
thin films. We obtained a non-metal probe for high frequency magnetic field, and confirmed the probe
can measure the high frequency magnetic field with its phase information. In addition, 3D position
detecting system using magnetic markers was studied to improve its position accuracy. The study
about the magnetic actuator driven by the external magnetic field was carried out for biomimetic
robots using the rotational magnetic field, and small wireless pumps were obtained and clarified fortheir application for an artificial heart-support pump by an animal test.

[Staff]
Professor 㧦 Kazushi ISHIYAMA, Dr.
Associate Professor 㧦 Shuichiro HASHI, Dr.
[Profile]
Kazushi ISHIYAMA He received his MS and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering from Tohoku
University in 1986 and 1993, respectively. He is currently working as a professor in Research Instituteof Electrical Communication, Tohoku University. His research interests are in the area of magnetics
and magnetic applications.
Shuichiro HASHI He received the DE degree in Electrical Engineering from Tohoku University in
1998. His research interests are in the area of magnetic measurement and magnetic materials.

[Papers][1] Y. Suwa, S. Agatsuma, S. Hashi, K. Ishiyama, “Study of Strain Sensor Using FeSiB Magnetostrictive
Thin Film,” IEEE Trans. Magn., Vol. 46 , No. 2, pp. 666 – 669, 2010.
[2] H. Nasuno, S. Hashi, K. Ishiyama, N. Adachi, “Magnetic Field Waveform Measurement Using Pulsed
Laser,” J. Magn. Soc. Jpn., Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 273-276, 2011.
[3] S. H. Kim, S. Hashi, K. Ishiyama, “Methodology of Dynamic Actuation for Flexible Magnetic Actuatorand Biomimetic Robotics Application,” IEEE Trans. Magn., Vol. 46, No. 6, pp. 1366–1369, 2010.
[4] S. Hashi, K. Ishiyama, S. Yabukami, H. Kanetaka, K. I. Arai, “Analysis and improvement of detection
accuracy for a wireless motion sensing system using integrated coil component,” J. Appl. Phys., Vol.
107 , No. 9, pp. 09E701, 2010.

24

Contact to Professor Kazushi ISHIYAMA ： ishiyama@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

2010 Human Information Systems Division
Advanced Acoustic Information Systems

Development of next generation communication systems
Advanced Acoustic Information Systems: Yôiti SUZUKI, Professor
Acoustic Information Communications: Yukio IWAYA, Associate Professor[Research Target and Activities]
The main interest of this laboratory is a study of theinformation processing in the human auditory system.
We are, at the same time, aiming at the realization of a'comfortable' sound environment exploiting digital
signal processing techniques. Three-dimensional soundimage control by high-definition virtual auditory
displays based on simulating transfer functions ofsound paths from sound sources to listeners' external
ears, and a sound field simulator based on precise
sound field analysis and control are two examples.
These systems are expected to provide a high-quality Fig. 1 Application for training spatial
3D virtual sound space, which is keenly required to cognition based on high-definition virtual
auditory display
realize in the multimedia communications, cyberspacesystems and supre-definition audio-visual display
systems. Moreover, in 2010, we put a lot of efforts to investigate the spaciotemporal integration processof multisensory information processing.
[Staff]
Professor: Yôiti SUZUKI, Dr., Associate Professor: Yukio IWAYA, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Shuichi SAKAMOTO, Dr.
Technical Official: Fumitaka SAITO, Research Fellow: Zhenglie CUI, Dr., Maori KOBAYASHI, Dr.,
Takuma OKAMOTO, Dr., Wataru TERAMOTO, Dr., and DaeGee KANG, Dr.
[Profile ]SUZUKI Yôiti graduated from Tohoku University in 1976 and received his Ph. D. degree in electricaland communication engineering in 1981. His research interests include psychoacoustics and digital
signal processing of acoustic signals. He served as a president of the Acoustical Society of Japan from‘05 to ‘07. He is a fellow of the Acoustical Society of America.
IWAYA Yukio graduated from Tohoku University in 1991 and received his Ph. D. degree in information
sciences in 1999. His research interests include three-dimensional acoustic space perception anddevelopment of its communication systems with high sense of presence.

[Papers]• Wataru Teramoto et al., “Visual motion perception induced by sounds in vertical plane,” Neuroscience
Letters, Vol. 479, No. 3, pp. 221-225, 2010.
• Iwaya, Y., et al., “Sound localization in median plane using an avatar robot “TeleHead” withsynchronization of a listener’s horizontal head rotation,” Proc. 20th Intl. Congress on Acoustics (ICA2010),
6-page paper in CD-ROM (2010.8), Sydney, Australia.
• Shuichi S., et al., “SENZI - a 3D sound-space recording system using spherical microphone array with
252-ch microphones -,” Proc. 20th Intl. Congress on Acoustics (ICA2010), 4-page paper in CD-ROM(2010.8), Sydney, Australia.

Contact to Professor Yôiti SUZUKI ： suzuki@ais.riec.tohoku.ac.jp25

2010 Human Information Systems Division
Visual Cognition and Systems

Vision sciences for visual communication
Visual Cognition and Systems Satoshi SHIOIRI, Professor
Cognitive Brain Functions Ichiro KURIKI, Associate Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
Our target is to understand the vision-related brain functions inorder to apply the knowledge to realize human oriented
information communication systems. We made achievements
results in the fields of visual attention and color perception. Firstly,
we confirmed that the method we proposed to measure visual
A contribution weight map among
attention using the flash lag effec is useful to estimate extent ofvoxels in the classification analysis
visual attention. We compared the attention extent measured by
the method with those measured by the technique of sensitivity
and by saccade eye movements and showed that the estimation of the attention effect is similar.
Secondly, we showed experimental results that suggested that attentional states can be estimatedobjectively functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). We succeeded to measure brain activity thatis related to visual attention with fNIRS. fNIRS is a useful objective measure of visual attention interms of less physical constraint of subject movements and the elaboration of the technique is apromising method. Thirdly, we achieved a successful modification in a color vision model. With ourmodification on the color vision model, nonlinear functions at cone output level and the opponent color
level are clearly segregated. This better understanding of color vision will help to use color incommunication properly.
[Staff]
Professor:
Satoshi SHIOIRIAssociate Professor:
Ichiro KURIKI
Assistant Professor:
Kazumichi MATSUMIYA, Rumi TOKUNAGA
Postdoctoral fellow:
Mitsuharu OGIYA, Kazuya MATSUBARA[Profile]
Satoshi SHIOIRIProfessor Shioiri graduated Tokyo Institute of Technology and received Dr. Eng in 1986. Then, he was a

postdoctoral researcher at University of Montreal until May of 1989. From June of 1989 to April of 1990, he was a research fellow at
Auditory and Visual Perception Laboratories of Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute. He moved to Chiba University at
May of 1990, where he spent 15 years as an assistant professor, an associate professor, and a professor of Department of Image
Sciences Department of Image, Information Sciences and Department of Medical Systems. In 2005, he moved to Tohoku University.
Since then, he has been a professor of Research Institute of Electrical Communication of Tohoku University.
Ichiro KURIKI

Dr. Kuriki received Ph.D. degree from Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1996. After then, he worked at Imaging

Science and Engineering Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology as a research associate until October, 1999. He worked as a
research associate at the Department of Mathematical Engineering and Information Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, theUniversity of Tokyo until March, 2001. He worked as a researcher in Communication Science Laboratories of NTT Corporation until
December, 2005. He moved to the Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University as an Associate Professor in
January, 2006.

[Papers][1] Inamura, T., Shioiri, S., Tsujimura, S. and Yaguchi, H.: A nonlinear two-stage model for color
discrimination. Journal of Optical Society of America A (accepted)[2] Harasawa,,M. and Shioiri, S.: “Asymmetrical brain activity induced by voluntary spatial attention
depends on the visual hemifield: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study”, Brain andCognition, 75, 292-298, 2010.
[3] Kuriki, I., Nakamura, S., Sun, P., Ueno, K., Matsumiya, K., Tanaka, K., Shioiri, S., Cheng, K.:“Decoding color responses in human visual cortex”, IEICE TRANSACTIONS on Foundamentals ofElectronics, Communications and Computer Sciences E94-A(2), 473-479, 2011.
26

Contact to Professor Satoshi SHIOIRI ： shioiri@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

2010 Human Information Systems DivisionInterdisciplinary Field for Informatics

Fabrication and Application of Plasmonic Ag Nanosheet
Advanced plasmonic system Kaoru TAMADA, Professor[Research Target and Activities]

The interdisciplinary field of research combining nanobiotechnology and information technology attracts
our exceeding interests. These studies stand on the development of new materials created by self-assemblyof functional molecules and nanomaterials, leading to new classes of biosensing devices. The plasmons,
especially the combination of surface
plasmons
propagating
along
the
metal-organic interface and local surface
plasmons on metal nanoparticles is crucial
to control and manipulate localized light innanoscale for nanosensing.
This year we have focused on
experimental and theoretical approaches tounderstand the principle of “collective”
excitation of localized surface plasmon
Fig. 1 Collective excitation of LSPR on Ag nanoparticle 2D crystalline
resonances (LSPR) on Ag nanoparticle 2D
sheet fabricated by self-assembly
crystalline sheet. We found that particles areinteracting each other much longer distance than their diameter and excite homogeneous and strong LSPR
field in the sheet. The finite difference time domain (FDTD) calculation confirmed the validity of ourexperimental data. These studies of Ag nanoparticle crystalline sheet is applied to surface plasmon
enhanced fluorescence measurements for life-innovation.

[Staff]
Professor Kaoru TAMADA ,Dr. (from Oct. 2007)
Posdoc Akihito YOSHIDA ,Dr. (from April. 2010)[Profile]1984 B.S.chemistry, Nara Women’s University, 1984-1991 JSR Co. Ltd. 1991-1993 University of
Wisconsin-Madison. 1994 Dr of science, Nara Women’s University, 1994-1995 RIKEN frontier international
program. 1995-2004 National institute of materials and chemical research (NIMC) and National institute ofadvanced industrial science and technology (AIST). 1997 Australian national university, 1998-1999
Max-planck institute for polymer research, 2001-2004 National University of Singapore. 2003-2004 Group
Leader, Bio-photonics group, Research institute of photonics, AIST. 2005-2007 Associate professor,
Department of electronic chemistry, Tokyo institute of technology. 2006-2009 Adjunct professor, Departmentof physics, NUS, Singapore. 2007-date Professor, Research institute of electrical communication, Tohoku
university.

[Papers][1] Nanoscale coupling of photons to vibrational excitation of Ag nanoparticle 2D array studied byscanning tunneling microscope light emission spectroscopy, Satoshi Katano, Koji Toma, Mana
Toma, Kaoru Tamada and Yoichi Uehara, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 12, 2010, 14749.
[2] Collective plasmon modes excited on a silver nanoparticle 2D crystalline sheet, Mana Toma, Koji
Toma, Kanae Michioka, Yasuhiro Ikezoe, Daiki Obara, Koichi Okamoto and Kaoru Tamada, Phys.
Chem. Chem. Phys. 2011, 12, 14749-14753.
[3] Gemini-SAMs, K. Tamada, Handbook of Biofunctional Surfaces (Edit. W. Knoll), Pan Stanford
publishing, Singapore, 2010.
27

2010 Human Information Systems Division
Ubiquitous Communications System

Super Broadband Wireless Communications

Fig.1 Millimeter-wave double slot array antenna

Fig. 2 Antenna beam patterns

Ubiquitous Communications Systems: Shuzo Kato, Professor
Ubiquitous Communications RF Device: Hiroyuki Nakase, Associate Professor＜Research Target＞
To realize ubiquitous communications in which everybody can communicate easily without noticing thecommunications tools much. the laboratory has been working on core technology R&D on Super
Broadband Wireless Communications in which people can communicate at multi-Gbps freely.
＜FY2010 Major Results＞(1) Successful 60 GHz beam forming antenna development - 8-element double slot antennas(patent pending) show an antenna gain of 15 dBi that is ready for commercial deployment, (2) CMOS 60
GHz power amplifier deploying “Cascode circuit + Class-B source ground circuit” (targeting over 20 %PAE) and 60 GHz phase shifters have been developed, (3) Indoor communications interruption
reduced to 1/10 by deploying intentional reflectors (two), (4) Millimeter wave wireless harness(metalized hose) systems have proven good for practical applications to reduce automobile weight,(5) Continuously contributed to IEEE 802 Standardization on Millimeter wave systems and others.
＜Staff＞
Prof.: Shuzo Kato, Ph.D, Associ. Prof. : Hiroyuki Nakase, Ph. D. Assist. Prof.: Hirokazu Sawada, Ph.
D.Technical staff: Shigeru Yoshimiya, Technical assistant: Yukako Shoji, Naomi Aizawa＜Profile＞
Shuzo Kato

A Manager, Researcher and Engineer having a successful broad range of experiencesfrom R&D, Manufacturing, Quality management, Product planning, Marketing, Sales, HRs, Establishing& Managing R&D centers, companies in Japan and USA in addition to millimeter wave communications
systems global( IEEE) standardization lead. Graduated from Faculty of Engineering, Tohoku University
with Ph. D in 1977, Published over 200 technical papers and held over 80 patents (including the one that
became Department of Defense (USA) standard in 1998), Fellow of the IEEE and IEICE Japan.
Hiroyuki Nakase graduated from Faculty of Engineering, Tohoku University with Ph. D in 1995. From
1995, he worked at NTT Research Laboratories. Since 1999, he has been with RIEC, Tohoku University
working on 60GHz CMOS MMICs, super broadband wireless communications and their applications.
＜Major published papers in FY2010＞[1] M. A. Rahmen, C. S. Sum, R. Funada, T. Baykas, J. Wang, S. Sasaki, H Harada, and S. Kato, “Error
Rate Analysis of Band-Limited BBPSK with Nakagami/Nakagami ACI Considering Nonlinear
Amplifier and Diversity”, IEEE VT, Vol. 59, No.3, pp. 1523 – 1529, March 201028

Contact to Professor Shuzo KATO ： shukato@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

2010 Systems & Software Division
Research Targets and Activities of Systems & Software Division The goal of System & Software Division is to realize Ubiquitous environment. In an ideal
ubiquitous environment, everyone can communicate with anybody, anywhere, with any kindof information, at any time, freely and in real time. Our division has the following fiveresearch fields related to such high-level system, software and contents by integrating
computer and communication:
Ɇ Software Construction: Reliable and high-level software.
Ɇ Computing Information Theory: Fundamental theory of new software.
Ɇ Communication Network: Symbiotic computing.
Ɇ Information Content: Technologies for interactive content.
Ɇ Structure of Information Society (Visitor Section).
An overview of research results from Apr. 2010 to Mar. 2011 of these fields except the visitor
section is described in this section.

(1) Software Construction
We havebeen researchingon theoretical foundations for flexible yetreliable

programming languages, and have been conducting a development project of SML#, a newprogramming language in the ML family, that embodies some of our research results such as
more flexible static typing and high-degree of inter-operability with existing languages anddatabases. The major results of 2010 academic year include the following. (1) Study on
programming languages and systems that mechanically derive efficient programs for solving
optimization problems from their natural specifications. In last year, we developed a systemfor optimal path querying and a library for obtaining optimal sequences for Haskell. Moreover,
we extend our theoretical foundations so as to deal with approximation algorithms. (2)Development of the SML# Compiler. The last year's development includes a non-moving
bitmap marking GC and so on.

(2) Computing Information Theory
Aiming at combining program transformation methods and automated theorem proving
methods, we continued to pursue the possibility of program transformation by templates
based on term rewriting. Based on a notion of natural higher-order inductive theorems, we
showed sufficient criteria for applying transformation templates to higher-order programs.
Although many automated termination provers have been proposed recently, little work isreported on automated confluence provers. We continued to develop an automated confluence
prover ACP for term rewriting systems based on several divide-and-conquer methods.
Applying a reduction-preserving completion procedure, we implement a new method forproving confluence of term rewriting systems.

29

2010 Systems & Software Division(3) Communication Network
An autonomic monitoring mechanism of ubiquitous information environment is
implemented and evaluated as a basis for realizing an evolutional agent system. Next, amechanism of using network management heuristics based on the active information
resources is designed and implemented, and the situation-adaptive behavior of themechanism is validated with respect to a network anomaly detection task. On the other hand,a prototype of the multiagent-based microgrid based on a knowledge-based electricity control
method and also an extended mechanism for user-centered information retrieval based on
active information resources are developed, and the effectiveness of these implemented
systems are demonstrated.

(4) Information Content
We focus on non-traditional content other than movies, music and games, conducting
comprehensive research on a variety of interactive content which creates new value throughinteractions with humans. This year we mainly conduct research projects on chasing camera
movement in interactive 3D environment, interactive video content generated from live video
images, efficient and accurate pointing interfaces for graphical user interface on computer
monitor, and body-centric interaction techniques for wall-type large displays, and so on.

30

2010 Systems & Software Division
Software Construction

Foundations for Developing High-level and Reliable Programming Languages
Software Construction Atsushi OHORI, Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
Type Inference
In ference
Today's software systems are becoming more and more complicated
due to the need of integrating various computation resources㪪㪤㪣㩺㩷㪧㫉㫆㪾㫉㪸㫄㪪㪤㪣㩺㩷㪧㫉㫆㪾㫉㪸㫄available in the Internet. A key to control the complexity and toenhance the reliability of such a system is to develop a high-level㪫㫐㫇㪼㪄㫊㪸㪽㪼㩷㪝㪝㪠㪧㫆㫃㫐㫄㫆㫉㫇㪿㫀㪺㩷㪩㪼㪺㫆㫉㪻㫊㪫㫐㫇㪼㪄㫊㪸㪽㪼㩷㪝㪝㪠㪧㫆㫃㫐㫄㫆㫉㫇㪿㫀㪺㩷㪩㪼㪺㫆㫉㪻㫊
programming language that can directly represent various
resources and automatically detect potential inconsistencies among
the components in a system. Based on this general observation,㪦㪪㪃㩷㪚㩷㪣㫀㪹㫉㪸㫉㫀㪼㫊㪛㪸㫋㪸㪹㪸㫊㪼㫊㪦㪪㪃㩷㪚㩷㪣㫀㪹㫉㪸㫉㫀㪼㫊㪛㪸㫋㪸㪹㪸㫊㪼㫊our research aims at establishing both firm theoretical basis andimplementation method for flexible yet reliable programming
5/.CJKIJNGXGNCPFTGNKCDNGNCPIWCIG
5/.CJKIJNGXGNCPFTGNKCDNGNCPIWCIG
languages for advanced applications. Research topics on theoreticalfoundations include: logical foundations for compilation, verificationof low-level code, and type-directed compilation for polymorphic languages. We are also developing a
new practical ML-style programming language, SML#, which embodies some of our recent results suchas record polymorphism, rank1 polymorphism, and high-degree of inter-operability with existinglanguages and databases.
The major results of 2010 academic year include the following. (1) A system for optimal path querying
and a library for obtaining optimal sequences for Haskell, and an extension of our theoreticalfoundations so as to deal with approximation algorithms. (2) Development of the SML# Compiler. In
the last year, we developed the following methods and components. (i) An x86 native code generator forLinux, Windows and Mac OS X. (ii) An efficient non-moving bitmap marking GC for functional
languages. (iii) An implementation of lightweight first-class overloading based on polymorphic record
compilation. (iv) seamless and polymorphic SQL query integration with ML.
[Staff]
Professor 㧦 Atsushi OHORI, Dr.
Assistant Professor 㧦 Katsuhiro UENO, Dr.
Assistant Professor 㧦 Akimasa MORIHATA, Dr.
[Profile]
Professor Atsushi Ohori was born in 1957. He received his BA degree in Philosophy from University ofTokyo, 1981; received his MSE degree in Computer and Information Science from University ofPennsylvania, 1986; and received his Ph.D. degree in Computer and Information Science from
University of Pennsylvania, 1989. He worked for Oki Electric Industry as a programmer, a researcher
and a senior researcher from 1981 until 1993. From 1989 until 1990, he spent one year in University ofGlasgow as a postdoctoral research fellow funded by Royal Society Research Fellowship. In 1993, hejoined Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Kyoto University as an Associate Professor. In
2000, he joined Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology as a Professor. In 2005, he moved
to RIEC, Tohoku University as a Professor.
[Papers][1] K. Ueno, A. Ohori, Foreign Function Interface of SML#, Computer Software, May, 2010 (inJapanese).
[2] A. Morihata: A Short Cut to Optimal Sequences. New Generation Computing, 29(1): 31-59, 2011.
[3] A. Morihata, K. Matsuzaki: Automatic Parallelization of Recursive Functions using Quantifier
Elimination. In: FLOPS 2010: LNCS, vol. 6009, pp. 321-336, Springer, 2010.
Contact to Professor Atsushi OHORI ： ohori@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

31

2010 Systems & Software Division
Computing Information Theory

Towards a New Software Paradigm Arising from Computation and Proof

Computing Information Theory
Computing logical system

Yoshihito TOYAMA, Professor
Takahito AOTO, Associate Professor[Research Target and Activities]
We are working on the development of a new software paradigm that arises from computation andproof. For this, we focus on a rewriting formalism which offers both flexible and effective reasoning
with equations. In the rewriting formalism, proofs by equational reasoning and computations by
rewriting systems can be combined in a unified framework (see the figure above). We aim at applying
our new paradigm to the development of formal techniques for construction and verification of reliable
software. We are currently working on rewriting theories for termination, confluence, programtransformation, and program verification. Recent research activities include higher-order rewriting
systems, automated inductive theorem proving, combination of functional-logic languages andautomated theorem proving systems.

[Staff]
Professor 㧦 Yoshihito TOYAMA, Dr
Associate Professor 㧦 Takahito AOTO, Dr
Assistant Professor 㧦 Kentaro KIKUCHI, Dr[Profile]
Professor TOYAMA  Yoshihito Toyama was born in 1952. He received his B.E. from Niigata
University in 1975, and his M.E. and D.E. from Tohoku University in 1977 and 1990. He worked as a
Research Scientist at NTT Laboratories from 1977 to 1993, and as a Professor at the Japan Advanced
Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) from 1993 to 2000. Since April 2000, he has been aprofessor at the Research Institute of Electrical Communication (RIEC) of Tohoku University. His
research interests includes term rewriting systems, program theory, and automated theorem proving.
Associate Professor Takahito AOTO Takahito Aoto was born in 1969. He received his M.S. and Ph.D.
from Japan Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (JAIST). He was at JAIST from 1997 to
1998 as an associate, at Gunma University from 1998 to 2002 as an assistant professor, and at Tohoku
University from 2003 to 2004 as a lecturer. He has been in Tohoku University from 2004 as an
associate professor. His current research interests include rewriting systems, automated theorem
proving, and foundation of software.
[Papers][1] Takahito Aoto, Automated confluence proof by decreasing diagrams based on rule-labelling, In Proceedings of the 21stInternational Conference on Rewriting Techniques and Applications (RTA 2010), Edingburgh, UK, LIPIcs, Vol.6, pp.7-16, 2010.
[2] Yuki Chiba, Takahito Aoto and Yoshihito Toyama, Program transformation templates for tupling based on term rewriting, IEICE
Transactions on Information and Systems, Vol.E93-D, No.5, pp.963-973, 2010.

32

Contact to Professor Yoshihito TOYAMA ： toyama@nue.riec.tohoku.ac.jp

2010 Systems & Software Division
Communication Network

Support of Cooperation and Communication between Human and Systems

Intelligent Communication
Tetsuo KINOSHITA, Professor
Symbiotic Communication System Takuo SUGANUMA, Associate Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
It becomes an important problem to develop intelligent systems, which can cooperate with various
people as the human-friendly, easy-to-use, intelligent partners, in order to support various creative
activities of people in an active and autonomic way. We aim at studying advanced information
technologies to realize a new infrastructure of cybersociety based on cooperation and coordination ofboth people and intelligent systems over the networked environment, using the agent based computing
technologies. In this year, the following studies had been done. (a)Evolutional Agent Systems: An
autonomic monitoring mechanism of ubiquitous information environment is implemented andevaluated as a basis for realizing an evolutional behavior control mechanism of multiagent
organization. (b)Agent-based Network Management Technologies: A mechanism of using network
management heuristics based on the active information resources is designed and implemented, andthe situation-adaptive behavior of the mechanism is confirmed with respect to a network anomaly
detection task. (c)Multiagent applications: A knowledge-based electric power control method for
multiagent-based microgrid is proposed, and the effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by
the simulation experiment. Moreover, an extended mechanism of user-centered information retrieval
based on active information resources is implemented and evaluated. These results had been published as
11 papers of international and domestic journals.
[Staff]
Professor: Tetsuo KINOSHITA, Dr.
Associate Professor: Takuo SUGANUMA, Dr.
Secretary: Ami KONNO[Profile]
Tetsuo Kinoshita received the B.E. degree in electronic engineering from Ibaraki University, Japan, in
1977, and the M.E. and Dr.Eng. degrees in information engineering from Tohoku University, Japan, in
1979 and 1993, respectively. His research interests include agent engineering, knowledge engineering,knowledge-based systems and agent-based systems. He received the IPSJ Research Award, the IPSJBest Paper Award and the IEICE Achievement Award in 1989, 1997 and 2001, respectively. Dr.
Kinoshita is a member of IEEE(SM), ACM, AAAI, IEICE(Fellow), IPSJ(Fellow), and JSAI.
Takuo Suganuma recieved the B.E., M.E. and Dr. Eng. degrees in information engineering from Chiba
Institute of Technology, Japan, in 1992, 1994 and 1997, respectively. His research interests include
flexible network, agent-based computing and symbiotic computing. He received UIC-07 Outstanding
Paper Award in 2007. Dr. Suganuma is a member of IEICE, IPSJ, and IEEE.

[Papers][1] Akiko Takahashi, Tetsuo Kinoshita, "A behavioral characteristics model for a flexible distributed
system", International Journal of Pervasive Computing and Communications, Vol.6, No.2, pp.192–213,
Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2010.7.
[2] Hak-Man Kim, Tetsuo Kinoshita, Yujin Lim, Tai-Hoon Kim, "A Bankruptcy Problem Approach to
Load-shedding in Multiagent-based Microgrid Operation", Sensors Vol.10, No.10, pp.8888-8898, MDPI
Publishing, 2010.9.
[3] Hak-Man Kim, Tetsuo Kinoshita, Myong-Chul Kim, "A Multiagent System for Autonomous Operation ofIslanded Microgrids Based on a Power Market Environment", Energies, vol.3, pp.1972-1990, 2010.12.

Contact to Professor Tetsuo KINOSHITA ： kino@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

33

2010 Systems & Software Division
Information Content

Technologies for Interactive Content
Interactive Content Design
Yoshifumi KITAMURA,
Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
Good media content has the power to enrich ourlives. The effectiveness of content delivery is
becoming more and more important in a wide
variety of fields, such as industry, education,
culture, entertainment, and so on. Expectationsof its use in the general public are also
increasing. We focus on non-traditional content
other than movies, music and games, conducting
comprehensive research on a variety ofinteractive content which creates new value
through interactions with humans. This year we
Fig. 1: Interactive stereoscopic display for
mainly conduct research projects on camera
multiple users
movement in interactive 3D environment,
efficient and accurate interfaces for GUI andwall-type large display, and so on.
[Staff]
Professor: Yoshifumi KITAMURA, Dr.
[Profile]
Yoshifumi KITAMURA received B.Sc., M.Sc. and
PhD. degrees in Engineering from Osaka
University in 1985, 1987 and 1996, respectively.
From 1987 to 1992, he was at the Information
Systems Research Center of Canon Inc. From
Fig. 2: Interactive video content
1992 to 1996, he was a researcher at the ATR
Communication Systems Research Laboratories.
From 1997 to 2002, he was an Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Engineering and
Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Osaka University. Since April 2010, he has
been a Professor at the Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University. He is afellow of the Virtual Reality Society of Japan.

[Papers][1] Maya Ozaki, Like Gobeawan, Shinya Kitaoka, Hirofumi Hamazaki, Yoshifumi Kitamura, Robert W.
Lindeman: Camera Movement for Chasing a Subject with Unknown Behavior based on Real-time
Viewpoint Goodness Evaluation, Visual Computer Vol. 26, No. 6-8, pp. 629-638, Jun. 2010.
[2] Kazuyuki Fujita, Kazuki Takashima, Takayuki Tsukitani, Yuichi Itoh, Yoshifumi Kitamura, Fumio
Kishino: Anchored Navigation: Coupling Panning Operation with Zooming and Tilting Based on the
Anchor Point on a Map, Proceedings of the Graphics Interface, pp. 233-240, May. 2010[3] Garth Shoemaker, Takayuki Tsukitani, Yoshifumi Kitamura and Kellogg S. Booth: Body-centricInteraction Technique for Very Large Wall Displays, Proceedings of Nordic Conference on
Human-Computer Interaction (NordCHI), pp. 463-472, Oct. 2010.

34

Contact to Professor Yoshifumi KITAMURA ： kitamura@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

2010 Systems & Software Division
Information Social StructureInterdisciplinary Study on Adaptive Bipedal Walking[Research Target and Activities]
Life is an intrinsic part of nature. To be both pliant and sturdy in a complex environment requires anautonomy that is capable of creating the information needed to control the self. To “live,” a life system
must on its own form a harmonious relationship with an unpredictably changing environment. It
requires that it be capable of creating the information necessary for its own self-control. It is thisautonomy that clearly distinguishes the world of life systems from the physical world, that indicatesthe necessary for the interdisciplinary studies on the world of life systems.
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Fig.1 Bipedal Walking Model

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Fi.2 Simulation;20kg weight is added during a walk.

Bipedal locomotion is a movement of the body carried out by cyclical and dynamical interactions of
the legs with the ground. During the bipedal locomotion in the real world, the body will receive
unpredictable forces depending on various actors. To adapt unpredictable changes of the environment,
the muscle tone should be appropriately set before the movement depending on an aim supposed by thesystem-itself, and should be controlled during the movement depending on conditions of theenvironment. We constructed the model of bipedal walking system shown in Fig. 1. Simulation results
indicated that flexible and robust bipedal locomotion can emerge from appropriate control of themuscle-tone depending on the ground reaction force (Fig. 2). Furthermore, it was found that the
proposed model is useful for theoretically analyzing various kinds of motor ataxia.

[Staff]Visiting Professor: Masafumi YANO, Dr.
[Profile of Professor Yano]
1992-: Professor, Research Institute of Electrical Communication (RIEC), Tohoku University.
2007-: Director, Research Institute of Electrical Communication (RIEC), Tohoku University.
2010 : Professor Emeritus of Tohoku University and also Research Professor of RIEC
[Papers][1][2]

Y. Makino and M. Yano, “Investigating the Underlying Intelligence Mechanisms of the BiologicalOlfactory System,” Advances in Artificial Intelligence, Vol. 2010, Article ID 478107, 2010.
Y. Yoshihara, Y. Makino, N. Tomita, M. Yano, “Can Real-time Optimization of Joint Mobility Generate
Globally Optimal Arm Motion?,” Keisoku Jidou Seigyo Gakkai, Vol. 45, pp. 570-579, 2009.

Contact to Masafumi YANO ： masafumi@riec.tohoku.ac.jp35

2010 Systems & Software Division
Information Social Structure

Disater-oriented Strong Green ICT for Humans’ Life and Nature[Research Target and Activities]“Symbiosis” Society
In 21st century, we are facing with ”global
Acceptance of Diversity
environmental changes” including global warmingand ” social structural changes” such as aging of Independence Support
Recovery䋼Politics䋾
the population. For absorbing and sublating theseGreen Environment
Regeneration
changes, we proposed a new computation
Reciprocity
Energy-Saving
paradigm, the concept of “Symbiotic computing”,
Science 䊶Technology– Harmonization䋯Symbiosis–
in 1992. This idea places on values on harmony Healthcare
Supervision
Regional and Social
between “Agents” (e.g. human, computer, internet,
MutualConflicts
Assistancerobot, nature, country, culture and etc.). From theengineering point of view, we have been pursuingresearches on the “Symbiotic computing” which
Acceleration of
Demographic Agingare its model, design and applications (Fig.1).
DisasterandDestruction of
In 2010, we have conducted a cooperative
Global Environment
Loss of Social Model
project called the “Kurihara Green ICT project”
Market Mechanism
Socialismbased on the idea of “Symbiotic computing,.
Fig.1: Model of Symbiotic Information Society
towards
RecoveryandRegeneration<Kurihara Green ICT Project>: This project, led
by Professor Norio Shiratori, aims to create a “Symbiosis
between our daily life and nature via information communication technology (ICT).” It is conductedwith a budget of 250 million yen for the fiscal year 2010, funded by The Ministry of Internal Affairs
and Communications, Japan.
Our project goal is to obtain the technical specification of necessary communication protocol in orderto realize network integrated control system. It aims at improving administrative services andreducing environmental burden in the wide-area distributed community. Also, we are consideringinternational standardization of our proposed protocols. Two themes have been discussed, which will
be achieved by the symbiosis between natural environment and human through an integration ofwide-area distributed community. Details of the experimental results are summarized in the research
paper[1] mentioned below.
[Staff]
Professor: Norio SHIRATORI, Dr.
Research Member: Hideyuki TAKAHASHI, Dr.
Visiting Associate Professor: Debasish CHAKRABORTY, Dr. Secretary: Kaori MORIYA[Profile]
Prof. Shiratori was born in 1946 in Miyagi Prefecture. He received his doctoral degree from Tohoku
University in 1977. He is currently a Research and Emeritus Professor at RIEC. Before moving to
RIEC in 1993, he was the Professor of Information Engineering at Tohoku University from 1990 to
1993. Prior to that, he served as an Associate Professor and Research Associate at RIEC. He received
IEEE Fellow in 1998, IPSJ Fellow in 2000 and IEICE Fellow in 2002. He is the recipient of many
awards including, IPSJ Memorial Prize Wining Paper Award in 1985, IPSJ Best Paper Award in 1996,
IPSJ Contribution Award in 2007, IEICE Achievement Award in 2001, IEICE Best Paper Award, IEEEICOIN-11 Best Paper Award in 1997, IEEE ICOIN-12 Best Paper Award in 1998, IEEE ICPADS Best
Paper Award in 2000, IEEE 5-th WMSCI Best Paper Award in 2001, UIC-07 Outstanding Paper Awardin 2007, Telecommunication Advancement Foundation Incorporation Award in 1991, Tohoku Bureau of
Telecommunications Award in 2002, The Commendation for Science and Technology by the MEXT, in2009, etc. He was the vice president of IPSJ in 2002, IFIP representative from Japan in 2002, anassociate member of Science Council of Japan in 2007, and president of IPSJ in 2009. He is working on
methodology and technology for symbiosis of human and IT environment.
[Papers][1] Norio Shiratori, Kazuo Hashimoto, Debasish Chakraborty, Hideyuki Takahashi, Takuo Suganuma, Naoki Nakamura,and Atushi Takeda, "Kurihara Green ICT Project -- Towards Symbiosis between Human's Lifeand Nature,"Journal ofInternet Technology(JIT), Vol. 12, No. 1, pp.1-11, 2011.
[2] Hideyuki Takahashi, Kazuhiro Yamanaka, Satoru Izumi, Yoshikazu Tokairin, Takuo Suganuma, Norio Shiratori,“Gentle supervisory system based on integration of environmental information and social knowledge,” International
Journal of Pervasive Computing and Communications, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 229 - 247, 2010.
[3] Naoki Nakamura, Kazuhide Koide, Takafumi Mayuyama, Debasish Chakraborty, Glenn Mansfield Keeni, Takuo
Suganuma, Norio Shiratori, “An Effective Network Mobility Monitoring Technique with Standardized
Protocols, ”International Journal of Informatics Society, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 32-41. Apr. 2010.

36

Contact to Norio SHIRATORI ： norio@shiratori.riec.tohoku.ac.jp

2010 Environmental-Adaptive Information and Communication

3-5. Environmental-Adaptive Information and Communication
Engineering: goals and achievements in 2010

To
embodyahumanity-rich-communicationbyinnovating
information-and-communication technology (ICT) in the sustainable global
society, we have to create human-friendly low-environmental-impact ICT
devices and systems by using electronic materials and device-technology inthe research fields of Nanotechnology, Spintronics and Information
technology. Our aim is that the embodiment of low-environmental-impact
information devices and electronic equipments based on fundamental theoryof spin and electron; these are designed by systematic survey of therapidly-changing industry needs and R&D trends. We report the summaryof our activities in 2010.
Research
We have focused on the development of stabilizing technology for thermallyunstable triangle silver nanoparticles for the device application.

Wesucceeded in maintaining the particle shape for 90 minutes even in 0.9wt%
NaCl solution.

By applying this technology, an environmental-adaptive

device recording a history of environmental change as color have beendeveloped; that records the changes in plasmonic absorption wavelength ofparticles, which is due to exposure to environmental radiation andchemicals.
Open-innovation
The first technical meeting between RIEC and Fuji electric group was held
at 14 Oct. The number of participant was 35.

The presentations by RIEC

professors were concerning with magnetic materials for sensing devices,
optoelectronic device applications of graphene and plasmonic crystalline fora nano-antenna structure.

Those by researchers from Fuji electric groupwere introduction of Fuji electric R&D, sensing and MEMS technology andR&D of graphene in Fuji electric.

These meetings will clarify thedifferences between R&D processes in University and company.

This helps

us promote the discovery of seeds in University for industrial applications.

37

2010 Environmental-Adaptive Information and Communication
Environmental-Adaptive Information and Communication Engineering

Does it contain Wisdom?
Environmental-Adaptive Information and Communication Engineering Eiki ADACHI, Professor

[Research Target and Activities]
To embody a humanity-rich-communication by innovating information-and-communication technology(ICT) in the sustainable global society, we have to create human-friendly low-environmental-impact
ICT devices and systems by using electronic materials and device-technology in the research fields ofNanotechnology, Spintronics and Information technology. Our aim is that the embodiment of
low-environmental-impact information devices and electronic equipments based on fundamental
theory of spin and electron; these are designed by systematic survey of the rapidly-changing industry
needs and R&D trends.
1. Research
We have focused on the development of stabilizing technology forthermally unstable triangle silver nanoparticles forthedeviceapplication.

Wesucceededinmaintaining the particle shape for 90 minutes evenin 0.9wt% NaCl solution.
technology,an

By applying thisenvironmental-adaptive

devicerecording a history of environmental change as color

Color stability shown on
CIE

color

chart.

Its

lifetime is almost 90 min
that is 10 times longer
than the ordinary one.

have been developed; thatrecords the changes in plasmonic absorption wavelength of particles, which is due to exposure toenvironmental radiation and chemicals.
2. Open innovation
The first technical meeting between RIEC and Fuji electric group was held at 14 Oct. The number ofparticipant was 35. The presentations by RIEC professors were concerning with magnetic materials
for sensing devices, optoelectronic device applications of graphene and plasmonic crystalline for anano-antenna structure. Those by researchers from Fuji electric group were introduction of Fuji
electric R&D, sensing and MEMS technology and R&D of graphene in Fuji electric. These meetings
will clarify the differences between R&D processes in University and company. This helps us promote
the discovery of seeds in University for industrial applications.

[Staff]
Professor: Eiki ADACHI, PhD.
[Profile]
Eiki ADACHI, Education: B.S. in Physics (Saitama University, May 1989), M.S. in Physics (Tokyo
Institute of Technology, May 1991), Ph.D. (Tokyo University, May 1996). History of employment:
ERATO project, National institute of physiological sciences, L’ORÉAL Tsukuba center, Fuji electricadvanced technology Co., Ltd., Fuji electric holdings Co., Ltd., Professor, Research Institute ofElectrical Communication (Tohoku University, May 2010~).
Research field: Synthesis ofnanomaterials and its application for communication technology.
[Papers]
38

Contact to Professor Eiki ADACHI ： adachi@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

2010 Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics
Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics
The Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics of the Research Institute ofElectrical Communication was established on April of 2004. Its purpose is todevelop and establish the science and technology of nanoelectronics andspintronics for information technology. Utilizing the facilities installed in the
Nanoelectronics-and-Spintronics building and under collaboration between the
RIEC and electro-related laboratories of the Graduate Schools of Engineering,
Information Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, R&D of
nanotechnologies of materials and devices in Nanoelectronics and Spintronics will
be continued extensively. Furthermore, nation-wide and world-wide collaboration
research projects will be conducted to build a systematic database in the electricalcommunication research area.
The Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics mainly consists of researchgroups which promote following sections: Atomically Controlled Processing,
Semiconductor Spintronics and Nano-Molecular Devices; together with the groups
of Intelligent Nano-Integration System, Quantum-Optical Information Technology,
and Ultra-Broadband Signal Processing. These groups cooperatively carry out the
research aimed at establishing a world-wide COE in the research area of
nanoelectronics and spintronics.

39

2010 Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics

㩷 Highlights of Research Activities in 2010
Atomically Controlled Processing and Nano Integration
٨Atomically Controlled Processing (J. Murota and M. Sakuraba)
In order to create atomically controlled processing for nanometer-order artificial
heterostructures of group IV semiconductors, following experimental results have beenobtained: (1) In P atomic layer doping, P segregation at a Si cap surface becomes moresignificant in the case with tensile strain in Si than that without strain. Solid solubility of
P at the heterointerface becomes smaller with tensile strain. (2) Deposition rate of
Si0.55Ge0.45 on Si(100) is reduced by tensile strain in Si(100) and increased by compressive
strain in Si(100). Moreover, electrical activity of B atoms in Si with tensile strain is
reduced. (3) By using Si2H6 in Si epitaxial growth on nanometer-order Si0.42Ge0.58 film,roughness generation and mixing at the heterointerface are suppressed. Additionally byapplying the growth condition to resonant tunneling diode, room-temperature negative
differential conductance was clearly demonstrated.

٨Intelligent Nano-Integration System (K.Nakajima and S.Sato) (1) We have analyzed behavior of a connected neural system by using a new concept
virtual particle dynamics, and we have designed and measured a hardware neuro-system
based on this concept. Furthermore, we have proposed a stochastic logic neuron for an
inverse function delayed model with high-order synapse connections, and we havediscussed the possibilities of it. (2) We measured switching current distributions ofstacked Nb/AlOx/Nb Josephson junctions, and studied the experimental technique for
evaluating coupling strength between Josephson junctions from switching current
distributions. It has been confirmed that large difference is found between samples withand without capacitive couplings, and the crossover temperature region between
quantum and classical regions becomes large in comparison with a conventional theory.
(3) We designed an 8-bit parallel multiplier for the large scale superconducting digital
signal processor. The operation of the designed multiplier up to 40GHz was confirmed by
the numerical simulation. The estimated power dissipation was 6.33mW. A neuralnetwork using superconducting quantum interference devices for solving N-Queens
problem was designed and numerically demonstrated.


Semiconductor Spintronics and Information Technology
٨Semiconductor Spintronics and Nano-Spin Memory(H. Ohno, Y. Ohno, F. Matsukura, and S. Ikeda)

40

2010 Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics
Our research activities focus on the establishment of fundamental technologies for
future spintronics devices. The outcomes in the last fiscal year are following. (1)Fabrication of magnetic nano-dot ensemble from a (Ga,Mn)As thin layer by theapplication of electric field. (2) Establishment of the relationship between the magnitudeof nuclear quadrupole interaction and spin phase relaxation time in nonmagnetic
semiconductor quantum structures. (3) Discovery of CoFeB/MgO interfacial magnetic
anisotropy and its control by the application of electric-fields. (4) Fabrication of
CoFeB/MgO based perpendicular anisotropy MTJs (p-MTJs) with TMR ratio over 120%,high thermal stability at dimensions as low as 40 nmI, and low Ic0 < 50 ǍA, after
annealing at 350°C. (5) Achievement of a TMR ratio of 100% in p-MTJs consisting of MgObarrier and CoFe/Pd multilayer electrodes with CoFeB insertions after annealing at
350°C.
Research activities in "Research and development of ultra-low power spintronics-based
VLSIs" under "Funding Program for World-Leading Innovative R&D on Science andTechnology (FIRST Program)," initiated by CSTP. (1) L10-ordered MnAl films showedperpendicular anisotropy with a very large anisotropy constant of ~1×107 erg/cc. (2) Verylarge TMR ratio of 350% at RT and 947% at 2 K was observed in MTJs with
Co2MnSi/MgO interface and 0.8 nm-thick CoFe insertion. (3) Operation of 2T-2MTJ
bit-serial TCAM cell and a 1T-1MTJ binary CAM (BCAM) cell fabricated by a 0.14 Pm
and 90 nm CMOS/MTJ process and a 90-nm CMOS/MTJ process was verified. (4) Using
prototype reconfigurable spin processor, the data writing operation from the working
memory (SRAM) to the configuration memory (SPRAM) with the reconfigurable spin logic
block was demonstrated.

٨Ultra-Broadband Signal Processing (T.Otsuji and T.Suemitsu) 
The goal of our research is to explore the terahertz frequency range by means of novel
electron devices and systems. Graphene has massless carriers and their peculiar
characteristics are expected to be useful as a candidate to realize such systems. Using an
epitaxial graphene formed on silicon substrates provided by Prof. Suemitsu’s group, we
have fabricated graphene-channel FET’s to integrate a complimentary logic inverter gate
and confirmed its normal operation at room temperature. We have also succeeded inobservation of stimulated emission of terahertz radiation from optically pumped
graphene, which proved our theoretical discovery of the possibility of the negative
dynamic conductivity and population inversion in optically pumped graphene.

٨Quantum-Optical Information Technology (K.Edamatsu and H.Kosaka) 
1 䋮 Investigation of optical nonlinearities at a single-photon level is essential inrealizing quantum info-communication technology. We have succeeded in measuring theoptical Kerr nonlinearity at the single-photon level in photonic crystal fibers and Si wire41

2010 Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics
waveguides.
2䋮We are developing a quantum media converter from a photon to an electron spin torealize a quantum repeater, which is expected to extend the transmission distance ofquantum info-communication. We have demonstrated polarization transfer from a photon
to an electron spin and manipulation of an electron spin in a gate-defined quantum dot.
We have also theoretically shown that we can read out two-spin coherence and performthe complete Bell state measurement of two electrons in a g-factor engineered double
quantum dot.

Nano-Molecular Devices
٨Nano-Molecular Devices (M. Niwano and Y.Kimura) ԘFabrication of a P3HT organic transistor using ionic liquid and its characterization
We fabricated a P3HT organic transistor using ionic liquid and demonstrated that it
drived high output current at low voltage. Infrared spectra of the P3HT layer were in-situ
observed during operation. The infrared spectra of the P3HT indicated that the P3HT
organic transistor using ionic liquid was dominantly controlled by the electrochemical
doping to the P3HT active layer.
ԙDirect formation of titanium oxide nanotube film on a substrate by anodization
The metallic titanium film was deposited on a glass substrate by the DC magnetron
method. The titanium oxide nanotube film was directly formed on a glass substrate byanodizing the metallic titanium film in an ammonium fluoride based organic electrolyte.
The diameter of the titanium oxide nanotubes was controlled by the applied anodic
potential.
ԚReconstitution of free-standing bilayer lipid membranes in Si substrates
Free-standing bilayer lipid membranes (BLMs) were reconstituted in micro aperturesfabricated in Si substrates. The mechanical and electrical stability of the BLMs was
remarkably improved compared with BLMs prepared by a conventional method.
Background current noise was reduced by coating the Si substrate with insulating layers.
ԛ Reconstitution of free-standing bilayer lipid membranes in nanoporous anodic
alumina films
Free-standing BLMs were formed in nanoporous anodic alumina films. The use of
porous anodic alumina reduced individual membrane size to improve the BLM stability
compared with conventional BLMs. On the other hand, total BLM area is still large tofacilitate protein incorporation. This approach is useful for designing highly sensitive
biosensors.

42

2010 Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics
Atomically Controlled Processing

Creation of Atomically Controlled Processing of Group IV Semiconductor andApplication to Nano Heterodevices
Atomically Controlled Processing
Group IV Quantum Heterointegration

Junichi MUROTA, Professor
Masao SAKURABA, Associate Professor[Research Target and Activities]
Development of atomically controlled processing technology in deposition and etching is quite
important to fabricate future higher-performance ultralarge-scale integrated circuits (ULSIs) as wellas quantum devices for new functions and to create new materials with novel properties which are
different from that of conventional bulk materials. To overcome the limits of Si material properties anddevice miniaturization and to achieve on-chip integration of ultimate charge control into Si ULSIs, thislaboratory aims to establish atomically controlled processing for nanometer-order artificial
heterostructures of group IV semiconductors with atomically controlled surface and interfaces andnanometer-order three-dimensional patterning with molecular control to fabricate nanometer-orderheterostructure devices. (Fig. 1)
In this year, following experimental results have been obtained: (1) In P atomic layer doping,P segregation at a Si cap surface becomes more significant in the case with tensile strain in Si thanthat without strain. Solid solubility of P at the heterointerface becomes smaller with tensile strain. (2)Deposition rate of Si0.55Ge0.45 on Si(100) is reduced by tensile strain in Si(100) and increased bycompressive strain in Si(100). Moreover, electrical activity of B atoms in Si with tensile strain is
reduced. (3) By using Si2H6 in Si epitaxial growth on nanometer-order Si0.42Ge0.58 film, roughness
generation and mixing at the heterointerface
are suppressed. Additionally by applying the
growth condition to resonant tunneling diode,room-temperaturenegativedifferential
conductance was clearly demonstrated.
[Staff]
Professor: MUROTA, Junichi Ph.D.
Associate Prof.
: SAKURABA, Masao Ph.D.
Research Fellow : CHIBA Yohei Ph.D.

Fig. 1. 10 nm-scale quantum nanodevices withstrain controlled nano-scale patterned
heterostructure of group IV semiconductors.

[Profile]
Junichi MUROTA received the B.E., M.E. and Ph.D degrees in electronic engineering from Hokkaido
University in 1970, 1972 and 1985, respectively. He joined the Electrical Communication Laboratory,
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation in 1972. In 1985 and 1995 he became an
Associate Professor and a Professor, respectively, in the RIEC, Tohoku University. He was awarded the
3rd Yamazaki-Teiichi Prize (2003), the JSAP Fellow (2009) and the Commendation for Science andTechnology by the MEXT (2010).
Masao SAKURABA received the B.E. degree in electrical engineering in 1990 and M.E. and Ph.D
degrees in electrical and communication engineering in 1992 and 1995, respectively from Tohoku
University. In 2002 he became an Associate Professor in the RIEC. He was awarded Young ResearcherAward of Int. Conf. SSDM (1992) and 12th Research Encouragement Award of Tokin Foundation for
Advancement of Science and Technology (2001).

[Papers][1] K. Takahashi, M. Sakuraba and J. Murota, “Fabrication of High-Ge-Fraction Strained Si1-xGex/Si HoleResonant Tunneling Diode Using Low-Temperature Si2H6 Reaction for Nanometer-Order Ultrathin Si
Barriers”, Solid-State Electron., Vol.60, pp.112-115, (2011).
[2] J. Murota, M. Sakuraba and B. Tillack, “Atomically Controlled Processing in Strained Si-Based CVD
Epitaxial Growth” (Invited Paper), 10th IEEE Int. Conf. on Solid-State and Integrated Circuit
Technology (ICSICT-2010), Shanghai, China, Nov. 1-4, 2010, Proc.No.I12_05.
[3] M. Sakuraba and J. Murota, “Atomically Controlled Plasma Processing for Epitaxial Growth of GroupIV Semiconductors” (Invited Paper), 10th IEEE Int. Conf. on Solid-State and Integrated Circuit
Technology (ICSICT-2010), Shanghai, China, Nov. 1-4, 2010, Proc.No.I12_07.

Contact to Junichi MUROTA ： murota@riec.tohoku.ac.jp43

2010 Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics
Semiconductor Spintronics

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology for Spintronics and THz Lasers[Research Target and Activities]
We are working on the nanoscience and
Semiconductor Spintronics
nanotechnology to control the quantum statesin semiconductors, especially the spin-states
Quantumand optical transitions in the mid-infrared toSpin memorycomputingTHz.
Ultrafast
Electrical controlled
Spin
Materials of interest include GaAs/AlAs,
opticalcoherencemagnetism
InAs/(Al,Ga)Sb, GaN, and ZnO, with andswitching
without doping of magnetic elements, allSpin
THz lasers
grown by molecular beam epitaxy. We are
ChargeSpinrelaxation
investigating electrical, optical, magnetic
Spin
Quantum structures Intersubband
properties of these materials and theirtransition
injection
application to new functional devices, such as
memories and logic devices using spin states
Nanoscience / Nanotechnology
as well as quantum cascade lasers (QCL) with
THz emission.
The outcomes in the last fiscal year are (1)Discovery of CoFeB/MgO interfacial magnetic anisotropy and its control by the application ofelectric-fields. (2) Fabrication of magnetic nano-dot ensemble from a (Ga,Mn)As thin layer by theapplication of electric field. (3) Establishment of the relationship between the magnitude of nuclear
quadrupole interaction and spin phase relaxation time in nonmagnetic semiconductor quantum
structures.
[Staff]
Hideo Ohno, Professor
Yuzo Ohno, Associate Professor
Fumihiro Matsukura, Associate Professor
Keita Ohtani, Assistant Professor[Profile of Professor Hideo Ohno]
Hideo Ohno received Ph. D. degree from the University of Tokyo in 1982. He was with the Faculty ofEngineering, Hokkaido University as a Lecturer (1982) and then as an Associate Professor (1983). He
moved to Tohoku University in 1994 as a Professor. He received the IBM Japan Science Prize (1998),
the IUPAP Magnetism Prize (2003), the Japan Academy Prize (2005), and the 2005 Agilent
Technologies Europhysics Prize. He is Institute of Physics (IOP) Fellow (2004), Honorable Professor at
Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and JSAP fellow (2007), Distinguished
Professor at Tohoku University (2008), and IEEE Magnetic Society Distinguished Lecturer for 2009.
He is a member of JSAP, JPS, JACG, IEICE, APS, IOP, IEEE, and AVS.
[Papers][1] M. Endo, S. Kanai, S. Ikeda, F. Matsukura, and H. Ohno, "Electric-field effects on thickness dependent magnetic
anisotropy of sputtered MgO/Co40Fe40B20/Ta structures," Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 96, 212503 (3 pages), May 2010.
[2] D. Chiba, F. Matsukura, and H. Ohno, "Electrically Defined Ferromagnetic Nanodots," Nano Letters, Vol. 10,4505-4508, November 2010.
[3] H. Ohno, "A window on the future of spintronics," Nature Materials, Vol. 9, pp. 952-954, November 2010.

44

Contact to Professor Hideo OHNO ： ohno@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

2010 Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics
Nano-Molecular Devices

Control of surface and interface of molecular informational devices anddevelopment of novel nano-molecular devices

Nano-Molecular Devices: Michio NIWANO, Professor
Nano-Electron Devices: Yasuo KIMURA, Associate Professor[Research Target and Activities]
Our research aims at application of semiconductor
micro/nano-fabrication to semiconductor devices or many kindsof biosensors. We have investigated development of 1) a
biomolecular sensing system using Si fabrication technologies
and 2) a nanofabrication method using electrochemical processes
such as anodization of valve metals.
1) Application of Titanium nanotubes to counter electrode fordye-sensitized solar cells (DSC)
We have fabricated a porous titanium composite counterelectrode for a DSC. The counter electrode increased the fill
factor and short-circuit current, resulted in improvement of theperformance of the DSC.
2) Characterization of Organic Field Effect Transistor (OFET)
We have investigated the influence of carrier injection on thecharacteristics of an OFET using a rubrene single crystal.
3) In situ monitoring of ATP synthesis in mitochondria by surface
infrared spectroscopy
A real-time and label free method for monitoring of ATP
synthesis and hydrolysis in mitochondria has been developed.

[Staff]
Professor: Michio NIWANO, Dr.
Associate Professor: Yasuo KIMURA, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Yuki AONUMA, Dr.

Experimental system for in situ
monitoring of cell activity by surface
infrared spectroscopy

Nanodots formation by anodizationand its application to a transistor[Profile]
Michio NIWANO 1998 – present RIEC, Tohoku University, Japan, Professor, Doctorate of Science
Memberships:
The Electrochemical Society (ECS), The Material Research Society (MRS),
American Vacuum Society (AVS), The Japan Society of Applied Physics (JSAP)
Yasuo KIMURA 2010 – present RIEC, Tohoku University, Japan, Associate Professor, Ph. D. Eng.
Memberships:
The Electrochemical Society (ECS), The Japan Society of Applied Physics (JSAP),The Surface Science Society of Japan[Papers]
[1]
[2]
[3]

M. M. Rahman, R. Kojima, M. El Fassy Fihry, Y. Kimura and M. Niwano. “Formation of Porous
Titanium Film and Its Application to Counter Electrode for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell.” JapaneseApplied Physics Letter, Vol. 49, No. 12, (2010) 122302.
Y. Kimura, T. Oba, T. Shimakura and M. Niwano. “Influence of Carrier Injection on Characteristics ofan Organic Field Effect Transfer.” Journal of the Surface Science Society of Japan, Vol. 32, No. 1 (2011)
pp. 21-26.
R. Yamaguchi, A.Hirano-Iwata, Y. Aonuma, Y. Yoshimura, Y. Kimura, Y. Shinohara and M. Niwano.
“Real-time monitoring of mitochondrial adenosine 5'-triphosphate synthesis and hydrolysis by surface
infrared spectroscopy.” Applied Physics Letter, Vol. 98, No. 13 (2011) 133703.

Contact to Professor Michio NIWANO ： niwano@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

45

2010 Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics
Nano-Spin Memory

Research of spin based device and memory

Nano-Spin Memory Shoji IKEDA, Associate Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
We are developing technologies to realize
advanced spin memory and logic devices using
magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). In our group,
the following results were obtained.
1) We found that perpendicular magnetic
anisotropy
resultingfrominterfacial
anisotropy between CoFeB and MgO is large
enoughtoenablehigh-performance
perpendicular anisotropy MTJs (p-MTJs) at
reduced dimensions. The p-MTJs annealed at
Schematic of perpendicular anisotropy CoFeB/MgO-basedmagnetic tunnel junction (MTJ).
350°C show a tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR)
ratio > 120%, good thermal stability atdimensions as low as 40 nmI and low Ic0 < 50 ǍA, all at the same time. This approach promises tobecome an essential building block for future spintronics-based nonvolatile VLSIs.
2) By reducing the Pd layer thickness, we achieved a TMR ratio of 100% in the p-MTJs after 350°C
annealing. The resulting solid solubility of B in the layer adjacent to CoFeB is the key factor for thehigh annealing stability.
[Staff]
Associate Professor : Shoji IKEDA, Ph.D.
Research Fellow : Katsuya MIURA, Ph.D.
Research Fellow : Hiroki YAMAMOTO[Profile]
Shoji IKEDA received the B.S., M.S., and Ph. D degrees from Muroran Institute of Technology,
Muroran, Japan, in 1991, 1993 and 1996, respectively. He was a Research Associate with the
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the Muroran Institute of Technology from1996 to 1999. He was with Fujitsu Limited, Atsugi/Nagano, Japan, from 1999 to 2003. He joined
Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan, in 2003, where he is currently an Associate Professor. His current
research interests include magnetic metal devices with nanostructures and their application. He
received the Magnetics Society of Japan Distinguished Paper Award in 2003 and the APEX/JJAPPaper Award in 2009.
[Papers][1] K. Mizunuma, S. Ikeda, H. Yamamoto, H. D. Gan, K. Miura, H. Hasegawa, J. Hayakawa, K. Ito, F.
Matsukura, H. Ohno, “CoFeB Inserted Perpendicular Magnetic Tunnel Junctions with CoFe/Pd
Multilayers for High Tunnel Magnetoresistance Ratio,” Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol.49,
No. 4, 04DM04 (4 pages), April 2010.
[2] S. Ikeda, K. Miura, H. Yamamoto, K. Mizunuma, H. D. Gan, M. Endo, S. Kanai, J. Hayakawa, F.
Matsukura and H. Ohno, “A perpendicular-anisotropy CoFeB–MgO magnetic tunnel junction ,” Nature
Materials, Vol. 9 No.9 pp.721-724, September 2010
[3] K. Mizunuma, M. Yamanouchi, S. Ikeda, H. Sato, H. Yamamoto, H. D. Gan, K. Miura, J. Hayakawa, F.
Matsukura, and H. Ohno, “Pd Layer Thickness Dependence of Tunnel Magnetoresistance Properties in
CoFeB/MgO-Based Magnetic Tunnel Junctions with Perpendicular Anisotropy CoFe/Pd Multilayers,”
Applied Physics Express, Vol. 4, No. 2, 023002 (3pages), February 2011.

46

Contact to Associate Professor Shoji IKEDA ： sikeda@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

2010 Laboratory for Brainware Systems
Laboratory for Brainware Systems

Research Targets and Activities of Laboratory for Brainware Systems

䎃
The Laboratory for Brainware Systems of the Research Institute of Electrical Communication was established in 2004. Its
purpose is to contribute to the research and development of advanced information science and technology for Brainware
systems which realize a seamless fusion of the changeable and complex real world and the cyber space.
We aim at establishing scientific and technological foundations for Real-World Computing (section), New Paradigm VLSI
System (section), Intelligent Nano-Integration System (section), Microarchitecture (section), Cyber Robotics (planned section),and Next-Generation Human Interface (planned section). The Laboratory for Brainware Systems consists of the above six
sections which cooperatively carry out the research. At the same time they serve as a laboratory for nation-wide cooperative
research in the field of Brainware systems.
The technology developed in the Laboratory is expected to enhance the research carried out in the four Divisions of theInstitute, and the research conducted in the Divisions, in turn, is expected to provide scientific basis for the information
technology developed in the Laboratory.

[Research Target]
Real-World Computing Section: Our main aim is to understand highly harmonic and autonomous
biological-information systems, and to propose principles for designing new systems. For carrying out
any purpose or any function, the biological system must solve inverse problems in the real-world. Since
the inverse problem is an ill-posed one, the system has to create an appropriate constraint for solving
the ill-posedness by itself, and autonomously satisfies the created constraint in real time. Clarifying
logic and basic mechanisms of “Constraint Self-Emergence and Self-Satisfaction”, we create artificial
systems for pattern recognitions and motion controls that work well in the real-world.
New Paradigm VLSI System Section Section: Performance degradation of SoCs due to wiring
complexity, power dissipation and characteristic variation of materials/devices is increasingly getting aserious problem in recent era. Our research activity is to solve the above problem by the following
two ways: the use of logic-in-memory architecture based on nonvolatile logic, and the use of
asynchronous data-transfer scheme based on multiple-valued current-mode logic, which would open
up a novel VLSI chip paradigm, called a “new-paradigm VLSI system.”Intelligent Nano-Integration System Section: Our research activities cover the fields of architecturesof Brain computing systems, characterization and application of artificial neural networks, computer
aided designs and fabrications of intelligent integrated circuits, and exploitation of new devices forneural circuits. At present research is focused on the large scale integration of Brain computing systemand exploitations of new neural devices proposing a neuromorphic quantum computation.
47

2010 Laboratory for Brainware Systems
Microarchitecture Section: The research activities in microarchitecture lab. include architecture andcircuit design of mixed-signal SoC applicable to sensor network system to explore brain activity
research along with mixed-signal topdown design methodology.

[Research Activities]
Real-World Computing Section (Yano Laboratory): We obtained the following two main results. In
natural scenes, objects are often partially occluded. Nonetheless, our visual system can readily
complete an object shape from available information and perceive it as a whole, a process known as
amodal completion. Although implementation of this completion process is an important issue, visualcomputation for completion, based on both the local continuity of contours and on global regularities,
such as symmetry, has received little attention. We showed a novel neurocomputational model basedon recent physiological findings, in particular those in visual area V4. The model enables amodal
completion through the evaluation of a global constellation of features describing a shape’s contours.
Complex behavior of animal is organized by complex neuronal networks in the brain. Recent
theoretical studies suggest that such networks can exhibit many dynamical states, and have acapability to switch from one state to another. Increase in fluctuations of available measures in many
complex systems serve as symptoms for such state transitions. We analyzed the firing variability of theprefrontal neurons of monkeys, and revealed that it was enhanced right before the neurons showed aswitching of neuronal coding for behavioral goals.
New Paradigm VLSI System Section (Hanyu Laboratory): As this-year research results innonvolatile-logic area, we have succeeded the chip fabrication of MTJ (Magnetic Tunnel
Junction)-based typical logic components, such as a nonvolatile LUT (look-up table) circuit chip with
PVT-variation resilience and a nonvolatile binary bit-serial CAM cell array chip with a 1T-1MTJ
structure. We have also developed a highly reliable link for asynchronous Network-on-Chip (NoC),
which enables open-fault detection, link recovery and QDI with less energy and less wire counts incomparison with those of a conventional approach.
Intelligent Nano-Integration System Section (Nakajima-Sato Laboratory): (1) We have analyzed
behavior of a connected neural system by using a new concept virtual particle dynamics, and we havedesigned and measured a hardware neuro-system based on this concept. Furthermore, we haveproposed a stochastic logic neuron for an inverse function delayed model with high-order synapse
connections, and we have discussed the possibilities of it. (2) We measured switching current
distributions of stacked Nb/AlOx/Nb Josephson junctions, and studied the experimental technique for
evaluating coupling strength between Josephson junctions from switching current distributions. It has
been confirmed that large difference is found between samples with and without capacitive couplings,
and the crossover temperature region between quantum and classical regions becomes large incomparison with a conventional theory. (3) We designed an 8-bit parallel multiplier for the large scale
superconducting digital signal processor. The operation of the designed multiplier up to 40GHz was
confirmed by the numerical simulation. The estimated power dissipation was 6.33mW. A neuralnetwork using superconducting quantum interference devices for solving N-Queens problem wasdesigned and numerically demonstrated.
Microarchitecture Section (Masui Laboratory): We have been investigating architecture and circuit
techniques for low-power and low-cost CMOS transceiver ICs applicable to wireless sensor network,and high-speed A/D converter applicable to vision sensing. We have been explored a low-power
fractional-N PLL synthesizer design with a proposed self-dithering scheme, which can minimize thefractional spurious without hardware overhead, and a high-speed setup circuit supported by
CMOS-compatible nonvolatile memory. In terms of design productivity enhancements, we haveestablished a gm/ID lookup table design methodology for low-power OTAs (operationaltransconductance amplifier), and have successfully implemented a low-power bandpass filter with anactive gm-RC architecture to reduce the power consumption from 23.5mW to 2.7mW.

48

2010 Laboratory for Brainware Systems
Real-world computing

Toward principles for adaptation in indefinite real-world~Studies on flexible information processing in the brain and body~

Koji NAKAJIMA Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
It is unclear how biological systems behave adaptively in the real world, even though theenvironment is inherently indefinite and unpredictable. To clarify the adaptive mechanism underlying
the brain, we study it in various fields including vision, audition, motor control and memory.
We made progresses in two directions as follows in 2010.
In natural scenes, objects are often partially occluded. Nonetheless, our visual system can readily
complete an object shape from available information and perceive it as a whole, a process known as
amodal completion. Although implementation of this completion process is an important issue, visualcomputation for completion, based on both the local continuity of contours and on global regularities,
such as symmetry, has received little attention. We showed a novel neurocomputational model basedon recent physiological findings, in particular those in visual area V4. The model enables amodal
completion through the evaluation of a global constellation of features describing a shape’s contours.
Complex behavior of animal is organized by complex neuronal networks in the brain. Recent
theoretical studies suggest that such networks can exhibit many dynamical states, and have acapability to switch from one state to another. Increase in fluctuations of available measures in many
complex systems serve as symptoms for such state transitions. We analyzed the firing variability of theprefrontal neurons of monkeys, and revealed that it was enhanced right before the neurons showed aswitching of neuronal coding for behavioral goals.
[Staff]
Professor: Koji NAKAJIMA, Dr.
Assistant professor: Yoshinari MAKINO, Dr., Kazuhiro SAKAMOTO, Dr.
[Profile][Papers]
[1]
[2]
[3]

K. Sakamoto, T. Kumada and M. Yano, “A computational model that enables global amodal completion
based on V4 neurons,” ICONIP 2010, Part I, LNCS (Lecture Notes in Computer Science), Vol. 6443, pp.
9-16, 2010
K. Sakamoto, T. Kumada and M. Yano, “A neurocomputational model for amodal completion in
ambiguous figures,” Neurosci. Res., Vol. 68, sppl1, p. e217, 2010
Y. Katori, K. Sakamoto, H. Mushiake, K. Aihara, “Representational transition in a multi-stableattractor model of the prefrontal cortex,” J. Phyisiol. Sci., Vol. 60 sppl1 p. S64, 201049

2010 Laboratory for Brainware Systems
Intelligent Nano-Integration System

Basic Technology of Integrated System for Intelligent Processing

Intelligent Nano-Integration System, Koji NAKAJIMA, Professor
Integrated Superconducting Quantum System, Shigeo SATO, Associate Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
Our research activities cover the fields of architectures of Brain computing systems, characterization
and application of artificial neural networks, computer aided designs and fabrications of intelligent
integrated circuits, and exploitation of new devices for neural circuits. We have presented an FFT anda neural system operated by using a flux quantum logic in superconducting integrated circuits. At
present research is focused on the large scale integration of Brain computing system and exploitationsof new neural devices proposing a neuromorphic quantum computation.
Research Activities in 2010 : (1) We have analyzed behavior of a connected neural system by using a
new concept virtual particle dynamics, and we have designed and measured a hardware neuro-system
based on this concept. Furthermore, we have proposed a stochastic logic neuron for an inverse function
delayed model with high-order synapse connections, and we have discussed the possibilities of it.
(2) We measured switching current distributions of stacked
Nb/AlOx/Nb Josephson junctions, and studied the experimental
technique for evaluating coupling strength between Josephson
junctions from switching current distributions. It has been confirmedthat large difference is found between samples with and without
capacitive couplings, and the crossover temperature region between
quantum and classical regions becomes large in comparison with aconventional theory.
(3) We designed an 8-bit parallel multiplier for the large scale
superconducting digital signal processor. The operation of the designed
multiplier up to 40GHz was confirmed by the numerical simulation.
The estimated power dissipation was 6.33mW. A neural network using
superconducting quantum interference devices for solving N-Queens
Figure A 4-bit parallel
problem was designed and numerically demonstrated.
multiplier using SFQ logic[Staff]
Professor : Koji NAKAJIMA, Dr.
Associate Professor : Shigeo SATO, Dr.
Assistant Professor : Takeshi ONOMI, Dr.
[Profile]
Koji NAKAJIMA was received his B.E. M.E. and Dr. Eng. from Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan, in
1972, 1975, and 1978, respectively. Since 1978, he has been working at the Research Institute ofElectrical Communication, Tohoku University. He is a professor at the same institute of Tohoku Univ.,and is currently engaged in the study of VLSI implementation of neural network, and Josephson
junction devices for digital applications.
Shigeo SATO was received his B.E. and Ph.D. degrees from Tohoku University, in 1989 and 1994,
respectively. In 1996, he joined the Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University.
Now, he studies brain computer and quantum computer as an associate professor.
[Papers][1] S. Sato, A. Ono, M. Kinjo, and K. Nakajima, “Performance of Adiabatic Quantum Computation using
Neuron-like Interconnections,” Proc. 2010 Int. Symp. Nonlinear Theory and its Applications, pp. 39-42, Sep.
2010.
[2] T. Sota, Y. Hayakawa, S. Sato, and K. Nakajima, “Discrete Higher Order Inverse Function Delayed
Network,” Proc. 2010 Int. Symp. Nonlinear Theory and its Applications, pp. 615-618, Sep. 2010.
[3] R. Nakamoto, S. Sakuraba, T. Onomi, A. Martins, S. Sato, and K. Nakajima, “High Throughput Parallel
Arithmetic Circuits for Fast Fourier Transform,” IEICE Trans. Electron., vol.E94-C, pp.280-287, Mar. 2011.

50

Contact to Professor Koji NAKAJIMA ： hello@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

2010 Laboratory for Brainware Systems
Microarchitecture Laboratory

Mixed-Signal Platform Design

Microarchitecture

Shoichi MASUI, Professor[Research Target and Activities]

Ubiquitous society has been established by the deployment of various wireless systems ICs, and it
demands advances in mixed-signal (analog and digital) design technique as well as higher integration
through SoC (System on a Chip). Our research activities include architecture and circuit design of
mixed-signal SoC applicable to sensor network systems for the investigation of brain activities
researches as well as design automation of RF/analog circuit. We propose a mixed-signal platform tomaximize the design creativity by utilizing IP-based digital design methodology to various RF/analog
and mixed-signal circuits. Moreover, we have been researching on the development of RF/analog
design optimization flows by using gm/Id based lookup table methodology.

[Staff]
Professor: Shoichi MASUI, Dr.
Visiting Associate Professor: Takana KAHO, Dr., Research Fellow: Illani Mohd NAWI[Profile]
Shoichi Masui received the B. S. and M. S. degrees from Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan in 1982,
and 1984, respectively, and received the Ph. D. degree from Tokyo Institute of Technology in 2006.
From 1990 to 1992, he was a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University, Stanford CA, and a Visiting
Scholar at University of Toronto, Toronto ON, Canada in 2001. Since 2007, he is a professor in
Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University. He was the recipient of acommendation by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Japan, in 2004
for his research achievements on FeRAM.
[Papers][1] D. Su, M. Loinaz, S. Masui, and B. Wooley, “Experimental Results aand Modeling Techniques for
Substrate Noise in Mixed Signal Integrated Circuits,” Journal of Solid-State Circuits, vol. 28, no. 4, pp.
420-430, 1993.
[2] S. Masui, et al., “Ferroelectric Memory Based Secure Dynamically Programmable Gate Array”, IEEE J.
of Solid-State Circuits, vol. 38, no. 5, pp. 715-725, 2003.
[3] H. Nakamoto, D. Yamazaki, T. Yamamoto, H. Kurata, S. Yamada, K. Mukaida, T. Ninomiya, T. Ohkawa,
S. Masui, and K. Gotoh, “A Passive UHF RF Identification Tag LSI with 36.6% Efficiency CMOS-Only
Rectifier and Current-Mode Demodulator in 0.35 m FeRAM technology, ” IEEE Journal of Solid-State
Circuits, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 101-110, 2007.

Contact to Professor Shoichi MASUI ： shomasui@riec.tohoku.ac.jp51

2010 Laboratory for Brainware Systems
New Paradigm VLSI System Research Group

Realization of a New-Paradigm VLSI-Computing World

Buffers

New Paradigm VLSI Computing: Takahiro HANYU, Professor
Z
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Sense amplifier
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Fig.1: Nonvolatile binary bit-serial CAM
cell array chip with a 1T-1MTJ structure

REF

Fig.2: Nonvolatile look-up table circuit
chip with PVT-variation resilience

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Fig.3: Highly reliable asynchronoustransmission link.

[Research Target and Activities]
Rapid progress in recent deep submicron regime has led the capability to realize giga-scaled
embedded systems on a chip (SoC), while performance degradation of SoCs due to wiring complexity,
power dissipation and device-characteristic variation are increasingly getting serious problems in the
recent VLSI chip. Our research activity is to solve the above problems primarily by the following two
ways: the use of logic-in-memory architecture based on nonvolatile logic, and the use of asynchronous
data-transfer schemes based on multiple-valued current-mode logic, which would open up a novel
VLSI chip paradigm, called a “new-paradigm VLSI system.”As this-year research results in nonvolatile-logic area, we have succeeded the chip fabrication of
MTJ (Magnetic Tunnel Junction)-based typical logic components, such as a nonvolatile binary
bit-serial CAM cell array chip (Fig.1) with a 1T-1MTJ structure and a nonvolatile LUT (look-up table)
circuit chip (Fig.2) with PVT-variation resilience. We have also developed a highly reliable link forasynchronous Network-on-Chip (NoC) (Fig.3), which enables open-fault detection, link recovery and
QDI with less energy and less wire counts in comparison with those of a conventional approach.
[Staff]
Professor: Takahiro HANYU, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Masanori NATSUI, Dr.

Assistant Professor: Atsushi MATSUMOTO, Dr.
Research Fellow: Naoya ONIZAWA, Dr.

[Profile]
Takahiro Hanyu received the B.E., M.E. and D.E. degrees in Electronic engineering from Tohoku
University, Sendai, Japan, in 1984, 1986, 1989, respectively. He is currently a Professor in the
Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University. His general research interests
include nonvolatile logic and its application to high-performance and low-power SoCs.
[Papers][1] S. Matsunaga, M. Natsui, K. Hiyama, T. Endoh, H. Ohno and T. Hanyu, “Fine-Grained Power-Gating
Scheme of a Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor and Magnetic-Tunnel-Junction-Hybrid Bit-Serial TernaryContent-Addressable
Memory,”Japanese
JournalofApplied
Physics,
Vol.49,No.2,
04DM05-1--04DM05-5, 2010.
[2] N. Onizawa, T. Hanyu, “Highly Reliable Multiple-Valued One-Phase Signaling for an Asynchronous
On-Chip Communication Link,” IEICE Trans. on Information and Systems, Vol.E93-D, No.8,
pp.2089-2099, 2010.
[3] N. Onizawa, A. Matsumoto, and T. Hanyu, “Interconnect-Fault-Resilient Delay-Insensitive
Asynchronous Communication Link Based on Current-Flow Monitoring,” Design, Automation & Test in
Europe (DATE'11), 2011.

52

Contact to Professor Takahiro HANYU ： hanyu@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

2010 Research Center for 21st Century Information Technology
IT-21 center

Research and Development of the IT-Based Practical Technology
by the Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration[Research Target and Activities]
The purpose of the IT-21 center is development of practical technologies for IT based on theadvanced technologies of RIEC with the partnership among Industry, Government and University.
The term of development is limited less than 5 years. The projects are planed on matching with bothbasic technologies in the University and application in the Industry. Combination of the technologiesof the University and Industry makes practical technologies with availability for the commercial
products. The center actively accelerates to obtain the intellectual properties generated from thedevelopment of practical technology to the Industry. From 2007, the new 2 projects were started.
1. Development of Dependable Wireless System and Devices
Our new project “Development of Dependable Wireless System and Devices” was accepted in 2007
as the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) CREST type research program “Fundamental
Technology for Dependable VLSI System.” The project has been executed by the collaborations
between RIEC including IT21 mobile wireless technology group, major Japanese mobile terminal
manufacturers and other universities. In this project, concept of Dependable Air, which ismulti-mode and multi-band dependable wireless network, is proposed. The targets of this project are(1) all IP dependable wireless network which can realize a communication speed of 1Mbit/s~10Gbit/s,(2) all Si CMOS mixed signal LSI with frequency range of 500MHz~70GHz, (3) LSI development of
frequency domain equalizer technology, and (4) scalable AD converter.
2. Development of Low Power Consumption Mass Storage HDD Systems
A new project “Development of super high-speed mass storage HDD systems” started in 2007 under
the collaborations between RIEC including IT21 storage technology group, major Japanese HDD
manufacturers and other laboratories within Tohoku University. The goals of this project are todevelop the perpendicular recording technologies required for higher than 2 Tbits/inch2 recording
density and, based on these technologies, to develop the system architecture for realizing large
capacity, high performance and low power consumption storage systems; (1) Development offundamental technologies for the recording densities over 2 Tb/inch2; high sensitivity sensors, highrecording resolution SPT writers and high-density media including patterned media, (2) Developmentof a system architecture for high performance and low power consumption storage systems.
[Staff]Director: Hiroaki MURAOKA, Professor
Project Planning Division
Makoto FURUNISHI, Visiting Professor
Technology Development Division (Mobile Wireless Technology Group)
Kazuo TSUBOUCHI, Visiting Professor
Tadashi TAKAGI, Visiting Professor
Technology Development Division (Storage Technology Group)
Kazuhisa FUJIMOTO, Professor
Hajime AOI, Visiting Professor
Takehito SHIMATSU, Associate Professor
Kiyoshi YAMAKAWA, Visiting Associate Professor

53

2010 Research Center for 21st Century Information Technology
IT21 Center Mobile Wireless Technology GroupFor Realizing Dependable Air

Kazuo TSUBOUCHI, Visiting Professor (Project Leader)
Tadashi TAKAGI, Visiting Professor
[Research Target and Activities]“Development of Dependable Wireless System and Devices” project was accepted in 2007 as the Japan
Science and Technology Agency (JST) CREST type research program.
1. All Si CMOS RFIC: For realizing DWS, we have developed a 5GHz- and 60GHz-band RF circuits
using 90nm Si-CMOS technology.
2. Digitally Assisted Compensation Technology: We have developed a novel frequency domain
equalizer (FDE) technology implemented to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). We
have demonstrated a transmission test under multipass fading environments. Due to the FDE,
we have realized to improve bit error rate (BER) characteristics. Conventionally, FDE technology
has been evaluated by simulation. Here, we have been able to realize it by experiment.
3. Adaptive and Scalable ADC/DAC (Analog-to-Digital Converter/ Digital-to-Analog Converter): We
have devised a current mode pipeline ADC, which is suitable for process miniaturization and low
supply voltage. We have designed several core circuits of the ADC and have realized static
characteristics.
[Staff]Visiting Professor: Kazuo TSUBOUCHI, Ph.D (since 2010)
Visiting Professor: Tadashi TAKAGI, Ph.D (since 2010)[Profile]
Kazuo TSUBOUCHI Prof. Tsubouchi received the Ph.D. degree in Electronics Engineering from
Nagoya University in 1974. In 1974, he joined the Research Institute of Electrical Communication,
Tohoku University. In 1982, he spent at Purdue University as a Visiting Associate Professor. From1993 to 2010, he has been a professor of RIEC, Tohoku University. From 2002 to 2010, he has been
the director of IT-21 Center. He is currently a visiting professor. He received the 2005 Achievement
Award from the IEICE, and “Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Award”
in the Award for Persons of Merit in Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration in FY2007, et al.
He is a member of the IEEE, the IEICE, the Physical Society of Japan, the Japan Society of Applied
Physics, and the Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan.
Tadashi TAKAGI Prof. Takagi received the B.S. degree in physics from Tokyo Institute of Technology,
Tokyo, Japan and Ph.D. degree in electronic engineering from Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan,
in 1973 and 1995, respectively. In 1973, he joined the Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, where he wasengaged in development on microwave and millimeter-wave circuits technology. From 2005 to 2010,
he has been a professor of IT-21, Tohoku University. He is currently a visiting professor. He is asenior member of the IEEE and a member of IEICE of Japan.

[Papers]
[1]
[2]
[3]

S. Kameda, H. Oguma, N. Izuka, Y. Asano, Y. Yamazaki, T. Takagi, K. Tsubouchi, “Issue of IEEE 802.20 Vehicular-A
Delay Profile Model on Estimating Received Signal Level Variation of Wideband Signal,” 4th European Conference
on Antennas and Propagation, EuCAP 2010, Mo-55, April 2010.
H. Oguma, S. Kameda. N. Izuka, Y. Asano, Y. Yamazaki, T. Takagi, K. Tsubouchi, “Coverage Estimation of Uplink 16
QAM Signal up to 20 MHz Bandwidth Based on Field Trial Results of FH-OFDMA System,” IEEE WirelessCommunications and Networking Conference 2010 (WCNC2010), Sydney, Australia, April 2010.
T. T. Ta, S. Kameda, T. Takagi, K. Tsubouchi, “A 5 GHz Band Low Noise and Wide Tuning Range Si-CMOS VCO
with a Novel Varactors Pair Circuit,” IEICE Trans. on Electronics, Vol.E93-C, No.6, pp.755-762, June 2010.

54

Contact to Kazuo TSUBOUCHI ： tsubo@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

2010 Research Center for 21st Century Information Technology
IT-21 center, Technology Development Division, Storage Technology Group

Development of low power consumption mass storage HDD systems
Kazuhisa FUJIMOTO, Professor
Takehito SHIMATSU, Associate Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
A new project ;Development of super high-speed mass storage HDD systems started in August 2007
under the collaborations between RIEC including IT21 storage technology group and major Japanese
HDD manufacturers. The goals of this project are to develop the perpendicular recording technologies
in the order of Tbits/inch2 recording density and, to develop the system architecture for realizing large
capacity, high performance and low power consumption storage systems. Last year, we fabricatedbit-patterned media samples consisted of hard/soft-stacked dot arrays, and the write margin ofsynchronous recording was evaluated using a static tester. Our results indicated that a reduction of
the large margin loss arising from the multi-domain dots and a resultant improvement in the write
error rate is expected when the recording dots become
smaller than 30 nm. Moreover, we succeeded in fabricating
L10-type FePt ordered alloy perpendicular films at low
substrate temperatures of 200–350 °C, and demonstrated
the potential of the films for use in data storage
applications. In the development of high performance andlow power consumption storage systems, we studied thealgorithm for the power-aware data allocation method to gethigher data transfer rate with scale-out of storage nodes.
We have proposed the improved algorithm to alleviate
AHE curves and MFM image for the
degradation of data transfer rate due to file-access skew.
dot arrays of L10-FePt alloy films.
[Staff]
Professor: FUJIMOTO Kazuhisa Dr., Visiting Professor: AOI Hajime Dr., Associate Professor:
SHIMATSU Takehito Dr., Visiting Associate Professor: YAMAKAWA Kiyoshi Dr., Visiting Researchers:
OGAWA Susumu Dr., SAGA Hideki, YAMADA Masaki Dr., AKAIKE Hirotoshi, OSAWA Yuichi Dr.,KATAOKA Hiroyasu, INOUE Daisuke, KUDO Koji, NAKATA Hitoshi Dr., OBA Kenji, MATSUSHITA
Koji, Technical Assistant: UOMOTO Miyuki, Secretaries: SATO Ayumi, ANAZAWA Tomomi[Profile]
Kazuhisa FUJIMOTO received the Dr. of Engineering degree from Kyushu University in 1997. He
joined Central Research Laboratory, Hitachi, Ltd., in 1987. He joined RIEC, Tohoku University in 2007.
He has been engaged in research on storage system architectures.
Takehito SHIMATSU received the Dr. of Engineering degree from Tohoku University. He joined RIEC
in 1998. He has been engaged in research on magnetic materials and storage devices.
[Papers][1] H. Akaike, K. Fujimoto, K. Miura, and H. Muraoka, “Performance evaluation of energy-efficient
high-speed tiered-storage system,” Proceedings of INDIN 2010, 663-670 (2010).
[2] T. Shimatsu, Y. Inaba, H. Kataoka, J. Sayama, H. Aoi, S. Okamoto, and O. Kitakami, “Dot arrays of L10
type FePt ordered alloy perpendicular films fabricated using low-temperature sputter film deposition,”
Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 109, 07B726(1-3) (2011).
[3] H. Saga, K. Shirahata, K. Mitsuzuka, T. Shimatsu, H. Aoi, and H. Muraoka, “Experimental write margin
analysis of bit patterned media,” Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 109, 07B721(1-3) (2011).

Contact to Kazuhisa FUJIMOTO ： fujimoto@riec.tohoku.ac.jp55

2010 Management Office for Health and Safety
Management Office for Health and Safety

Realizing and Maintaining a Safe and Comfortable Environment to Support
Research[Research Target and Activities]

Safety and health seminarFirst aid training course
1. Outline of the Management Office for Health and Safety
The Management Office for Health and Safety is established to maintain the health and safety ofstudents and staff working at the institute. The use of chemicals, high-pressure gas and radiation in
research activities at the institute entails many risks. The Management Office for Health and Safety
provides support for health and safety management in research laboratories, experimental facilities
and the Fundamental Technology Center through various activities to ensure safe and smooth
research activities within the institute.
2. Activities by the Management Office for Health and Safety
For the actual management of health and safety at the office, the Health and Safety Committee firstpresents the basic policies of safety management at the institute, and the Management Office for
Health and Safety then plans and executes activities based on them. At the institute, laboratories andother individual sections are highly independent of each other; unlike a general corporate organization,
top-down safety management is not suitable and measures appropriate for independent sections need
to be taken., Various considerations are also necessary for students, researchers, and other members
engaged in research activities as well as faculty staff. At this institute, extremely hazardous materials
and facilities are used, including chemicals, high-pressure gas, and X-ray devices. Since there is also aclean room and other special workplaces, safety management should be extended by considering them.
In these circumstances, the Management Office for Health and Safety will monitor situations andcharacteristics in each section at the institute, plan and recommend practical management methods
and improvement measures, and support their implementation for the efficient and effective
management of health and safety. The main activities in this fiscal year are as follows:ʊ Holding safety and health seminar and high-pressure gas seminar for staff and students at theinstituteʊ Inspection of and assistance in improving the health and safety management system and working
environment within the instituteʊ Holding first-aid training course
ʊ Investigation of laws related to health and safety and collection of information regarding healthand safety management
ʊ Providing advice and information to health and safety personnel in each department[Staff]
Manager: Michio NIWANO, Professor

Deputy Manager: Yoichi UEHARA, Professor
Nobuyuki SATO, Assistant Professor
Ayako CHIBA, Clerk

56

Contact to anzen@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

2010 Flexible Information System Research Center
Flexible Information System Research Center

Development of Flexible Information Systems and Management of Network[Research Target and Activities]
The present information systems such as computers are
inflexible systems, because their purpose is predefined Manuals
Memos
Human
and they provide only the fixed procedures and functions.
orientedknowͲhowOn the other hand the flexible information system canWebserver
Web
Books
perform the flexible information processing adapted to the
Knowledgesources
Networkinformation
human intention and situation of its environment.
Our goal is to investigate principles of the flexible ProposalAIR
information processing through the theories andAutonomously
experiments, and establish their system construction
cooperatebyflexible
interaction
methodology. Moreover, we also study the flexible
distributed systems for advanced organization, utilization,
administration, operation and putting out scientific ManagementknowledgeAIR
NetworkinformationAIR
information. Through practical applications of above
Fig.1 Knowledge based Network
results to the real network in RIEC, we confirm
Management System.
effectiveness of our methods. To achieve the above goal,
this year we have conducted the following researches:(1) development of distributed and scalable authentication method for large scale overlay network,(2) development of an agent based network management system (Fig.1) and(3) flexible computing mechanism in biological system.
WebǵȸȐ

[Staff](1) Steering Committee㩷
Professor: Yôiti SUZUKI, Dr., Yoshihito TOYAMA, Dr., Tetsuo KINOSHITA, Dr., Masafumi SHIRAIDr., Atsushi OHORI, Dr.
(2) FIR Committee
Professor: Yoshihito TOYAMA, Dr., Tetsuo KINOSHITA, Dr., Takuo SUGANUMA,Dr.
Associate Professor: Takahito AOTO, Dr., Terumasa AOKI, Dr., Yukio IWAYA Dr., Gen KITAGATA, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Masato YOSHIDA, Dr., Takeshi ONOMI, Dr., Kazuto SASAI, Dr.
Research Fellow: Toshiaki OSADA, Dr., Johan Sveholm Dr.
Technical Support Member: Midori SUZUKI, Sachiko NAGASE(3) Regular Staff
Associate Professor: Gen KITAGATA, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Kazuto SASAI, Dr.
Research Fellow: Toshiaki OSADA, Dr., Johan Sveholm Dr.
Technical Support Member: Midori SUZUKI, Sachiko NAGASE[Profile]
Refer to the Advanced Acoustic Information Systems Laboratory for the profile Prof. Yôiti Suzuki.
Refer to the Computing Information Theory Laboratory for the profile Prof. Yoshihito Toyama.
[Papers]
1.

K. Hashimoto, G. Kitagata, H. Takahashi, A. Takeda, D. Chakraborty and N. Shiratori, "Socio-familiar
Personalized Service and its Application –Towards a New Network Software for Next Generation Ubiquitous
Service-", Proc. of the 10th International Symposium on Autonomous Decentralized Systems (ISAD2011), 2011.
(Invited), (to be published)2.

K. Sasai, N. Tanji, Y. Takahashi, G. Kitagata, T. Kinoshita, "An Architecture of Extended Network Management
System: Autonomous Cooperation between Knowledge Resource and Network Equipments”, Proc. of IEEE/ACIS
9th International Conference on Computer and Information Science (ICIS2010), pp. 617-622, 2010.

3.

Akira Sakatoku, Akifumi Kawato, Toshiaki Osada, Gen Kitagata, Norio Shiratori, Tetsuo Kinoshita, "3D Symbiotic
Environment for Agent-aided Collaborative Work", Journal of Internet Technology, 2011. (to be published)

Contact to Associate Professor Gen KITAGATA ： minatsu@fir.riec.tohoku.ac.jp57

2010 Fundamental Technology Center
Fundamental Technology Center

Supporting research with high-level specialized knowledge and technology

Overview of Fundamental Technology Center[Research Target and Activities]
The Fundamental Technology Center provides a wide range of research support, closely linked withresearch activities at the institute, through the following four divisions, machine shop, evaluation,
process, and software technology. One of the important missions of the university is to accumulate
novel knowledge and to create advanced technology, and to return them to society continuously. On
this philosophy, this center is operated with the intention of not only advancing skills of each staff but
also transferring them to the next generation.
1. Machine Shop Division
The Machine Shop Division has being pioneering a number of new machining methods andcontributing to research and development with the advanced techniques.

In this year, there were 162

fabrication requests, in which 153 was in house.
2. Evaluation Division
The evaluation division provides various evaluation and measurement apparatuses for sharedusage. In this year, 17 laboratories utilized them and the utilization time was 3462 hours in total.
Glass machining and supply of liquid helium and nitrogen are also covered by this division.

There

were eight requests for the Glass machining. 3400 litters of liquid nitrogen were supplied.
3. Process Division
The processing division is, in cooperation with the evaluation division, responsible for operating
and maintaining the project clean room (PCR), a clean room for shared usage.

Various apparatuses

for processing are also equipped in the clean room. The clean room was utilized by 10 laboratories.
Customized optical filters for the visible and infrared spectral range were supplied to threelaboratories.

A nanometer-scale electron beam lithography service has been prepared.

4. Software Technology Division
The Software Technology Division operated and maintained, in cooperation with Flexible
Information System Research Center, the computer networks in the institute.
[Staff]Director (Professor): Yoichi UEHARA
Assistant Professor: Nobuyuki SATO
Technical Official: Fumitaka SAITO, Katsumi SAGAE, Koichi SHOJI, Tamotsu SUENAGA,
Ryutaro SASAKI, Maho ABE, Keisuke SATO, Kento ABE, Hiroshi WATANABE,
Munetomo SUGAWARA, Ryuji YONEZAWA, Yuji KONNO, Sadao TSUCHIDA,
Choichi TAKYU, Shigeto AGATSUMA

58

Contact to eac@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

2010 Nation-wide Cooperative research projects
4. Nation-wide Cooperative Research Projects
The Institute has a long history of fundamental contributions in many fields of engineering andscience that include the fields of semiconductor materials and devices, magnetic recording, opticalcommunication, electromagnetic technology, applications of ultrasonic, acoustic communication,
non-linear physics and engineering, and computer software. On the basis of this rich historicalbackground the Institute was designated as National Center for Cooperative Research in 1994.
Accompanying Tohoku University’s transformation to “a national university juridical entity” in
April,2004, this institution plays a leading role on the world stage, as its researchers, both domestic
and foreign, continue the task of “investigating the theory and application of universal science andtechnology to realize communication, to the enrichment of humanity.”
In such background, the Institute organizes Nation-wide Cooperative Research Projects bycoordinating its activities with research workers. The main themes for Cooperative Research are
selected annually by the Committee for Cooperative Research. Then invitations for project
proposals and participation are extended to university faculties and government laboratories aswell as industrial research groups. Each project approved by the Faculty Council of the Institute iscarried out by a team of researchers that include members of the Institute as well as outside
participants.
The advisory Council which includes members from other institutions has an advisory function to
the Director in defining the general direction of the research at the Institute and its Nation-wide
Cooperative Research Projects.
The Project Judging Committee that includes members from the outside of Tohoku University
has a judging function for project proposals. The purpose of the Project Steering Committee is theproper operation of approved projects.

592010 Nation-wide Cooperative research projects
Nation-wide cooperative research projects list 2010
Project Number
Research Project Theme
Ｈ２０／Ａ０１

Basic Studies in Plasma
Nanobiotronics
Ｈ２０／Ａ０３

Investigation of interface trap density
for an MIS structure using  ECRsputter-deposited high-k gate-oxides

Project Leader

Facilitator
in RIEC

Rikizo HATAKEYAMA
School of Engineering Tohoku Michio
NIWANO
University
Toshiro ONO
Graduate School of Scienceand Technology Hirosaki
University

Junichi
MUROTA

Ｈ２０／Ａ０４

Junichi MUROTA
Three-DimensionalNanostructure
Research Institute of Electrical
Formation of Strain-Controlled Group- Communication, Tohoku
IV Semiconductors and Its Device
University
Application
Ｈ２０／Ａ０５
Seigo TARUCHA
School of Engineering The
Fabrication of high mobility twoUniversity of Tokyo
dimensional hole gas
Ｈ２０／Ａ０６

Implementation of intelligent
nano-integrated system and its
application
Ｈ２０／Ａ０７

A research on organic heterojunction
photovoltaic devices
Ｈ２０／Ａ０８

Development of Ion-Channel Chips

Yoshihiro HAYAKAWA
Sendai National College ofTechnology

Junichi
MUROTA
Yuzo
OHNO
Koji

NAKAJIMA

Fumihiko HIROSE
Yamagata University
MichioGraduate School of Science and NIWANOEngineering
Masao SUGAWARA
Nihon University College of
Humanities and Sciences

MichioNIWANO

Ｈ２０／Ａ０９

Masayuki SATO
Study of human visual stability during Faculty of Environmental
eye movements
Engineering, Kitakyushu
University

60

SatoshiSHIOIRI

2010 Nation-wide Cooperative research projects
Project Number
Research Project Theme
Ｈ２０／Ａ１０

Learning effects of sound localizationin the binaural technology
Ｈ２０／Ａ１１

Cell-based chips using infrared
spectroscopy
Ｈ２０／Ａ１３

Study of magnetic devices withapplication of the thin film elementwith inclined stripe magnetic domain
Ｈ２０／Ａ１４

A study on advanced video content
retrieval technology
Ｈ２１／Ａ０１

Superconducting Computer
Technology toward Reduction ofEnvironmental Burden
Ｈ２１／Ａ０２

Nanophotonics and Nanoelectronics
Devices with Metallic Nanomaterials

Project Leader
Kenji OZAWA
University of Yamanashi,Interdisciplinary Graduate
School of Medicine andEngineering
Yasuo SHINOHARA
Institute for Genome Research,
The University of Tokushima
Tomoo NAKAI
Industrial Technology
Institute, Miyagi Prefectural
Government
Terumasa AOKI
Research Institute of ElectricalCommunication, Tohoku
University
Yoshinao MIZUGAKIThe University of ElectroCommunications

Facilitator
in RIECYôiti
SUZUKI
MichioNIWANO
Kazushi
ISHIYAMA
Terumasa
AOKI
ShigeoSATO

Kaoru TAMADA
Kaoru
Research Institute of Electrical
TAMADA
Communication Tohoku
University

Ｈ２１／Ａ０４

Evaluation of Piezoelectric Langasite
Family Compounds by the UltrasonicMicrospectroscopy and PiezoelectricResonant-Antiresonant Frequencies
Measurement Methods and their
Applications to High-Temperature

Jun-ichi KUSHIBIKI
School of Engineering Tohoku
University

Yasuo CHO

Study on spintronic application of theoxide thin films with Magneto-ElectriceffectSeiji SAHASHI
School of Engineering Tohoku
University

Kazushi
ISHIYAMA

Ｈ２１／Ａ０６

Masaaki DOI
School of Engineering Tohoku
University

Kazushi
ISHIYAMA

Sensor

Ｈ２１／Ａ０５

STT microwave oscillation of selforganized multi-nano-pillar structure
and its application61

2010 Nation-wide Cooperative research projects
Project Number
Research Project Theme
Ｈ２１／Ａ０８

Project Leader

High performance THz wave sources
based on resonant tunneling diodepairs

Koichi MAESAWA
Faculity of Engineering,
University of Toyama

Ｈ２１／Ａ０９

Hiroshi SATO
National Institute of Advanced
Industrial Science andTechnology

Development of measuring method forspeech recognition performance undervarious sound field
Ｈ２１／Ａ１０

A Study on Higher Realistic
Communication in Three Dimensional
Sound Space
Ｈ２１／Ａ１１

The cooperative system to built amodel of visual cognition
Ｈ２１／Ａ１２

A study on STA(Scenario To Anime)
technology

Facilitator
in RIEC

TaiichiOTSUJIYôiti
SUZUKI

Kazuhiro KONDO
Yamagata University
Yukio
Graduate School of Science and IWAYA
Engineering
Satoshi SHIOIRIResearch Institute of Electrical Satoshi
SHIOIRI
Communication Tohoku
University
Terumasa AOKI
Research Institute of Electrical Terumasa
Communication Tohoku
AOKI
University

Osamu TAKAHASHI
Creation of Platform for Sustainable The School of Systems
Information Society by Sensor-Cloud Information Science Future
University-HAKODATE
Systems

Takuo
SUGANUMA

Victor RYZHIIStudy on terahertz optoelectronic
University of AIZU
devices using graphene

TaiichiOTSUJI

Ｈ２１／Ａ１３

Ｈ２２／Ａ０１

Ｈ２２／Ａ０２

Formation and Valency Control of Gebased Quantum Dots and Their
Application to Nanoscale Functional
Memories

Seiichi MIYAZAKI
Nagoya University

Junichi
MUROTA

Ｈ２２／Ａ０３

Tatsuki ODA
Computational Materials Design andDevice Applications of Magneto-electric Kanazawa University Collegeof Science and Engineeringand Magneto-elastic Effects

62

Masafumi
SHIRAI

2010 Nation-wide Cooperative research projects
Project Number
Research Project Theme

Project Leader

Facilitator
in RIEC

Ｈ２２／Ａ０４
Yohtaro UMEDA
Tetsuya
Study on High-Efficiency Switching-Mode Tokyo University of Science
SUEMITSU
Power Amplifier with InGaAs HEMTs
Ｈ２２／Ａ０５
Yoichi UEHARA

Broadband light generation anddetection using electron tunnelingResearch Institute of Electrical YoichiCommunication Tohoku
UEHARA
University

Ｈ２２／Ａ０６

Masakiyo TSUNODA
School of Engineering Tohoku
University

Masafumi
SHIRAI

Migaku TAKAHASHI
School of Engineering Tohoku
University

Kazushi
ISHIYAMA

Research of spintronics devices withnegative spin-polarization materials
Ｈ２２／Ａ０７

Chemical synthesis of pure Fe
nanoparticle assembly with highsaturation magnetization and its soft
magnetic properties
Ｈ２２／Ａ０８

Research on personal acoustic
telepresence system
Ｈ２２／Ａ０９Multimodal speech communication
system based on human perceptual
property
Ｈ２２／Ａ１０

Effect of Natural Sound on StressResponse
Ｈ２２／Ａ１１

Development of universal training
system using acoustic virtual reality
technique
Ｈ２２／Ａ１２

Directivity control on frequency
domain binaural model
Ｈ２２／Ａ１３

Study of Brainware Systems

Tatsuya HIRAHARA
Yôiti
TOYAMA Prefectual University SUZUKI
Akihiro TANAKA
Waseda Institute for Advanced
Study

Shuichi

SAKAMOTO

Shin FUKUDO
Tohoku University School of
MedicalYôiti
SUZUKI

Makoto OH-UCHI
Tohoku Fukushi University

Yukio
IWAYA

Yoshifumi CHISAKIKUMAMOTO University

Toshiyuki KANOH
NEC Corporation

Yôiti
SUZUKI
Junji
TADA

63

2010 Nation-wide Cooperative research projects
Project Number
Research Project Theme

Project Leader

Ｈ２２／Ａ１４
Ryuji IGARASHI
Fundamental Study to Obtain
AKITA University
Understanding on Working Network to
Fully Make Use of the Knowledge
Atsumi IMAMIYA
Ｈ２２／Ａ１５
Establishment of User's Attention and University of YAMANASHI
Emotion Model for User-Adaptable
Communication Technologies and Its
Applications
Shigeru FUJITA
Ｈ２２／Ａ１６
Chiba Institute ofAdvanced study on a real-world
Technology
oriented computing application basedon the symbiotic computing
Ｈ２０／Ｂ０２

Development of high performancepiezoelectric materials and application
to information and communication
devices
Ｈ２０／Ｂ０３

Research on Ultra High Density
Semiconductor Memories based on
New Conceptual Material and Storage
Principle
Ｈ２０／Ｂ０４

Research on Nano Semiconductor
Materials and its Application to Nano
Devices
Ｈ２０／Ｂ０８

Advanced communication andmeasurement technologies using
phase-controlled lightwaves
Ｈ２０／Ｂ０９

Research on Next-Generation Petabyte Information Storage
Ｈ２０／Ｂ１０Development of Dependable System
Software with a Highly Reliable
Programming Language System64

Jun-ichi KUSHIBIKI
School of Engineering Tohoku
University
Heiji WATANABE
Graduate School ofEngineering Osaka University

Facilitator
in RIECGenKITAGATA

Takuo

SUGANUMA

Takuo

SUGANUMA

Yasuo CHO

TetsuoENDOH

Kikuo YAMABE
Graduate School of Pure andApplied Sciences University ofTsukuba

TetsuoENDOH

Hidemi TSUCHIDA
National Institute of Advanced
Industrial Science andTechnology

Masataka

NAKAZAWA

Hiroaki MURAOKA
HiroakiResearch Institute of Electrical
MURAOKA
Communication, Tohoku
University
Kazuhiko KATO
University of Tsukuba,
Graduate School of Systems
and Information Engineering

AtsushiOHORI

2010 Nation-wide Cooperative research projects
Project Number
Research Project Theme

Project Leader

Ｈ２１／Ｂ０１

Fundamental characteristics and Akira ANDOH
applications of innovative functional School of Engineering Tohoku
field generated by various plasma flow University
Maki SUEMITSU
Ｈ２１／Ｂ０２
Elucidation and Control of Graphene Research Institute of Electrical
Growth for its applications in the next Communication Tohoku
University
generation devices
Shuzo KATO
Ｈ２１／Ｂ０３
Research Institute of Electrical
Small Power Wireless Communications Communication Tohoku
University
Ｈ２１／Ｂ０４

Akira HIROSE
Complex Valued Neural Network for School of Engineering The
University of Tokyo
Real Applications
Ｈ２１／Ｂ０５

Study on human performance witha view to designing human-friendly
information systems
Ｈ２１／Ｂ０６

Toward an interdisciplinary approachof vision sciences
Ｈ２１／Ｂ０７

Novel Bioelectronic Devices Basedon Combination of  Nano and Biotechnology
Ｈ２１／Ｂ０８

Facilitator
in RIECMaki
SUEMITSUMaki
SUEMITSU
Shuzo
KATO
ShigeoSATO

Hirofumi YANAI
Koji
College of Engineering. Ibaraki
NAKAJIMA
University
Kenichiro TSUTSUI
Tohoku University, Graduate
School of  Life Science
Toshio OGINO
Yokohama National
University, Graduate School ofEngineering

Ko HOSODA
Understanding of adaptive locomotion
Graduate School ofmechanism of biological system and its
Engineering Osaka University
application to engineering
Hiroshi MATSUOKA
Ｈ２１／Ｂ０９
Japan Atomic Energy Agency,
Evolution of high performance
Center for Computational
computing by non-volatile bitsScience & E-systems
operation technologies

SatoshiSHIOIRI
MichioNIWANO
SatoshiSHIOIRI
Takahiro
HANYU

65

2010 Nation-wide Cooperative research projects
Project Number
Research Project Theme

Project Leader

Ｈ２１／Ｂ１０
Isao ECHIZEN
Research on Next-Generation Models National Institute ofof Digital Content Distribution
Informatics

Facilitator
in RIECYôiti
SUZUKI

Takahiro HANYU
New Paradigm VLSI System and Its Research Institute of Electrical Takahiro
System Integration Technology
Communication Tohoku
HANYU
University
Ｈ２１／Ｂ１１Ｈ２２／Ｂ０１

Development and applications of
next-generation first-principles
computational methods

Kazunori SATOOSAKA University

Ｈ２２／Ｂ０２
Tetsu MIENO
Application and Basic Study of Fine National University
Particle Plasmas
Corporation SHIZUOKA
University
Masaki NAKANO
Ｈ２２／Ｂ０３
Nano-structured magnetic materials NAGASAKI University
and their application to MEMS

Masafumi
SHIRAI

MichioNIWANO

Kazushi
ISHIYAMA

Jun-ichi SHIKATA
P h o t o n i c s f o r n o v e l i n t e r f a c e o f Research Institute of Electrical Jun-ichi
Communication Tohoku
SHIKATAbioinformation
University
Ｈ２２／Ｂ０４

Kenji SHIRAISHINew Principle Nano Devices Based on Center for Computational
Nano-Scale Control of Fluctuation and Sciences, TSUKUBA
University
Electron Correlations
Ｈ２２／Ｂ０５

Hideo
OHNO

Ｈ２２／Ｂ０６

Research of large-format quantum Toshiyuki MIYAZAKI
detector arrays with High-Q microwave RIKEN
superconducting resonators
Ｈ２２／Ｂ０７
Koji MIZUNO
Challenge and Perspective for
Research Institute of Electrical
Millimeter Wave Applications
Communication Tohoku
University

66

ShigeoSATO
TaiichiOTSUJI

2010 Nation-wide Cooperative research projects
Project Number
Research Project Theme
Ｈ２２／Ｂ０８

Investigation of Bio-inspired
Information Theory
and its Technological Application

Project Leader

Facilitator
in RIEC

Daisuke URAGAMI
KazutoTokyo University of Technology SASAI

Ｈ２２／Ｂ０９Study on visual information of material Katsunori OKAJIMA
surface properties
Yokohama National University
Ｈ２２／Ｂ１０

IchiroKURIKI

Program Verification
with Mathematical Logic

Masahiko SATO
KYOTO University

Yoshihito
TOYAMA

Ｈ２２／Ｂ１１

Atsushi MASE
Art, Science and technology
Center for Cooperative
Research, Kyushu University

Hiroshi
YASAKA

Development and Application of
Synthetic Aperture Radar System for
Civilian Use
Ｈ２０／ S ０１

Hidenori MIMURA
Shizuoka University
Development of essential technologies
Research Institute offor superhivision
Electronics
Ｈ２０／ S ０２

Spintronics Initiative Network

Kouhei ITOH
Keio University Science andTechnology

Yôiti
SUZUKI

Hideo
OHNO

Ｈ２1 ／ S ０1

Hidekazu TANAKA
Information processing and
The Institute of Scientific andcommunication system based on an
Industrial Research, Osaka
innovative new concept associated with
University
human functions

Masafumi
SHIRAI67

2010 Symposium
5. Symposium organized by the InstituteThis Symposium is planned to exchange relevant information on current important
topics concerning Electrical Eng., Electrical Communications, Electronic Eng., andInformation Eng. Many related researchers inside and outside Tohoku University
participate the Symposium and stimulate discussion.
Symposium In Past

1

Title

Date

Quantum Electronics of Liglht Waves and Micro Waves

Feb. 6- 8, 1964

Magnetic Recording

Feb.14-15, 1964

2 Ultra-High Frequency Acoustelectronics

Feb.11-12, 1965

3 Artificial lntelligence

Mar. 8- 9, 1966

4 Thin Film Electronics

Jan.26-27, 1967

5 Crystal GrowthDec. 19-20, 1967

6 1968 Sendai Svmoosium on Acoustelectronics

Aug.19-20, 1968

7 Current Status and Future Trends of Superconductivitv

Jan.22-24, 1970

8 Soeech Information Processing

Feb.24-26, 1971

9 Surface Acoustic Wave Technology
Liquid Crystals · Their Molecular Orientations and Application to10
Display Devices
11 Computer Network
The Memorial Symposium on the 40th Anniversarv of the Foundation of
12
RIEC
13 Application of Amorphous Ferromagnetic Materials

May.25-26, 1972
Dec.13-14, 1974
Mar.17-18, 1975
Sep.25-26, 1975
Mar.10-11, 1977

14 Stoichiometry of Compound Crystals

Nov.24-25, 1977

15 Submillimeter Waves

Nov.16-17, 1978

16 Solid State Chemical Sensors

Feb. 1- 2, 1980

17 Graph Theory and Algorithms

Oct.24-25, 1980

18 Perpendicular Magnetic Recording

Mar.11-12, 1982

19 Approach to Optical Computer

Mar.10-11, 1983

20 Plasma Non-Linear Phenomena - Basic Problems for Fusion Plasmas

Mar. 8- 9, 1984

21 New Computer Architecture

Jul.25-26, 1985

22 Guided Wave Technology and Its Application at Mid-Infrared

Mar.13-14,1986

23 Physics and Applications of Tunnelling Phenomena

Mar.12-14, 1987

24 Biomagnetics and Bioelectronics

Feb.26-27, 1988

25 Ultrasonic Electronics - New Applications of Piezoelectricity

Feb. 2- 3, 1989

26 Boundaries between Light and Electromagnetic Wave

Feb. 1-2, 1990

68

2010 Symposium
27 Issues and Realization of Pattern Recognition and Understanding

Feb.28-Mar.1,1991

28 Discrete Algorithms

Oct.17-18, 1991

29

Perspective for New Computing Paradigm

Feb. 4- 5, 1993

Current Status and Future Prospects of System Control

Mar. 3- 4, 1993

30 Future Prospects of Electron Beam Devices

Nov. 1- 2, 1993

31 Discharge and EMC

Dec.20-21, 1994

32 Statistical Physics and Information Science

Mar.22-23,1995

33 Photo-and Plasma-Excited Processes on Surfaces

Nov.30-Dec.1,1995

34 Nano Spinics and Power Electronics

Feb.15-16, 1996

35 Potential Formation and Related Nonlinear Phenomena in Plasmas

Sep.17-19, 1996

36 New Trend in Ultrasonic Measurements

Feb. 3- 4, 199737

Toward the Realization of the High-Definition Multi-Media
Communication

Nov. 4- 6, 199769

2010 SymposiumInternational Symposium Organized by the Institute
Title

Date

1

Intrinsic Josephson Effect and THz Plasma Oscillation in High Tc
Superconductors

Feb.23-25, 19972

Design and Architecture of Information Processing Systems Based on
The Brain Information Principle

Mar.16-18, 1998

3 Novel Techniques and Applications of Millimeter-Waves

Dec.14-16, 1998

4

The International Joint Conference on Silicon Epitaxy andHeterostructures

Sep.13-17, 1999

5

International Workshop on Photonic and Electromagnetic Crystal
Structures

Mar.8-10, 2000

6 Physics and Application Spin Related Phenomena in Semiconductors

Sep.13-15, 2000

7 Rewriting in Proof and Computation

Oct.25-27, 2001

8 Nonlinear Theory and its Applications

Oct.28-Nov.1, 2001

9 New Paradigm VLSI Computing

Dec.12-14, 2002

10 Ultra High Density Spinic Storage System

Oct.23-24, 2003

11 3rd International Workshop on New Group IV (Si-Ge-C) Semiconductors

Oct.12-13, 2004

12

3rd International Workshop on High Freaqency Micromagnetic Devices
and Materials (MMDM3)

Apr.11-12, 2005

13

4th International Conference on Silicon Epitaxy and Heterostructures(lCSl-4)

May.23-26, 2005

14

1st International WorkShop on New Group IV Semiconductor
Nanoelectronics

May.27-28. 2005

15

GSIS International Symposium on Information Sciences of New Era:
Brain, Mind and Society

Sep.26-27, 200516

The 1st RIEC International Workshop on Spintronics -Spin Transfer
Phenomena-

Feb.8-9, 200617

4th International Workshop on High Frequency Micromagnetic Devices
and Materials (MMDM4)

May 8,2006

18

4th International Conference on Physics and Applications of SpinRelated Phenomena in Semiconductors (PASPS-lV)

Aug.15-18,2006

19

2nd International Workshop on New Group IV Semiconductor
Nanoelectronics

Oct.2-3,2006

20 2nd RIEC International Workshop on Spintronics

Feb.15-16,2007

21 Japan-China Joint Conference on acoustics, JCA2007

Jun.4-6,2007

22

International Conference on Discovery Science/
International Conference on Algorithmic Learning Theory70

Oct.1-4,2007

2010 Symposium
23 The 3rd RIEC International Workshop on Spintronics

Oct. 31-Nov.1,2007

3rd International Workshop on New Group  Semiconductor
Nanoelectronics

Nov.8-9,2007

25 International Workshop on Nanostructures & Nanoelectronics

Nov.21-22,2007

24

26

The 18th International Symposium on Algorithms andComputation(ISAAC2007)

27

International Interdisciplinary-Symposium on Gaseous and Liquid
Sep.5-6,2008
Plasmas (ISGLP 2008)28

4th International Workshop on New Group IV Semiconductor
Sep.25-27,2008
Nanoelectronics

Dec.17-19,2007

29 The 4th RIEC International Workshop on Spintronics

Oct.9-10,2008

30 Global Symposium on Millimeter Waves 2009 (GSMM2009)

Apr.20-22,2009

31 Mini R.I.E.C. workshop on multimodal perception

Apr.24,200932 The 4th International Symposium on Ultrafast Photonic Technologies

Aug.4-5,2009

33

PIMRC2009 Personal Indoor and Mobile Radio Communications
Sep.13-16,2009
Symposium 200934

2nd RIEC-CNSI Workshop on Nanoelectronics,Spintronics and Photonics
Oct.22-23,2009(5th RIEC Symposium on Spintronics)

35

International Workshop on the principles and applications of spatial
Nov.11-13,2009
hearing 2009 (IWPASH2009)36

5th International Workshop on New Group IV Semiconductor
Jan.29-30,2010
Nanoelectronics

37 6th RIEC International on Spintronics

Feb.5-6,2010

38 2nd International Workshop on Nanostructure & Nanoelectronics

Mar.11-12,2010

39 2nd RIEC International Symposium on Graphene Devices (ISGD2010)

Oct.27-29,2010

40 9th Japan-Korea Symposium on Surface Nanostructures

Nov.15-16,2010

41 The 7th RIEC International Workshop on Spintronics

Feb.3-4,2011

71

2010 Study Groups on Electrical Communication
6.  Study groups on Electrical Communication

Study Groups on Electrical Communication are organized to solve scientific and technologicalproblems and to promote research and development through the collaboration of the ResearchInstitute of Electrical Communication, Depts. of Electrical Eng., Electrical Communications,Electronic Eng., Information Eng., and related scientists and engineers inside and outside Tohoku
University. The Study Groups on Electrical Communication consist of 14 Sub-Groups as listed below,
to deal with specific subjects. Each Sub-Group holds workshops. The abstracts of the workshops
are published annually in The Record of Electrical and Communication Engineering Conversazione
Tohoku University.
Many scientists and engineers － not only from universities but also from government laboratories
and industries － attend the workshops, present papers, and discuss issues actively. We are pleased
to provide information on these activities upon request. Please contact each Sub-Group Chairman ormanager for general information or more specific questions.

Electromagnetic and Optical Waves Engineering
Fumiyuki ADACHI

Chair

Prof.

Manager

Assistant Prof.

Haris GACANIN

Acoustic Engineering
Yôiti

Chair

Prof.

Manager

Assistant Prof.

SUZUKI
Shuichi SAKAMOTO

Sendai "Plasma Forum"
Chair

Prof.

Rikizo HATAKEYAMAManagerProf.

Akira ANDO

Sendai Seminar on EMC
Chair

Prof.

Hideaki SONEManagerProf.

Masahiro YAMAGUCHI73

2010 Study Groups on Electrical Communication
Computer Science
Chair

Prof.

Manager

Associate Prof.

Ayumi SHINOHARA
Eijiro SUMII

Systems Control
Chair

Prof.

Manager

Associate Prof.

Makoto YOSHIZAWA
Noriyasu HOMMA

Information-biotronics
Chair

Prof.

Michio NIWANOManagerProf.

Tatsuo YOSHINOBU

Chair

Prof.

Osamu ICHINOKURAManager

Associate Prof.

Shin SAITOManager

Assistant Prof.

Kenji MIURA

Spinics

New Paradigm Computing
Chair

Prof.

Manager

Associate Prof.

Michitaka KAMEYAMA
Masahide ABE

Ultrasonic Electronics
Chair

Prof.

Manager

Assistant Prof.

74

Junichi KUSHIBIKI
Yuji OHASHI

2010 Study Groups on Electrical Communication
Integration of Brain Functions
Chair

Prof.

Manager

Associate Prof.

Koji NAKAJIMA
Shigeo SATO

Mathematical Physics and its Application to Information Sciences
Chair

Prof.

Kazuyuki TANAKAManagerProf.

Kazuyuki TANAKA

Biocybernetics and Bioinformatics
Chair

Prof.

Manager

Assistant Prof.

Satoshi SHIOIRIKazumichi MATSUMIYA

Nanoelectronics and Spintronics
Chair

Prof.

Manager

Associate Prof.

Junichi MUROTA
Masao SAKURABA

75

2010 International activities
7.  International Activities
Many of the staff in RIEC contribute to the development of technology and sciencein the world by serving as editors of referees of international journals or by chairing
or programming international conferences. In some fields in electronics, electricalcommunications, or information engineering RIEC serves as a Center of Excellence(COE), which attracts many visiting researchers and students from all over the world
every year. Several academic exchange programs with foreign colleges or institutes arein operation.
International academic exchange programs:
The Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences (Poland)
The Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorm University (Thailand)
Harbin Institute of Technology (China)
The James Frank Institute, The University of Chicago (U.S.A.)
Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London (U.K.)
Scientific Research Department, Shenzhen University (China)
Institute of Information and Communication Technology, Sung-Kyun-Kwan University (Korea)
Institute of Materials Science, Faculty of Applied Physics, University of Twente (Netherlands)
The Institute of Radioengineering and Electronics Russian Academy of Sciences (Russia)
Department of Electronics Science and Engineering, University of Nanjing (China)
School of Computer and Communication Engineering, Taegu University (Korea)
The Interdisciplinary  Center on Nanoscience of Marseille, National Center of Scientific Research (France)
IHP-Innovations for High Performance microelectronics (Germany)
Institute of Semiconductors Chinese Academy of Sciences (China)
WINLAB, Rutgers University (U.S.A.)
University of Vigo (Spain)


















International journals in which a staff in RIEC participates as an editor:
1.

Higher-order and symbolic computation

2.

International Journal of Energy, Information and Communications

3.

International Journal of Artificial Intelligence, Neural Networks,
and Complex Problem Solving technologies

4.

International Journal of Computer Science and Network Security

5.

International Journal of Information Sciences and Computer Engineering (IJISCE)

6.

SICE Journal of Control, Measurement, and System Integration

7.

Journal of Communications and Networks

8.

Journal of Nanoscale Science and Technology

9.

NPG Asia Materials

10.

Journal of Magnetics (Korean Magnetics Society)11.

Journal of SPIN77

2010 International activities
12.

Nature Communications

13.

The Journal of Computer Animation and Virtual Worlds

14.

Japanese Jpurnal of Applied Physics

15.

Applied Acoustics)

16.

Acoustical Science and Technology

17.

Nonlinear Theory and Its Applications, ZEZCE

18.

International Journal of Wireless Information Networks

19.

Optical Fiber Technology

Recent International Conferences programmed by a staff in RIEC:
1.

3rd Semiconductor Technology for Ultra Large Scale Integrated Circuits and Thin
Film Transistors (ULSIC vs. TFT)

2.

7th International Conference on Silicon Epitaxy and Heterostructures (ICSI-7)

3.

Symp.E9: "ULSI Process Integration 7", 220th Meeting of the Electrochem. Soc

4.

2011 Conference on Lasers and electro-Optics (CLEO2011)5.

16th OotoElectronics and Communications Conference (OECC2011)

6.

2010 Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference (APMC2010)7.

6th International ICST Conference on Cognitive Radio

8.

Oriented Wireless Networks and Communications (Crown Com 2011)9.

The 2010 IEEE/WIC/ACM International Joint Conference on Web Intelligence andIntelligent Agent Technology

10.

International Conference on knowledge Engineering and Ontology Development 201011.

The 22nd International Conference Industrial & Engineering Applications ofArtif. Intell. & Exp. Systems (IEA/AIE 2010)12.

The 5th International Conference on Ubiquitous Information Technologies &Applications (CUTE2010)13.

The 4th International Conference on Complex, Intelligent and Software Intensive
Systems (CISIS 2010)14.

The 5th International Symposium on Adaptive Motion of Animals and Machines

15.

SPIE International Conference on Defence, Security, and Sensing

16.

Topical Workshop on Heterostructure Microelectronics (TWHM)

78

2010 International activities
17.

Asia- Pacific Workshop on Fundamentals and Applications of Advanced Semiconductor
Devices (AWAD)

18.

International Conference on Optical Terahertz Science and Technology (OTST)

19.

11th International Conference on Atomically Controlled Surfaces, Interfaces andNanostructures (ACSIN)

20.

4th International Conference on Smart materials, Structures and Systems (CIMTC)

21.

16th International Conference on Solid Films and Surfaces (ICSFS)

22.

European Solid-State Device Research Conference (ESSDERC)

23.

SPIE Photonics West, Conference OE01

24.

IQEC/CLEO Pacific Rim, Program Subcommittee (Quantum Information and
Cryptography)

25.

2011 Spintronics Workshop on LSI

26.

15th International Symposium on the Physics of Semiconductors and Applications(ISPSA-XV)

27.

6th International School and Conference on Spintronics and Quantum Information
Technology (SPINTECH 6)28.

International Conference on Superlattices, Nanostructures, and Nanodevices(ICSNN)

29.

International Conference of Magnetism (ICM)

30.

Asia Pacific Vision Conference 201131.

International Multisensory Research Forum 201132.

10th Asia Pacific Conference on Computer Human Interaction (APCHI)

33.

6th Annual ACM Conference on interactive Tabletops and Surfaces (ITS2011)34.

6th Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology Conerence (ACE2010)35.

ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technology (VRST)

36.

IEEE Symposium on 3D User Interfaces (3DUI)

37.

IEEE  International Symposium on Multiple-Valued Logic

38.

International Symposium on Low Power Electronics and Design

39.

6th International Symposium on Control of Semiconductor Interfaces (ISCSI-VI)

40.

International Multisensory Research Forum (IMRF) 201179

2010 International activities
41.

Inter-noise 2011

42.

International Symposium on Nonlinear Theory and its Applications

43.

6th International Workshop on Nanoscale Spectroscopy and Nanotechnology

44.

Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio Communications (PIMRC)

45.

Global Symposium on Millimeter Waves (GSMM) 2012

46.

Magnetism and Magnetic Materials (MMM)

47.

Intermag48.

European Conference on Optical Communication80

2010 Periodicals Published by the Institute8.

Periodicals Published by the Institute

The Institute publishes the following two periodicals to inform readers on recent research results of
the Institute.
1. The Record of Electrical and Communication Engineering Conversazione Tohoku
University
This journal aims at providing an opportunity to publish research results of the Institute as wellas the result of the Departments of Electrical Engineering, Communication Engineering, Electronics
Engineering, and Information Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering. Since the journal also aims
at publishing general research activities of the Institute and of the Departments such as records ofthe final lectures of retiring professors, records of the Institute Symposium, and reviews.
The name of the Journal ‘Conversazione’ is attributable to the ‘Tuesday Conversazione’ at the
Department of Electrical Engineering, which had been held once a week on Tuesday since around1920. Minutes of the meetings had been distributed to researchers outside of the University via
various routes and therefore some of them had been referred to as 'Records of Tuesday ElectricalEngineering Conversazione Tohoku University' with the result that they came to be treated as official
publications.
Though the meeting was once interrupted by World War Two, it was restarted in 1947. In 1952, thepublication of the records was succeeded by the Institute and the records have been published asperiodicals, two or three times a year recently, since No. 1 Vol. 21 was published in July, 1952.
2. The Annual Report of Research Activity at the Research Institute of ElectricalCommunication,
Tohoku University
Published annually since 1995. This report details the activities of each research division andresearch facility. Also included are reports on nation-wide co-operative research projects, international
symposium and seminars organized by members of RIEC, and the reports and evaluation on the RIEC
advisory board members. English edition(digest version of Japanese edition) has been publishedsince 2007.

81

2010 Staff,Land and Buildings,Budget
9.  Staff,Land and Buildings,Budget
1. Staff
Classification

Laboratory for
Nanoelectronics
and Spintronics

Division

Research
Laboratory
Center for Fundamental
for21st century Technology
Brainware
CenterInformation
sysystems
Technology(2011.7.1)
Administration
Office

Total

Professors

19

3

4

1

27

Associate Professors

13

5

1

1

20

Assistant Professors

18

3

6

27

Research Fellows

13

4

2

19

Technical Officials

15

Administrative Officials
Total

63

15

13

2

15

2

17

13

13

15

123

2.Land and Buildings
Site:
Total building area:
Total floor area:

Katahira 2-1-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
12,913m2
28,776m2(2011.7.1)
Floor Area

Name of Buildings

Structure

Year of Completion

Building No.1

Reinforced Concrete, 4 floors

Building-S:1962,1963

Building No.2

Reinforced Concrete, 4 floors

1962, 1963

7,085m2

2004

7,375m2

7,772m2

Building-N:1959,1960
Laboratory for Nanoelectronics andSteel-flame, 5 floors
Spintronics
Reinforced Concrete, 1 floor

1967, 1968, 1972

Reinforced Concrete(partly steel-flame), 2 floors

1986

1,553m2

Steel-frame 1 floor

1996

598m2

Light-weight steel-frame, 2 floors

1999

147m2

Research Center for 21st century
Information Technology

Reinforced Concrete, 3 floors

1930

1,343m2

Steel-frame 1 floor

2002

435m2

Evaluation and Analysis Center

Reinforced Concrete, 2 floors

1981

790m2

Helium Sub-Center

Reinforced Concrete(partly light-weight steel-flame), 1 floor 1972

166m2

Machine Shop

Reinforced Concrete(partly light-weight steel-flame), 1 floor 1965, 1966, 1978

479m2

Laboratory for Brainware sysystems

525m2

Others

508m2

Total

28,776m2

3.BudgetFinancial Year

Personnel
Expenditure2006

971,4822007

970,961(Unit:1,000yen)
Research Grant
Supplies
Leading-edge
Ministry ofPartnership Between
Expenditure Education,Science andUniversities andResearch
Industry
Promotion Fund
Culture
927,090599,040
937,441
813,724700,615

888,833

total
03,435,053

03,374,133

2008

879,481

953,000

694,883

1,069,832

0

3,597,196

2009

1,026,511

1,562,318

605,100

798,053

400,440

4,392,422

2010

777,776

735,496

418,680

962,7121,034,827

3,929,491

83

2010 Afterword

10.

Afterword

Although it has often been said that "we are only one national university affiliatedresearch institute for a given subject in Japan,” the expression "only one" does notsound very forceful. Because, from the start, university affiliated research institutes
were established as organizations without overlapping research fields. It is not easy to
become "number one" in a field where the competition includes both corporate researchlaboratories and those of national and private universities. However, against thatbackdrop, I believe that our key task as a university-affiliated research institute is to lay
the foundation of the next-generation information industry, firmly rooted in the depthof knowledge that only a university can provide, while drawing on the strengths of our
tradition and our culture.
From its early work with weak currents, RIEC first became a leader in the field ofelectromagnetic and electronic devices; we have since added software technologies,
and today our integrated research covers the whole range from devices to software.
Last year, the Director’s discretionary expenses were used to establish a new Support
Program for Original Research. This has the objective of promoting innovative andhighly promising early-stage research capable of ensuring that RIEC will have a
productive future; in particular, dynamic contributions are anticipated from younger
scientists, such as assistant and associate professors. Each project receives funds
amounting to 5 million yen annually for three years; thus, the program represents a
decisive step by RIEC. In fiscal 2010, two researchers were chosen from a large number
of applicants, and their interim reports are included for your perusal in these pages.
Another initiative we introduced last year is a series of research exchange meetings to
improve contact among RIEC’s nearly 30 laboratories. The series aims to overcome thecompartmentalization of the four Research Divisions and the individual institutes andcenters and thus to facilitate new approaches to research.
We would be delighted to receive feedback from readers of this Report. Perhaps thecontents do not reflect our new direction as well as we hoped? Or perhaps you would
like to suggest some interesting new line to pursue. All comments will be greatly
appreciated, and I look forward to your continuing support and encouragement.

85

Research Institute of Electrical Communication
Tohoku University
2-1-1Katahira, Aobaku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
Tel. +81-(0)22-217-5422 Fax. +81-(0)22-217-5426
http://www.riec.tohoku.ac.jp/