Annual Report 2022
Research Institute of Electrical Communication
Tohoku University

Annual report of Research Institute of Electrical Communication 2022

Contents
1. Introduction-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1

2. Organization Chart------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5

3. Research Activities-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7

Research Divisions
・

Information Devices Division

・

Broadband Engineering Division・

Human Information Systems Division

・

Systems & Software Division-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

714-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

22------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

31

Laboratories and Centers
・Laboratory for Nanoelectoronics and Spintoronics

・-------------------------------------------------------------

39

Laboratory for Brainware Systems------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

43

・

Recognition and Learning Systems-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

45

・

Research Center for 21st Century Information Technology

・Management Office for Safety and Health・

Flexible Information System Center・

Fundamental Technology Center・Ad-hoc research groups---------------------------------------------

46-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

54----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

55-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

57-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

58

Related Organizations and Programs, etc.
・Division for the Establishment of Frontier Sciences

・Center for Science and Innovation in Spintronics (CSIS)

・Center for Innovative Integrated Electronics Systems (CIES)

・Advanced Institute for Yotta Informatics

・

Graduate Program in Spintronics (GP-Spin)

・Advanced Graduate Program for AI Electronics

63--------------------------------------

64-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

66-------------------------------------------------------------------------

67
68--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

69----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

82-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

83

5. Symposium Organized by the Institute

7. Periodicals Published by the Institute
8. Staff, Budget------------------------------------------------

60------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Nation-wide Cooperative Research Projects

6. International Activities------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

85-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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2022
㸯. Introduction
It is the mission of Research Institute of Electrical Communication (RIEC) torealize a new paradigm of communications that enriches people’s lives.
Communication is important in various ways in human society. Information
communication technology (ICT) has been changing the way we deal withinformation drastically, overriding our biological limitations and expanding
the world of communication from among people to among things as well as
between people and things. Such ICT research is gathering attention for new
normal after the coronavirus pandemic. RIEC is determined to work for
future society with further advanced ICT, contributing to the welfare ofhuman beings by opening up a new era of academically rooted innovation
befitting a university.
The Japan’s Sixth Science and Technology Basic Plan aims to realize Society
5.0, which is a cycle of innovation toward a super-smart society. The plan setsout policies for strengthening the fundamental technologies that will support
this, including cyber security, next-generation information communication,
quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and multi-functional devices suchas spintronics. It goes without saying that these research fields fall under the
RIEC’s scope of expertise and that the institute must play a leading role infurthering them. Meanwhile, universities are expected to conduct basic
researches, some of which would create innovations that enriches the society.
We have such examples in the history of our institute, such as Professor
Junichi Nishizawa's three elements of optical communication and Professor
Shunichi Iwasaki's perpendicular magnetic recording. They started related
basic researches at RIEC, which opened new fields in ICT eventually. A more
recent case is spintronics, which Professor Hideo Ohno has led from basic
science to application to new devices. Magnetoresistive Random Access
Memory (MRAM) is a device that uses the spintronics technology and is
attracting public attention as the promising candidate of a critical andemerging device in the near future ICT. The environment in which Tohoku
University and RIEC operate is constantly changing. Recognizing roles ofuniversity, RIEC must utilize resources efficiently to execute its mission anddevelop the environment for the purpose.
Since FY 2023, the institute’s organizational structure has been organized
into three units: three research divisions (Computing System Platforms

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2022
Division, Information Communication Platforms Division, and Human andInformation Systems Division), two laboratories (Laboratory for
Nanoelectronics and Spintronics, and Laboratory for Brainware Systems),
and two research centers (research center for 21st Century Information
Technology and interdisciplinary ICT research center for Cyber and RealSpaces). These units are engaged in research aimed at achieving fruition overdifferent time scales (Research Divisions: 20 years, Laboratories: 10 years,
Research Center: 5 years). In addition, we collaborate closely with Tohoku
University's graduate schools in subjects relating to electrical engineering(School of Engineering, Graduate School of Information Sciences, andGraduate School of Biomedical Engineering) in order to cover a wide range ofcutting-edge research fields and foster the development of outstanding
researchers and engineers.
RIEC has also been certified by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology (MEXT) as a Joint Usage/Research Center forcollaborative research in information science and technology. From the fiscal
year 2022, RIEC has started the program’s third term by the MEXT. As
increase of importance of cooperation across different organizations, our rolein advancing the information and communication community䇷both in Japanand overseas 䇷 will become increasingly important. To this end, we arecollaborating on joint research projects with external researchers andengineers from industry, government, and academia in a systematic manner.
Overcoming the corona disaster, the importance of information
communication is now attracting more and more attention. We must therefore
realize faster, higher-capacity telecommunications with greater energy
efficiency performance, while the experience of the Great East Japan
Earthquake of 2011 reemphasized the importance of ensuring that our social
infrastructure has a high resilience to disaster. We are expected to contributeto a new paradigm of information processing and communication methods
that interconnect people in a fundamentally different way. Developed by
RIEC over more than 20 years, Brainware has become increasingly importantwith current trends in artificial intelligence (AI) research. We will continue
to address these social needs by fully leveraging our strengths as a universityaffiliated research center. In doing so, we hope to forge the path to a newworld of communication, and through these efforts continue to promote
education going forward.

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2022
To contribute to the improvement of our research activities and support future
developments, we publish this Annual Report every year to make ouractivities relating to research, education, and social contribution widely
available for public scrutiny. This edition contains reports on a range ofactivities, including the research conducted by each of our departments andlaboratories, collaborative research projects, international activities, social
contributions, the RIEC symposia, activities of the engineering research
association, and RIEC lectures. The bibliography section also includes dataon the various activities we have conducted over the last five years.
We welcome your frank opinions regarding our activities, and look forward to
your continued guidance and support in the future.
2023

Takahiro Hanyu
Director, Research Institute of Electrical Communication

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2022
2. 䚷Organization 䚷Chart

Director

Advisory Council

Information Devices Division

Deputy Director
䚷
Research Divisions

FacultyCouncilBroadband Engineering Division

Human Information Systems Division

Systems & Software Division

Research Facilities

Solid State Electronics
Dielectric Nano-Devices
Materials Functionality Design
Spintronics
Nano-Integration Devices and Processing
Quantum Devices
Innovative Spintronic Device
Magnetic Devices
Ultrahigh-Speed Optical Communication
Applied Quantum Optics
Advanced Wireless Information Technology
Information Storage Systems
Ultra-Broadband Signal Processing
Quantum-Optical Information Technology
Basic Technology for Broadband Communication
Electromagnetic Bioinformation Engineering
Advanced Acoustic Information Systems
Visual Cognition and Systems
Information Content
Real-World Computing
Nano-Bio Hybrid Molecular Devices
Multimodal Computing
Computing Information Theory
Communication Network Systems
Environmentally Conscious Secure Information System
Soft Computing Integrated System
New Paradigm VLSI System
Information Social Structure

Laboratory for
Nanoelectronics and Spintronics

Nano-Integration Devices and Processing
Spintronics
Nano-Bio Hybrid Molecular Devices

Laboratory for Brainware Systems

Recognition and Learning Systems
Soft Computing Integrated System
New Paradigm VLSI System
Real-World Computing

Research Center for21st Century Information Technology

Industry-Academia-Government-Collaboration
Research and Deveropment DivisionInterdisciplinary Collaboration Research Division
exploratory Division

Division for the Establishment of Frontier Sciences

Spintronics/CMOS-Hybrid Brain-Inspired Integrated Systems

Center for Science and Innovation in Spintronics
Center for Innovative Integrated Electronic Systems
Advanced Institute for Yotta Informatics

Management Office for Safety and HealthCommon Research
Facilities

Flexible Information System Center

Fundamental Technology Center

Administration
OfficeࠉࠉࠉࠉGeneral Affairs Section
Cooperative Research Section
Library
Accounting Section
Purchasing Section

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2022
㸱. Research Activities
Targets and achievements of the Information Devices Division
The main aim of the information devices division is to create advanced nano-information
devices utilizing physical phenomena. To accomplish this goal, we conduct research on subjects
related to material design, evaluation, process, device, and system. The research developed inthis division provides an important basis for achieving the purpose of foundation of thisresearch institute, and we aim to develop completely new functional information devices fornext-generation information processing and communication. Thus we study new functionalities
employing exotic materials and nanostructures, and apply such functionalities to new
dielectrics-based nano-devices for information storage, quantum electronics devices, spintronics
devices, and next generation semiconductor devices.
To achieve the goal, the following 7 laboratories are carrying out researches anddevelopments.

1. Solid State Electronics
2. Dielectric Nano-Devices
3. Materials Functionality Design
4. Spintronics
5. Nano-Integration Devices and Processing
6. Quantum Devices
7. Magnetic Devices (Visitor Section)

The research target and the summary of activities of each sub-division in FY2022 aredescribed in the following pages.

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2022


Solid State Electronics Laboratory

Creation of the ultimate transistor and its application to integrated circuits
Solid State Physics for Electroncis Hirokazu Fukidome, Associate Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
We aim at the ultimate transistor where the gate length is shortened down to monoatomic scale,and its application to integrated circuits. Simultaneously, we create device informatics (DI) whichconnect material properties with device functions by using bigdata taken by operando x-ray
nanospectroscopies.
In 2022, we succeeded in establishing the fabrication process of monoatomic-length-gate bycombining graphene growth method with 3D MEMS technologies. This enables to orthogonalize
graphene 2D semiconductors. Furthermore, we exploited DI, and discovered that the material
properties which governs device functions varies with the gate length.

[Staff]
Associate Professor : Hirokazu Fukidome, Dr.
Technical Assistant : Fuminori Sasaki, Mr.
Technical Assistant : Kumi Namiiri
Technical Assistant : Misako Suzuki[Profile]
Prof. Hirokazu Fukidome received Ph.D on chemistry from Osaka University. After serving forBell Labs and RIKEN, he became assistant professor at RIEC in 2008. He has been associate
professor at RIEC since 2012. He has been engaged on two-dimensional Dirac electron systems andtheir operando-microscopy analysis. He was awarded the Best Paper Award from the Surface
Science Society of Japan (2011). M. Ishida Research Foundation Award (2015). RIEC Award (2016).
[Papers][1] Y. Zhao, T. Suzuki, T. Iimori, H.-W. Kim, J.-R. Ahn, M. Horio, Y. Sato, Y. Fukaya, T. Kanai, K. Okazaki, S. Shin,S. Tanaka, F. Komori, H. Fukidome, and I. Matsuda, “Environmental effects on layer-dependent dyanmics ofDirac fermions in quasicrystalline bilayer graphene”, Physical Review B, 105 (2022), pp. 115304-1-115304-8.
[2] T. Otsuji, S. A. Boubanga-Tombet, A. Satou, D. Yadav, H. Fukidome, T. Watanabe, T. Suemitsu, A. A. Dubinov, V.
V. Popov, W. Knap, V. Kachorovskii, K. Narahara, M. Ryzhii, V. Mitin, M. S. Shur, and V. Ryzhii,,“Graphene-based plasmonic metamaterial for terahertz laser transistors”, Nanophotonics, 11 (2022), 1677-1696.
[3] T. Otsuji, S. A. Boubanga-Tombet, A. Satou, D. Yadav, H. Fukidome, T. Watanabe, T. Suemitsu, A. A. Dubinov, V.
V. Popov, W. Knap, V. Kachorovskii, K. Narahara, M. Ryzhii, V. Mitin, M. S. Shur, and V. Ryzhii, Fast andsensitive terahertz detection with a current-driven epitaxial-graphene asymmetric dual-grating-gate field-effecttransistor structure, APL Photonics, 7 (2022) 126101.

8

Contact to Associate Professor FUKIDOME Hirokazu : hirokazu.fukidome.e7@tohoku.ac.jp

2022
Dielectric Nano-Devices

Research on Dielectric Nano Science and Technology
Dielectric Nanoscale Measurement Systems
Kohei YAMASUE, Associate Professor
Dielectric Materials Science and Engineering
Yoshiomi HIRANAGA, Associate Professor[Research Target and Activities]
Our main area of interest is evaluation anddevelopment of dielectric materials, including
ferroelectric and piezoelectric materials and theirapplication to communication devices and ferroelectric
data storage systems. Our major contributions toadvancement in these fields are the invention and theFig.1 Digital bit data written on
development of “Scanning Nonlinear Dielectric
ferroelectric single crystal with theMicroscope” (SNDM) which is the first successful purely
areal recording density of 4 Tbit/inch2.
electrical method for observing the ferroelectric
polarization distribution 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
the ultra-high density ferroelectric recording system. In addition, SNDM can be used for theevaluation of various semiconductor materials and devices.
Major achievements of studies in 2022 are as follows: (1) We established the basis for machinelearning analysis of hyperspectral image datasets on nanoscale ferroelectric domain inversions
obtained using local C-V mapping methods. We applied this method to the quantitative evaluation of
the degree of influence of grain boundaries on the domain inversion in HfO2-based ferroelectric thinfilms. (2) We extended the time-resolved SNDM based local CV profiling method to evaluate thespatial fluctuations of properties of semiconductor-insulator interfaces at a nanoscale level. We applied
the proposed method to various interfaces such as SiO2/SiC, Al2O3/diamond, and Al2O3/GaN for powerelectronics.
[Staff]
Associate Professor㸸 Kohei Yamasue, Ph. D.
Associate Professor: Yoshiomi Hiranaga, Ph. D.
[Profile]
Kohei Yamasue received the Ph. D degree in engineering from Kyoto University in 2007. He thenbecame a postdoctoral fellow in 2007 and an assistant professor in 2008 at Venture BusinessLaboratory, Kyoto University. In 2010, he joined Research Institute of Electrical Communication,
Tohoku University, as an assistant professor and, in 2016, became an associate professor. His maininterests include the development of noncontact scanning nonlinear dielectric microscopy andpotentiometry with atomic-resolution. He also works on the development of multifunctional
time-resolved scanning probe microspectroscopy system for the evaluation of the next-generationelectronic materials and devices.
Yoshiomi Hiranaga received the Ph. D degree in engineering from Tohoku University in 2006. He thenbecame a research associate in 2006 (2007- assistant professor) at Research Institute of ElectricalCommunication, Tohoku University, and became an associate professor in 2020. His main interests
include domain switching phenomena on ferroelectric materials in the nanoscale area and theirapplications for next-generation high-density data storage devices.

[Papers][1] K. Yamasue and Y. Cho, Mater. Sci. Forum, Vol. 1062, pp. 335-340 (2022)[2] Y. Hiranaga et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., Vol. 61, SN1014(1-8) (2022)[3] K. Yamasue and Y. Cho, Microelectron. Reliab. Vol. 135, 114588(1-8) (2022)

Contact to Associate Professor YAMASUE Kohei : kohei.yamasue.a3@tohoku.ac.jp

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2022


Materials Functionality Design

Computational Design of Functional Materials for Information Devices
Materials Functionality Design: Masafumi Shirai, Professor
Materials Science under Extreme Conditions: Kazutaka Abe, Associate Professor[Research Target and Activities]
Our research targets are as follows: (1) theoretical analyses of quantum phenomena in materials foradvanced information devices, (2) computational design of new materials possessing novel
functionalities for improvement of device performance, and (3) development of new design
procedures based on large-scale computational simulation and data-driven approaches.
Our research activities in FY 2022 are as follows:(1) Design of novel magnetic semiconductors by scale-bridged simulations
We explored magnetic semiconductors possessing high Curie temperature by using exhaustive ab
initio calculations. We found promising candidates, Cr-doped AlP and AlAs, in which the Cr atoms
exhibit attractive interactions and form nanoclusters upon annealing. Moreover, we revealed thatthe density, size, and shape of Cr nanoclusters can be controlled and thus the Curie temperature
can be optimized by adjusting the annealing conditions [1].
(2) Ab initio electronic structure calculations of topological materials
We investigated the electronic structure of thermopower materials YbMg2Bi2 and CaMg2Bi2 by using
ab initio calculations and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The experimental results canbe reproduced by considering spin-orbit coupling and Coulomb repulsion between 4f electrons at theYb site. Holes resulting from vacancies play an important role in the transport properties of thesematerials and thus electron doping is efficient to observe the topological surface states [2].
(3) Hydrogen at terapascal pressures
Stable structures of hydrogen at terapascal pressures are investigated by using ab initio
calculations. Chief attention is paid to the effects of proton zero-point energy on structures, whereanharmonicity is analyzed with the use of the self-consistent harmonic approximation. The results
suggest that several isotropic structures have low enthalpies above 3.9 TPa, and that theanharmonicity significantly affects the phase diagram of hydrogen even at such high pressures[Staff]
Professor: Masafumi Shirai, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Masahito Tsujikawa, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Tufan Roy, Dr.

Associate Professor: Kazutaka Abe, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Hikari Shinya, Dr.

[Profile]
Masafumi Shirai received the Doctor of Engineering degree from Osaka University in 1989. Since
2002, he has been a Professor at Tohoku University.
Kazutaka Abe received Doctor of Science degree from Osaka University in 1998. Since 2003, he has
been at Tohoku University as a Research Associate and currently as an Associate Professor.
[Papers][1] H. Shinya, T. Kubota, Y. Tanaka, and M. Shirai, “Design of novel magnetic semiconductors by exhaustive
first-principles calculations and scale-bridging simulations,” Mater. Today Commun., Vol. 31, pp. 103604/1-8, 2022
[2] A. K. Kundu, T. Roy, S. Pakhira, Z.-B. Wu, M. Tsujikawa, M. Shirai, D. C. Johnston, A. N. Pasupathy, and T. Valla,“Topological electronic structure of YbMg2Bi2 and CaMg2Bi2,” npj Quantum Mater., Vol. 7, pp. 67/1-9, 2022
[3] Z. Qiao, M. Tsujikawa, and M. Shirai, “The effect of chemical disorder on magnetic properties for FeNi andFe2Ni2N alloys,” J. Magn. Magn. Mater., Vol. 568, pp. 170362/1-8, 2023

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Contact to Professor SHIRAI Masafumi : masafumi.shirai.b8@tohoku.ac.jp

2022
Spintronics

Advanced technology for spintronics-based devices
Nano-Spin Materials and Devices: Shunsuke Fukami, Professor
Functional Nano-Spin Devices: Shun Kanai, Associate Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
We aim to deepen the understanding of spin-related physics and todevelop new functional materials and devices in which electrons andtheir spin states are controlled. We are also working on research anddevelopment of advanced technology for spintronics-based devices andunconventional computing, which offer high-performance andlow-power information and communication technologies.
The outcomes in the last fiscal year include (1) the discovery ofscaling law describing the phase coherence time of quantum state insolids, (2) the experimental determination of mathematical expressionof thermally activated magnetization switching under magnetic fields
and current, and (3) demonstration of high performance and low-power
consumption of spintronic probabilistic computers.
[Staff]
Professor: Shunsuke Fukami, Ph. D.,  
Assistant Professor: Justin Llandro, Ph. D.

Associate Professor: Shun Kanai, Ph. D.,[Profile]
Shunsuke Fukami received Ph. D. degree from Nagoya University in 2012. He joined NEC Corp (2005). He
moved to Tohoku University (2011). He received the JSAP Paper Award (2012), the Funai Research Incentive
Award (2014), the JSAP Young Scientist Presentation Award (2014), the Young Scientists’ Prize of Science andTechnology by the MEXT (2015), Aoba Foundation Award (2017), Asian Union of Magnetics Societies, Young
Researchers Award (2018), the Outstanding Research Award of the Magnetics Society of Japan (2018), the JSAP
Outstanding Paper Award (2019), Marubun Research Encouragement Award (2021), InaRIS Research Fellow(2022), Achievement Award of the Magnetic Society of Japan, and JSPS Prize (2023).
Shun Kanai received Ph. D. degree from Tohoku University in 2014 and joined Tokou University (2014). He
received the Tohoku University President's Award (2010), JSAP Young Scientist Presentation Award (2014),
Student Award of RIEC Award, Tohoku University (2014), Young Scientist Award of Aoba Foundation (2015),
Young Scientist Award of Funai Foundation (2016), Harada Young Research Award (2016), Young Scientist
Award of Inoue Research Foundation (2017), Hiroshi Ando Memorial Award (2017), Young Scientists’ Prize of
Science and Technology by the MEXT (2023), and Young Scientists’ Award of Honda Memorial Foundation.

[Papers][1]

S. Kanai, F. J. Heremans, H. Seo, G. Wolfowicz, C. P. Anderson, S. E. Sullivan, M. Onizhuk, G. Galli, D. D.
Awschalom, and H. Ohno, "Generalized scaling of spin qubit coherence in over 12,000 host materials,"
Proceedings of National Academy of Science of United States of America 119, e2121808119(1)-(8) (2022).
[2]
T. Funatsu, S. Kanai, J. Ieda, S. Fukami, and H. Ohno, "Local bifurcation with spin-transfer torque insuperparamagnetic tunnel junctions," Nature Communications 13, 4079(1)-(8) (2022).
[3]
A. Grimaldi, K. Selcuk, N. A. Aadit, K. Kobayashi, Q. Cao, S. Chowdhury, G. Finocchio, S. Kanai, H. Ohno, S.
Fukami and K. Y. Camsari, "Experimental evaluation of simulated quantum annealing with MTJ-augmented
p-bits," (oral) 68th Annual IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting, 22.4.1 (2022).

Contact to Professor FUKAMI Shunsuke : shunsuke.fukami.c8@tohoku.ac.jp

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Nano-Integration Devices and Processing

Deepening of nano-integration technology and development of brain computer
Nano--Integrationn Devicess

Shigeo Sato,, Professorr

Group
p IV
V Quantum
m Heterointegration

Masaoo Sakuraba, Associatee Professor

Nano--Integrationn Ne
eurocomputing
g Systems

Hideakii Yamamoto,, Associatee Professor[Research Target and Activities]
In this laboratory, we focus on non-von Neumann computing, such as brain computing andquantum computing, and study their hardware technology. We conduct research on various topics
including device, process, circuit, algorithm, and neuroscience, and build revolutionary newcomputer technology by integrating our findings. In this year, following results have been obtained:(1) A spiking neuron that reproduces various neural pulses and operates at extremely low power
was implemented on an LSI, and a recurrent neural network was constructed using it and applied
to reservoir computing. It has been confirmed by electrical measurements that time-series signals
such as speech signal could be correctly classified. (2) To develop high-voltage and low-loss power
semiconductor devices, double ion-implanted Al-gate 4H-SiC MOS transistors were fabricatedutilizing high-temperature wet oxidation, and clear transistor-operation characteristics with low
gate leakage were demonstrated even for gate length of 5 micron. (3) We developed definedneuronal networks with a modular design on high-density microelectrode arrays, using a surface
coating protocol involving a cell-permissive hydrogel for secure attachment of apolydimethylsiloxane microfluidic film. The spontaneous neuralactivity recorded from these engineered networks demonstrated
that the modular architecture enhances functional complexity by
reducing excessive neural correlation between spatially separated
modules.
[Staff]
Professor: Shigeo Sato, Dr.
Associate Professor: Masao Sakuraba, Dr.
Associate Professor: Hideaki Yamamoto, Dr.
Specially Appointed Assistant Professor: Satoshi Moriya, Dr.

Towards the Realizationof a Brain Computer[Profile]
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 a professor.
Masao Sakuraba received his B.E. and Ph.D. degrees from Tohoku University in 1990 and 1995,
respectively. In 1995, he joined the Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku
University. Now, he studies group IV quantum heterointegration as an associate professor.
Hideaki Yamamoto received his B.E. and Ph.D. degrees from Waseda University in 2005 and 2009,
respectively. In 2020, he joined the Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku
University. Now, he studies neuronal network functions as an associate professor.

[Papers][1] S. Moriya, H. Yamamoto, S. Sato, Y. Yuminaka, Y. Horio, J. Madrenas “A fully Analog CMOS
implementation of a two-variable spiking neuron in the subthreshold region and its network
operation”, 2022 International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN), 1-7, 2022.

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Contact to Professor SATO Shigeo : shigeo.sato.e3@tohoku.ac.jp

2022
Quantum Devices

Electronic properties of nanostructures and device applications
Quantum Devices: Tomohiro Otsuka, Associate Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
In solid-state nanostructures, exotic phenomena like quantum effects occur. We are exploring
interesting properties of solid-state nanostructures utilizing precise and high-speed electricmeasurement and control techniques. We are also developing materials and devices using
nanostructures.
Our research activities in FY 2022 are the following.
(1) Development of local measurement and control techniques
We developed electronic measurement and control methods of
local
electronic
statesinnanostructuresutilizingsemiconductor quantum dots. We improved the methods withhigh-frequency techniques and applied them to new materials.
(2) Measurement of local electronic states in nanostructures
We measured local electronic and spin states innanostructures utilizing sensitive electronic measurement
techniques. We revealed the detail of local electronic states innanostructures and new materials [1, 2].
(3) Development of quantum devices and systems
We studied semiconductor quantum devices for future
quantum information processing. We worked on state analysis
and control of quantum devices to scale up the systems andnew material-based devices [3].

Figure:Scanning

electronmicrograph of a nanostructuredevice[Staff]
Associate Professor: Tomohiro Otsuka, Ph. D.
[Profile]
Tomohiro Otsuka received Ph. D. degree from the University of Tokyo in 2010. After working for the
University of Tokyo and RIKEN, he became an Associate Professor at Tohoku University in 2018.
He received Research Encouraging Prize from School of Science, University of Tokyo (2010), Young
Scientist Award of the Physical Society of Japan (2017), RIKEN Researcher Incentive Award (2017),
Yazaki Memorial Foundation for Science and Technology Research Encouraging Award (2018), andthe Young Scientists’ Prize of Science and Technology by MEXT (2018), Distinguished Researcher in
Tohoku University (2020).
[Papers][1] M. Shinozaki, J. Igarashi, S. Iwakiri, T. Kitada, K. Hayakawa, B. Jinnai, T. Otsuka, S. Fukami, K. Kobayashi, and
H. Ohno, “Nonlinear conductance in nanoscale CoFeB/MgO magnetic tunnel junctions with perpendicular easyaxis”, Physical Review B 107, 094436 (2023).
[2] T. Kato, T. Kitada, M. Seo, W. Okita, N. Sato, M. Shinozaki, T. Abe, T. Kumasaka, T. Aizawa, Y. Muto, T. Kaneko,
and T. Otsuka, “Scalable fabrication of graphene nanoribbon quantum dot devices with stable orbital-levelspacing”, Communications Materials 3, 103 (2022).
[3] T. Otsuka, “Quantum dots in new materials for quantum devices”, International Workshop of Spin/Quantum
Materials and Devices, Sendai, Feb. 24, 2023.

Contact to Associate Professor OTSUKA Tomohiro : tomohiro.otsuka.a5@tohoku.ac.jp

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2022


Broadband Engineering Division: Research Targets and Results

In order to establish future broadband communication systems and novel devices that canbe flexibly applied to future ubiquitous ultra-high capacity information communications,research and development is being carried out over the wide spectrum of microwaves,
millimeter/submillimeter waves, terahertz waves, and lightwaves with regard to
information generation, transmission, processing, and storage technologies.

(1) Ultrahigh-Speed Optical Communication
We are engaged in research on ultrahigh-speed optical transmission, digital coherent
transmission, and high-speed and spectrally efficient optical transmission by combining
these two approaches. With a view to supporting innovative new ICT services such as 5G
and IoT, our goal is also to develop novel transmission schemes integrating optical andwireless communications.
This year, by applying our coherently-linked optical and wireless transmission scheme with aninjection-locked carrier frequency converter to a 28 GHz band in practical use for 5G, we
successfully demonstrated a 16 Gbit/s, 256 QAM coherently-linked optical and wirelesstransmission over a 10 km fiber and 3 m wirelessly by using a microstrip antenna. We alsoachieved a 48 Gbit/s, 256 QAM coherently-linked transmission over a 10 km fiber and over
20 m wirelessly in the 61 GHz band by using a practical low profile planar antenna with again of 37 dBi.

(2) Applied Quantum Optics
Novel functional semiconductor photonic devices including photonic integrated circuits arebeing investigated to explore next-generation photonic network systems.
A study on ultra-high-speed semiconductor laser introducing hybrid modulation scheme
was being continued. It was confirmed experimentally that the small signal E/O
modulation bandwidth of the hybrid modulation semiconductor laser source can beenlarged up to 124 GHz by shortening its cavity length to 410 Pm. Furthermore the study
on compact and narrow linewidth semiconductor laser sources was also being proceeded byapplying the optical negative feedback technology to the hybrid modulation laser. It was
confirmed experimentally that phase noise reduction bandwidth can be enlarged byapplying the optical negative feedback scheme to the laser. The maximum reduction ratioand -20-dB reduction bandwidth of power spectral density of frequency noise was estimatedto be -40.4 dB and 1.6 GHz which is lager and wider than the optical negative feedback
lasers with conventional DFB lasers.
(3) Advanced Wireless Information Technology
We are actively engaged in research work on wireless Internet of Things (IoT) technologies
for next-generation wireless systems, which include terrestrial / satellite communications.
The covered areas of us are all technical fields from the lower to higher layers, i.e., digital
signal processing, RF/Mixed-signal device, antenna, transceiver, and subsystemtechnologies. This year, we have successfully developed a 4-elements 20GHz-band digital
beam forming transmit antenna using 100GbE optical-fiber-feed 1-bit band-passdelta-sigma direct digital RF transmitter.
(4) Information Storage Systems
Research on next-generation perpendicular magnetic recording is being carried out to meetthe strong demand for high density, high performance storage due to the rapid growth of
the internet and web services. To establish high performance data-intensive analytics, acomputational storage analytics platform with unified computing and storage is targeted in
the research and development.

14

2022
We have been investigating novel, three-dimensional, energy-assisted recording
technologies that enable selective recording on media with multiple, discrete recording
layers. This year, our research concentrated on heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR),
with the aim of doubling the storage capacity. We have also been studying arrays of
spintronic devices for use in artificial neural networks. We have constructed a“computational storage system” with unified 2PB storage and computation functions, andintegrated the object distributed storage Ceph. By using visualization analytics of brainneuro structures, large scale data access performance was evaluated.

(5) Ultra-Broadband Signal Processing
We are developing novel, integrated electron devices and circuit systems operating in theterahertz region. One of our major concerns is a new material called ͆graphene”, asingle-layered honeycomb-lattice carbon crystal.
First, a prototype field-effect transistor with a unique asymmetric double-grating gate
structure using a monolayer of carbon atoms: graphene as a channel, and a new unipolar
photothermoelectric terahertz detection mechanism involving only electrons was
discovered, and high-speed, high-sensitivity terahertz wave detection was successfully
achieved for the first time (press released on Dec. 2022). Second, regarding optical-to-
wireless carrier frequency down-conversion devices (UTC-PD-integrated HEMT photonic
double-mixers) required for realization of beyond-5G networks, we paid attention to atechnique of generating low-noise, high-intensity optical signal input to a double-mixer andshowed that the linear enhancement of the conversion gain with up to 10-dB enhancement
is expected (received the Best Poster Paper Award at the IRMMW-THz 2023).
(6) Quantum-Optical Information Technology
Our goal is to develop quantum information devices utilizing the quantum interaction
between photons and electrons in solids.
In 2022, we have achieved (1) evaluation of error-disturbance uncertainty relation in
Faraday measurement, (2) generation of spectrally factorable photon pairs via controlled
quasi-phase-matched spontaneous parametric down-conversion, (3) development of
ultra-low-loss, circuit photon memory (buffer), and (4) plasmon-enhanced single photon
source coupled to an optical nanofiber.

15

2022
Research Laboratory of Ultrahigh-Speed Optical Communication

Toward Innovative Optical Transmission from Backbone to Access Networks
Research Area of Ultrahigh-Speed Optical TransmissionToshihiko Hirooka, Professor
Research Area of Lightwave Control SystemKeisuke Kasai, Associate Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
Advanced global ICT services such as
ultrahigh-definition
video
transmission
andultra-realistic
communication cannot be realized(b)
without high-speed and large-capacity
optical transmission systems. At thesame time, optical transmission
schemes with high spectral efficiency
are crucial in terms of the maximum(a)(c)
utilization of limited bandwidth Fig. 1. Coherently-linked optical and wirelessresources. In our laboratory, we are transmission using a 28 GHz band microstrip
engagedinresearch
on antenna
ultrahigh-speed optical transmission
using optical time division multiplexing with a single-channel Tbit/s-class capacity, digital
coherent QAM optical transmission, and high-speed and spectrally efficient opticaltransmission by combining these two approaches. With a view to supporting innovative
new ICT services such as 5G and IoT, our goal is also to apply digital coherent transmission
to access networks and mobile fronthaul, and to develop novel transmission schemes
integrating optical and wireless communications. This year, by applying ourcoherently-linked optical and wireless transmission scheme with an injection-locked carrier
frequency converter to a 28 GHz band in practical use for 5G, we successfully demonstrated
a 16 Gbit/s, 256 QAM coherently-linked optical and wireless transmission over a 10 km
fiber and 3 m wirelessly by using a microstrip antenna.
RU (Antenna site)

CU/DU

EDFA

10 mW

PC

IQ
mod.

Opt.
filter

Opt. freq.
shifter

2 Gbaud, QPSK, 16 QAM
64, 128, 256 QAM
fs - fTone = 28 GHz

4 cm

Antenna

AWG

LD

6.7 cm28 GHzIF data

Opt. filter

SMF
10 km

PIN
PD

LD

Pin = 6 dBm

Injection-locked carrier frequency converter

0.01 nm res.

28 GHz-256 QAM

IQ Mixer User terminal

EVM 2.5 %

DSP

PT

1~3 m

28 GHzIF spectrum

256 QAM data and PT signal spectrum[Staff]
Professor: Toshihiko Hirooka, Dr.  Associate Professor: Keisuke Kasai, Dr.
[Profile]
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 aProfessor at the Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University. He
has been engaged in research on ultrahigh-speed optical communications and nonlinear
fiber optics.
Keisuke Kasai received the Ph. D. degree from Tohoku University in 2008. From 2009 to
2012, he was a JSPS Research Fellow. He is currently an Associate Professor at the
Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University. He has been engaged
in research on lightwave control techniques and coherent optical communications.
[Papers][1] K. Kasai, T. Kan, M. Yoshida, T. Hirooka, and M. Nakazawa, “Broadband injection-locked

homodyne receiver for digital coherent transmission using a low Q Fabry-Perot LD,” Opt.
Express, vol. 30, no. 8, pp. 13345-13355, April (2022).
[2] K. Kimura, M. Yoshida, K. Kasai, T. Hirooka, and M. Nakazawa, “Experimental andNumerical Analysis of Ultrahigh-Speed Coherent Nyquist Pulse Transmission with
Low-Nonlinearity Dispersion Compensator,” IEICE Trans. Comm., vol. E105-B, no. 9, pp.
1014-1022, Sep. (2022).
[3] M. Nakazawa, K. Kasai, M. Yoshida, and T. Hirooka, “Optical and Wireless Linked Fully
Coherent Access System toward Next Generation RAN,” IEICE Trans. Electron. (in Japanese),
invited paper, vol. J105-C, no. 11, pp. 315-328, Nov. (2022).

16

Contact to Professor HIROOKA Toshihiko : toshihiko.hirooka.a8@tohoku.ac.jp

2022
Applied Quantum Optics

Research on Innovative Highly Functional Photonic Semiconductor Devices
Highly Functional Photonics
Hiroshi Yasaka, Professor
High accuracy optical measurement
Masato Yoshida, Associate Professor
Emerging semiconductor light source
Nobuhide Yokota, Associate Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
Novel functional photonic devices including high function laser diode (LD) sources arebeing investigated to explore new-generation photonic network systems.
The study on ultra-high-speed semiconductor lasers is being continued. It was confirmed
experimentally that the hybrid modulation semiconductor laser source with total cavity length of
410 Pm has wide modulation bandwidth up to 124 GHz. Furthermore high SNR FMCW LiDAR
system is realized by applying compact and narrow linewidth optical negative feedback
semiconductor laser sources we proposed.

Schematic structure of short cavity hybrid modulation laser (left) and its measured frequency
response (right).

[Staff]
Professor
㸸Associate Professor 㸸
Associate Professor 㸸

Hiroshi Yasaka, Dr.
Masato Yoshida, Dr.
Nobuhide Yokota, Dr.

[Profile]
Hiroshi Yasaka received Ph.D. degree in electronic engineering from Hokkaido University in 1993.
In 1985 he joined Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) Corporation. From 2008 he has been aprofessor of Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University.
Masato Yoshida received Ph.D. degree in electronic engineering from Tohoku University in 2001.
In 2001, he joined the Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University. He iscurrently an Associate Professor of the Institute.
Nobuhide Yokota received Ph.D. degree in engineering from Nara Institute of Science andTechnology in 2014. In 2014, he joined the Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku
University. He is currently an Associate Professor of the Institute.

[Papers][1]
H. Yasaka, W. Kobayashi and N. Yokota, "Numerical Analysis of 100-Gbit/s Dynamic Single-Mode
Operation of Hybrid-Modulation Semiconductor Lasers," IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, vol. 59, No.
2, 1200107, 2023.
[2]
T. Shima, N. Yokota, M. Yoshida, W. Kobayashi and H. Yasaka, "Measurement of 124-GHz E/O
modulation bandwidth in hybrid modulation laser," IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, vol. 35, No. 10, pp.
565-568, 2023.

Contact to Professor YASAKA Hiroshi : hiroshi.yasaka.c4@tohoku.ac.jp

17

2022
Advanced Wireless Information Technology

For realization of the next generation wireless devices and systems
Advanced Wireless Information Technology Noriharu Suematsu, Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
We are actively engaged
Radio wave (UHF/microwave/mm-wave)
in research work on wireless
MIMO
Internet of Things (IoT)
Tx Mixer
Tx Signal
HPA
Multi(Digital)
Antennatechnologies
for
next
DAC
EncoderModulator
FilterFiltergeneration wireless systems,
Channel selector
Voltage controlled
Control
oscillator (VCO)
Tx/Rx
which include terrestrial /signalChannel measurement
Switchand estimation
Synthesizer
satellite
communications.
PLL
LNA
Frequency
domainThe covered areas of us are
DeDecoder
ADC
Filterequalizer
modulator
FilterRx Signal (FDE)
all technical fields from the
Rx
Mixer
Beam
(Digital)
Heterogeneous/Forming
lower to higher layers, i.e.,
Multi-band RF/mmWave CMOS IC
Channel Estimation
Beam-forming Transmitter/Receiver
digital signal processing,
Signal Processing
RF/Mixed-signal
device,Fig. The target system ofantenna, transceiver, andAdvanced Wireless Information Technology Laboratory.
subsystem technologies.
This year, we have successfully developed a 40GHz direct digital RF transmitter which utilizing thend
2 . image component of 32Gbps NRZ DAC output. We also developed over 100GHz-band on-chipantenna measurement system.
[Staff]
Professor: Noriharu Suematsu, Ph. D
Assistant Professor: Tomoyuki Furuichi, Ph.D
Research Fellow: Jean Temga, Ph.D
[Profile]
Noriharu Suematsu received the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electronics and Communication
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 ofElectrical Communication (RIEC), Tohoku University. He received the OHM technology award fromthe promotion foundation for electrical science and engineering in 2002 and Prize for Science andTechnology, the Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture,
Sports, Science and Technology in 2009.He is a fellow of IEICE[Papers][1] R. Tamura, M. Motoyoshi, S. Kameda, N. Suematsu, "7.5 GHz-Band Digital Beamforming Using 1-bit Direct Digital
RF Transmitter with 10GbE Optical Module," 51th European Microwave Conference (EuMC), pp. 51-54, Apr. 2022.
[2] L. Zhu, S.-H. Shin, R. Payapulli, T. Machii, M. Motoyoshi, N. Suematsu, N. M. Ridler, S. Lucyszyn, "3-D printed
sub-THz rectangular waveguide with integrated 65 nm CMOS RFIC," IEEE Microwave and Wireless Technology
Letters (MWTL), Vol. 33, pp. 157-160, Feb. 2023.
[3] J. Zhang, N. Suematsu, "A 20GHz-Band Optical-Fiber-Feed 1-Bit Bandpass Delta-Sigma Direct Digital RF
Transmitter Using First Image Component of the QSFP28 Module Output," 3rd URSI Atlantic and Asia Pacific Radio
Science Meeting (AT-AP-RASC), May. 2022.
[4] J. Temga, M. Motoyoshi, N. Suematsu, "100GHz-Band On-Chip 1x2 Phased Array Antenna Fed By hybrid Coupler
On 45nm CMOS SOI," 2022 IEEE Radio-Frequency Integration Technology (RFIT), pp. 164-166, Aug. 2022.
[5] J. Zhang, N. Suematsu, "40GHz-Band Direct Digital RF Modulator using the 2nd Image Component of 1-Bit
Delta-Sigma Modulated Signal," 2022 Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference (APMC), pp. 496-498, Nov. 2022.

18

Contact to Professor SUEMATSU Noriharu : noriharu.suematsu.a3@tohoku.ac.jp

2022
Information Storage System Laboratory

High Density and High Speed Energy Assisted Magnetic Recording,and Computational Storage System ResearchInformation Storage࣭Computing Systems, Yoichiro Tanaka, Professor
Recording Theory Computation, Simon Greaves, Associate Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
Research on next-generation perpendicular magnetic recording is being carried out to meet thestrong demand for high density, high performance storage due to the rapid growth of the Internet
and web services. We use computer simulations to study recording systems and novel technologies
to realize high speed, high density data storage. To achieve high performance data-intensive
analytics, an intelligent computational storage platform is targeted.
To increase the storage density and reduce the cost of data
Disaggregated Com pute Cluster
storage we are investigating novel, three-dimensional,
Neuron I m aging App.
Com put e NodeCom puter Nodeenergy-assisted recording technologies that enable selective
recording on media with multiple, discrete recording layers[1][2]. This year, our research concentrated on heat-assisted
Ceph FS
magnetic recording (HAMR), with the aim of doubling the
I nterconnect Fabric up to 1 0 0 Gb/ s
storage capacity. We have also been studying arrays of
spintronic devices for use in artificial neural networks.
Storage Node- 1
Storage Node- 2
Storage Node- F
In addition, we have constructed a computational storage
testbed system with 2PB storage with unified computation
capability and integrated object based distributed storage
PB- Class Ceph Dat a Store
Ceph. By using visualization analytics of brain neuro
structures, large scale data access performance was evaluated.
Computational Storage Testbed[Staff]
Professor: Yoichiro Tanaka, Ph.D.
Associate Professor: Simon Greaves, Ph.D.
1/+''6WRUDJH

1/+''6WRUDJH

6$66$7$66'[Profile]
Yoichiro Tanaka received his BE, MS, and Ph.D. from Tohoku University in 1981, 1983, and 2006,
respectively. He joined Toshiba Corporation in 1983. He has been at RIEC, Tohoku University since2019. His research focus has been on high density perpendicular magnetic recording and information
storage systems. He received the Japan Magnetic Society Achievement Award (2006) and Okochi
Memorial Prize (2007). He is a fellow of the Japan Magnetic Society and IEEE Magnetic Society
Distinguished Lecturer for 2023.
Simon Greaves has been at Tohoku University since 2003. He developed micromagnetic simulation
software to model magnetic recording and to investigate the potential of magnetic, information
storage devices. He received his Ph.D. in 1993 from Salford University, UK.
[Papers][1] H. Yamane, S. Greaves and Y. Tanaka, “Optimising the thickness and diameter of dual structure
patterned media dots for heat assisted magnetic recording”, IEEE Trans. Mag. Vol. 58, No. 8,3200705, (2022).
[2] S. J. Greaves and Y. Kanai, “Hysteresis loops of recording media grains under the influence ofhigh-frequency fields”, IEEE Trans. Mag. Vol. 59, No. 3, 3200607, (2023).
[3] Y. Kawada and Y. Tanaka, “Evaluation study of data access performance of distributed storage
Ceph, using a brain neuronal structure visualization tool, Magnetics Society of Japan 46th
Annual Conference, 08aD-8, (2022).
Contact to Professor TANAKA Yoichiro : yoichiro.tanaka.e1@tohoku.ac.jp

19

2022
Ultra-broadband Signal Processing

Novel Millimeter-wave and Terahertz Integrated Electron Devices and Systems
Ultra-Broadband Devices and Systems: Taiichi OTSUJI, Professor
Ultra-Broadband Device Physics: Akira SATOU, Associate Professor[Research Target and Activities]
Top: Schematic and scanningelectron micrograph images of anasymmetric dual-grating gate
graphene-channel FET THz
detector (left) and measurement
resultsofTHz
detection
sensitivity (responsivity) andnoise equivalent power (NEP)(right).
Bottom: Schematic scanningelectron micrograph images of
the UTC-PD-integrated HEMT
photonic double-mixer (left) andmeasurement results of the gainof 100-GHz optical-to-wirelesscarrierfrequency
downconversion with high-intensity
optical signal input (right).

We are developing novel, integrated electron devices and circuit systems operating in the terahertz(THz) region. First, a prototype field-effect transistor with a unique asymmetric double-grating gate
structure using a monolayer of carbon atoms: graphene as a channel, and a new unipolar
photothermoelectric terahertz detection mechanism involving only electrons was discovered, and highspeed, high-sensitivity terahertz wave detection was successfully achieved for the first time (press
released on Dec. 2022). Second, regarding optical-to-wireless carrier frequency down-conversion devices(UTC-PD-integrated HEMT photonic double-mixers) required for realization of beyond-5G networks,
we paid attention to a technique of generating low-noise, high-intensity optical signal input to a doublemixer and showed that the linear enhancement of the conversion gain with up to 10-dB enhancement
is expected (received the Best Poster Paper Award at a prestigious international conference).
[Staff]
Professor: Taiichi OTSUJI, Dr. Eng.
Associate Professors: Akira SATOU, Dr. Comp. Sci.
Specially Appointed Associate Professor: Tsung-Tse LIN, Dr. Eng.
Assistant Professors: Takayuki WATANABE, Dr. Eng., and Chao TANG, Dr. Eng.
Research Fellow: Victor RYZHII, Ph.D.
Secretary: Minori KANNO[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 2019 Prizes for Science and Technology, theCommendation for Science and Technology, MEXT, Japan. A Distinguished Lecturer, Electron Device
Society, IEEE. A member of IEEE (Fellow), OSA (Fellow), JSAP (Fellow), IEICE (Senior), MRS, and SPIE.
Akira SATOU: received Dr. Comp. Sci. from Univ. of Aizu, Japan, in 2008. He was an Assistant Lecturer,
ISTC, Univ. of Aizu, in 2008 and CAIST, Univ. of Aizu, in 2009. He joined RIEC, Tohoku Univ., Japan,
in 2010 as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to an Associate Professor in 2017. He is a memberof IEEE (Senior), APS, JSAP, and IEICE.
[Papers][1] K. Tamura, C. Tang, D. Ogiura, K. Suwa, H. Fukidome, Y. Takida, H. Minamide, T. Suemitsu, T. Otsuji, and A.
Satou, "Fast and sensitive terahertz detection in a current-driven epitaxial-graphene asymmetric dual-grating-gate
FET structure," APL Photonics, vol. 7, iss. 7, pp. 16101-1-10, Dec. 2022. DOI: 10.1063/5.0122305 (Featured article)[4] V. Ryzhii, T. Otsuji, M. Ryzhii, V. Mitin, and M.S. Shur, "Resonant plasmonic terahertz detection in gated graphene p-i-n field-effectstructures enabled by nonlinearity from Zener-Klein tunneling," Phys. Rev. Appl., vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 034022-1-12, Sept. 2022.
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevApplied.18.034022[5] M. Ryzhii, V. Ryzhii, T. Otsuji, V. Mitin, and M.S. Shur, "Coulomb drag and plasmonic effects in graphene field-effect transistors enable
resonant terahertz detection," Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 120, iss. 11, pp. 111102-1-6, March 2022. DOI: 10.1063/5.0087678
20

Contact to Professor OTSUJI Taiichi : taiichi.otsuji.e8@tohoku.ac.jp

2022
Quantum-Optical Information Technology

Development of optoelectronic devices for quantum information andcommunication technology
Quantum--Opticall Informationn Systems:: Keiichii Ed
damatsu,, Professorr
Quantum--Opticall Informationn Devices:: Fumihiroo Kaneda,, Associatee Professorr[Research Target and Activities]
Our goal is to develop quantum information devices
and systems utilizing quantum interaction between
photons and electrons in solids. In 2022, we haveachieved (1) evaluation of error-disturbance uncertainty relation in Faraday measurement, (2) generationof spectrally factorable photon pairs via controlled
quasi-phase-matched spontaneous parametric down-

gle photon source coupled to an optical nanofiber.

[Staff]
Professor: Keiichi Edamatsu, Dr.
Associate Professor: Fumihiro Kaneda, Dr.
Assistant Professor: BAEK Soyoung, Dr.
[Profile]
Keiichi Edamatsu received B.S., M.S., and D.S. degrees
in 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 Schoolof Engineering Science, Osaka University.
Fumihiro Kaneda received B.S. degree in Physics, M.S.
and D.S. degrees in Engineering from Tohoku University. He was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in University of Illinois, and an Assistant Professor in Frontier
Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences,
Tohoku University.

Fig. 1. Error-disturbance uncertainty relation in Faraday measurement.

㻝㻡㻢㻜㻵㼚 㼠㼑㼚 㼟㼕㼠㼥 㻔㼐 㻮㻕

photon memory (buffer), and (4) plasmon-enhanced sin-㻵㼐 㼘㼑㼞 㼃 㼍 㼢㼑㼘㼑㼚 㼓 㼠㼔 㻔㼚 㼙 㻕conversion, (3) development of ultra-low-loss, circuit

㻝㻡㻡㻜

㻝㻡㻠㻜

㻝㻡㻟㻜
㻝㻡㻟㻜

㻝㻡㻠㻜
㻝㻡㻡㻜
㻝㻡㻢㻜
㻿㼕㼓 㼚 㼍 㼘 㼃 㼍㼢㼑㼘㼑㼚 㼓 㼠㼔 㻔㼚 㼙 㻕Fig. 2. Joint spectral distribution of a photon pair produced via controlled quasiphase-matched spontaneous parametricdownconversion.

[Papers][1] B.H. Le and K. Edamatsu, “Error-disturbance uncertainty relations in Faraday measurements”, Phys.
Rev. A 105, 052228 (2022) doi: 10.1103/physreva.105.052228[2] M. Sugawara, Y. Xuan, Y. Mitsumori, K. Edamatsu, and M. Sadgrove, “Plasmon-enhanced polarized
single photon source directly coupled to an optical fiber”, Phys. Rev. Research 4, 043146 (2022) doi:
10.1103/physrevresearch.4.043146

Contact to Professor EDAMATSU Keiichi : keiichi.edamatsu.e3@tohoku.ac.jp

21

2022
Aims and Achievements of Human Information Systems Division
To realize advanced information communications systems, it is essential to understand andapply sophisticated information processing mechanisms of human beings as well as to establish
communications environments in which humans can communicate anywhere, anytime without
recognizing the communications tools. The aim of this division is to research and develop core andsystem technologies essential to advanced human-friendly information and communications
systems through understanding biological information generation mechanisms, human information
processing mechanisms focusing on acoustic and visual inputs, and optimizing the communications
environments.
To achieve the goal of the Division, six laboratories have been carrying out research anddevelopments in the following areas: (1) Electromagnetic Bioinformation Engineering, (2) Advanced
Acoustic Information Systems, (3) Visual Cognition and Systems, (4) Information Content, (5)Real-world computing, (6) Nano-Bio Hybrid Molecular Devices, (7) Multimodal Cognitive System
Laboratory.
The goals and achievements in the fiscal year 2022 of each laboratory are described in detailbelow.

(1) Electromagnetic Bioinformation Engineering(Aims) This laboratory aims at obtaining the high accuracy sensor system for the signals from thehuman body or electric devices and at obtaining the system for approaching action to the humanbody by using the nano-scale controlled magnetic materials and by the development of the devices
under the functions of the magnetics.
(Achievements) We have developed a new synchronization method for high-frequency magnetic fieldmeasurements using a pulsed laser and a magnetic garnet. This research has made it possible toobserve high-frequency magnetic field distributions. We also improved the performance of magnetic
garnet materials to develop new magneto-optical devices, which may lead to the creation of devices
that interact with living organisms and improve the detection of unwanted electromagnetic waves.

(2) Advanced Acoustic Information Systems(Aims) To propose high-definition communication systems that convey a rich and natural sense ofpresence. To this end, we are developing acoustic information processing technologies based onwell-grounded knowledge of the human auditory system and the multimodal perception processes
related to hearing.
(Achievements) We have focused on the mechanism of auditory and multisensory information
processing. To generate multimodal contents, we proposed a multiple regression model to decide theoptimal amplitude of whole-body vibration using visual and acoustic features. We also investigated
the usefulness of the presentation of spatio-temporal cues for speech comprehension in the cocktail
party situation in patients with listening difficulties. In addition, we developed advanced acoustic
systems, such as 3D virtual auditory displays, sound acquisition, and presentation systems. This
22

2022
fiscal year, we proposed a new ear-centering method to synthesize near-field head-related transfer
functions (HRTFs) from far-field HRTFs using the spherical Fourier transform and distance-varying
filters.

(3) Visual Cognition and Systems(Aims) To understand the vision-related brain functions in order to apply the knowledge to realize
human-oriented information communication systems.
(Achievements) In 2022, our major achievements were the followings. 1) We investigated the method
to estimate attentional levels during learning using facial expressions. We defined the attentional
state as the response time to detect a target irrelevant to learning and attempted to predict the
response time from facial expressions using a machine learning method. 2) Regarding collinear
search impairment (CSI) in visual search, we examined the effect of grouping as a possible factor
underlying the phenomenon. We examined whether the vertical grouping of elements of
non-conspicuous lines influences the CSI, reducing the grouping effect with 45°orientation elements.
The results showed that the grouping factor is not the cause of the CSI.

(4) Information Content(Aims) As the Internet of Things (IoT) expands, everything around us coming online and joining
integrated networks. Even everyday items like furniture are going digital. We view all artifacts,
physical and digital, as content. Honoring the unique perspectives of people, systems, and theenvironments they inhabit, we study the interactions between types of content, with the ultimate
goal of formulating cohesive, holistic, and intuitive approaches that promote efficiency, ease of use,and effective communication, we focus on content design to enhance living.
(Achievements) In this year, we primarily worked on a gaze-tracking system using a single
smartphone, a magnetic-based force input interface for smartphone, a dead angle free magnetic 3D
motion tracking system using monofrequency multiaxis 3D passive magnetic markers, and aroom-scale interactive partitioning system using robotic partitions.

(5) Real-world computing(Aims) This laboratory aims at understanding the mechanism underlying the adaptive and resilient
behavior of animals from the viewpoint of decentralized control schemes.
(Achievements) The main contributions achieved in 2022 are summarized as follows: (1) we haveproposed an inter-limb coordination mechanism of centipedes that exploits flexible bodies; (2) wehave proposed a mechanism for non-steady locomotion of extinct animals; (3) we have proposed adecentralized control scheme for mobile agents that can avoid collisions; (4) we have designed aquadruped robot that has flexible body based on anatomical findings.

23

2022
(6) Nano-Bio Hybrid Molecular Devices(Aims) Our research activities focus on the development of sophisticated molecular-scale devices
through the combination of well-established microfabrication techniques and various soft materials,
such as biomaterials and organic materials.
(Achievements) This year, we constructed two types of artificial cell membrane systems forfunctional analysis of ion channel proteins and established the technology basis for novel drug
screening systems and innovative analysis of membrane protein functions. We also developed asurface modification method for recording the activity of patterned cultured neurons with hightemporal resolution, and succeeded in pattern classification of speech signals using the stimulus
responses of cultured neuronal networks. In addition, we have established a fabrication process offlexible electrodes for in vivo nerve stimulation based on bionanofiber films through aninternational collaboration.

(7) Multimodal Cognitive System(Aims) This group aims to study the basic mechanisms underlying multimodal cognitive systems,
including vision, audition, tactile sensation, gustation, and olfaction, together with the relatedgroups such as the Advanced Acoustic Information Systems and the Visual Cognition and Systems
groups.
(Achievements) In this year, we have done some studies about the followings; the cross-cultural
survey about the difference of gustatory evoked color-images with auditory evoked color-images; therole of the odor in transmittion of emotion; the evaluative change after receiving the information of
the product. We have also started the cognitive studies about the development of the consciousnessof vision and of audition, the attentional system of vision with audition.

24

2022
Electromagnetic Bioinformation Engineering

Communication with human body
Electromagnetic Bioinformation Engineering, Kazushi Ishiyama, Professor
Electromagnetic Bioinformation Materials, Taichi Goto, Associate Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
This laboratory developed a new synchronization method for measuring high-frequency magnetic
fields using a pulse laser and magnetic garnet. They also improved the performance of magnetic
garnet materials to develop new magnetooptical devices, potentially leading to the creation of devices
that interact with living organisms and improve detection of unwanted electromagnetic waves.

Fig. 1. Measurement results of thehigh-frequency magnetic field distribution
generated by the microcoil inside the chip.
The measured magnetic field frequency is
2.4 GHz.

Fig. 2. Cross-sectional transmission electron
microscope image of a cerium-doped magnetic
garnet. Crystalline and non-crystalline areas
have been identified.

[Staff]
Professor: Kazushi Ishiyama, Dr.
Associate Professor: Taichi Goto, Dr.
[Profile]
Kazushi Ishiyama received his MS and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering from Tohoku University
in 1986 and 1993, respectively. His research interests are magnetics and magnetic applications.
Taichi Goto received his MS and PhD degrees in Electronic Information Engineering from Toyohashi
University of Technology in 2009 and 2011, respectively. His research interests are magnetics device
and materials.
[Papers][1] Yuki Yoshihara, Tomoya Sugita, Pang Boey Lim, Yasuyuki Tamba, Hiroaki Inoue, Kazushi Ishiyama, Mitsuteru Inoue,
Caroline A. Ross and Taichi Goto, "Thickness-dependent magnetooptical properties of ion beam sputteredpolycrystalline Ce1Y2Fe5O12 films", Optical Materials, 133, 112967 (2022), doi: 10.1016/j.optmat.2022.112967.
[2] Hideyuki Horie, Takashi Isoyama and Kazushi Ishiyama, "Design of an Innovative Wireless Left Ventricular Assist
Device Driven by either Extracorporeal Magnets or an Intracorporeal Battery Pack", ASAIO Journal, 69, e73-e79(2023), 10.1097/mat.0000000000001874.

Contact to Professor ISHIYAMA Kazushi : kazushi.ishiyama.d8@tohoku.ac.jp

25

2022
Advanced Acoustic Information Systems

Towards high-level acoustic information communication systems
Advanced Acoustic Information Systems: Shuichi Sakamoto, Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
Our research goal is to clarify how humans process
information through "hearing," which is one of themost important modalities in human perception. In
addition, we investigate the multimodal processing ofauditory and visual information, as well as
proprioception. Our findings are applied towards thedevelopment of advanced acoustic communication
systems and user interfaces, including the realistic
and comfortable expression of three-dimensional (3D)
sound spaces. One typical example is the developmentof new type of 3D auditory displays, which present
spatial sound images by simulating the transfer
functions for the sound paths from the sound sources Fig. 1 Application for the training ofto the listeners' external ears. Another example is the spatial cognition using a high-definition
proposal of 3D sound field information sensing systems. virtual auditory display
These systems are expected to convey a high-quality virtual sound space, which is keenly sought for
multimedia communications, cyberspace systems, and virtual reality systems.
In FY2022, we focused on the effectiveness of adding whole-body vibration information to audio-visualcontent. It is known that whole-body vibration, which vibrates the entire body, is closely related toperceived reality. We have reported that a low-pass filtered sound was regarded as a time wave of thevibration and provided to the users. This year, we investigated the vibration level perceived as optimalfor the audio-visual content. The results of the experiments revealed that the optimal vibration levelcan be explained by a multiple regression model using acoustic and visual features of the audio-visualcontents [1]. This result suggests that the optimal vibration level can be estimated for any type ofcontent by extracting the acoustic and visual features.
[Staff]
Professor: Dr. Shuichi Sakamoto[Profile]
Shuichi Sakamoto graduated from Tohoku University in 1997 and received his Ph. D. degree in 2004
also from Tohoku University. His research interests include human auditory and multisensory
information processing and development of advanced multimodal information systems. From 2016 to
2019, he was serving as a board member of the Acoustical Society of Japan.
[Papers]
[1]
[2]
[3]

26

S. Abe, S. Sakamoto, Z. Cui, and Y. Suzuki, “Determination of optimal levels of whole-body vibration
using audio-visual information of multimodal content,” Journal of Information Hiding and Multimedia
Signal Processing, 13(4), 226-238(2022).
T. Kawase, R. Teraoka, C. Obuchi, and S. Sakamoto, “Temporal and directional cue effects on the
cocktail party problem for patients with listening difficulties without clinical hearing loss,” Ear andHearing, 43(6), 1740-1751 (2022).
A. Urviola, S. Sakamoto, and C. D. Salvador, “Ear centering for accurate synthesis of near-fieldhead-related transfer functions” Applied Sciences, 12(16), 8290 (2022).

Contact to Professor SAKAMOTO Syuichi : shuichi.sakamoto.d5@tohoku.ac.jp

2022
Visual Cognition and Systems Laboratory

Understanding human visual system for the better communication
with visual information

Visuall Cog
gnitionn andd Systems:: Satosshii SHIOIRI,, Professor
Attentionn andd Learnning
g Systems:: Chia--hueii TSENG,, Associatee Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
Our target is to understand the vision-related brain functions in order to apply theknowledge to realize human oriented information communication systems. In 2022, ourmajor achievements were the followings. 1) We investigated the method to estimate
attentional levels during learning using facial expressions. We defined the attentional stateas the response time to detect a target irrelevant
sound and attempted to predict the responsetime from facial expressions using a machinelearning method. 2) Regarding collinear search
impairment (CSI) in visual search, we examinedthe effect of grouping as a possible factor
underlying the phenomenon. We examined
whether vertical grouping of elements of
non-conspicuous lines influences the CSI,
The schematic diagram of the proposed
reducing the grouping effect with 45° orientation
method. Attentional state is predicted
elements. The results showed that the grouping
from the facial features.
factor is not the cause of the CSI.
[Staff]
Professor㸸Satoshi Shioiri, Ph.D.
Associate Professor㸸Chia-huei Tseng, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor㸸Yasuhiro Hatori, Ph.D.
[Profile]
Satoshi SHIOIRI: Professor Shioiri graduated Tokyo Institute of Technology and received
Dr. Eng in 1986. Then, he was a postdoctoral researcher at University of Montreal until
1989. From 1989 to 1990, he was a research fellow at Auditory and Visual Perception
Laboratories of Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute. From 1990 to 2005, he
was an assistant professor at Department of Image Sciences, an associate professor at
Department of Image, Information Sciences, and a professor at Department of Medical
Systems. Since 2005, he has been a professor at Tohoku University.
Chia-huei TSENG: She received her B.S. and B.M.S. from National Taiwan University and
PhD from The University of California, Irvine, U.S.A. She was a post-doc researcher atLaboratory of Vision Research at the Center for Cognitive Science, Rutgers University, New
Jersey. Before joining Tohoku University as associate professor in 2016, she was auniversity professor in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
[Papers][1] R. Miao, H. Kato, Y. Hatori, Y. Sato, S. Shioiri, “Analysis of Facial Expressions for the
Estimation of Concentration on Online Lectures,” Proceedings of World Conference ofComputers in Education, 2022.
[2] H. Kato, K. Takahashi, Y. Hatori, Y. Sato, S. Shioiri, “Prediction of Engagement from Facial
Expression: Effect of Dynamic Factors,” Proceeding of the 18th International Conference onIntelligent Information Hiding and Multimedia Signal Processing, 2022.
[3] L Jingling, S Shioiri, Testing the effect of display organization in the collinear search
impairment, Perception 51 (9), 658-671, 2022

Contact to Professor SHIOIRI Satoshi : satoshi.shioiri.b5@tohoku.ac.jp

27

2022
Information Content

Technologies for Interactive Content
Interactive Content Design
Yoshifumi KITAMURA,
Professor
Human-Content Interaction
Kazuki TAKASHIMA,
Associate Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
As IoT expands, everything around us coming online and joining integrated networks. Even everyday
items like furniture are going digital. We view all artifacts, physical and digital, as content. Honoring
the unique perspectives of people, systems, and the environments they inhabit, we study theinteractions between types of content, with the ultimate goal of formulating cohesive, holistic, andintuitive approaches that promote efficiency, ease of use, and effective communication.
In this year, we primarily worked on a gaze-tracking system using single smartphone, amagnetic-based force input interface for smartphone, adead angle free magnetic 3D motion tracking system,
and a room-scale interactive partitioning system using
robotic partitions.

[Staff]
Professor: Yoshifumi Kitamura, Dr.
Associate Professor: Kazuki Takashima, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Kazuyuki Fujita, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Kaori Ikematsu, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Miao Cheng, Dr.
[Profile]
Yoshifumi Kitamura: He is active in academic and professional communities, and has served inpositions such as the Japan Liaison of IFIP TC-13 (Human-Computer Interaction), Japan Liaison and
Chair of ACM SIGCHI Asian Development Committee, Chair of Japan ACM SIGCHI Chapter,
Steering Committee Chair of ACM VRST, SIGGRAPH Asia 2015 Conference Chair, General Chair of
ACM CHI 2021. His formal education was obtained at Osaka University, B.Sc (1985); M.Sc. (1987);
and Ph.D. (1996).
Kazuki Takashima: He received a Ph.D from the Information Science and Technology at Osaka
University in 2008. He joined the Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University
as an assistant professor in 2011, and became an associate Professor in 2018.

[Papers]
1.

Takahiro Nagai, Kazuyuki Fujita, Kazuki Takashima, Yoshifumi Kitamura, HandyGaze: A Gaze Tracking Technique for Room-Scale
Environments using a Single Smartphone, Proc. of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, Vol. 6, ISS, 562, 143-160, November 2022.

2.

Taichi Tsuchida, Kazuyuki Fujita, Kaori Ikematsu, Sayan Sarcar, Kazuki Takashima, Yoshifumi Kitamura, TetraForce: A Magnetic-Based
Interface Enabling Pressure Force and Shear Force Input Applied to Front and Back of a Smartphone, Proc. of the ACM on
Human-Computer Interaction, Vol. 6, ISS, 564, 185-206, November 2022,

3.

Yuhei Osaka, Jiawei Huang, Yoshifumi Kitamura, Learning to Track Monofrequency Multiaxis 3-D Passive Magnetic Markers, IEEE
Sensors Journal, 22, 19, 18878 - 18889, October 2022.

4.

Yuki Onishi, Kazuki Takashima, Kazuyuki Fujita, Yoshifumi Kitamura, WaddleWalls: Room-scale Interactive Partitioning System using a
Swarm of Robotic Partitions, Proceedings of the 35th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology, 29, 1-15,
October 2022.

28

Contact to Professor KITAMURA Yoshifumi : yoshifumi.kitamura.b8@tohoku.ac.jp

2022


Real-world Computing

Toward Understanding Design Principle for Life-like Resilient Systems
5HDOZRUOG&RPSXWLQJAkio Ishiguro, Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
Living organisms exhibit surprisingly adaptive and versatile behavior in real time under
unpredictable and unstructured real world constraints. Such behaviors are achieved via
spatiotemporal coordination of a significantly large number of bodily degrees of freedom. Clarifying
these remarkable abilities enable us to understand life-like complex adaptive systems as well as toconstruct truly intelligent artificial systems. A prominent concept for addressing this issue is“autonomous decentralized control”, in which non-trivial macroscopic functionalities are emerged
via spatiotemporal coordination among vast amount of autonomous components that cannot be
explained solely in terms of individual functionality. We study the design principle of autonomous
decentralized systems that exhibit life-like resilient behaviors from the viewpoints of robotics,
mathematics, nonlinear science, and physics.

Fig.1: Adaptive centipede walking via
synergetic
coupling
betweendecentralized control and flexible
body dynamics

Fig.2: Decentralized control ofmultiple mobile agents forquick, smooth, and safe
movement

Fig.3: Autonomous decentralized
gait
controllaw
fornon-stationary motion[Staff]
Professor: Akio ISHIGURO, Dr.
Associate Professor: Takeshi KANO, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Akira FUKUHARA, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Kotaro YASUI, Dr.
[Profile]
Akio ISHIGURO received B.E., M.E., and Ph.D. degrees from Nagoya University in 1987, 1989, and1991, respectively. From 1991 to 1997, he was with Nagoya University as an assistant professor.
From May 1997 to 2006, he was an associate professor, Nagoya University. From 2006 to 2011, he
was a professor of the Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University. Since April 2011, he has
been a professor of Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University. His main
research interests are in bio-inspired robotics, nonlinear dynamics. He received 2004 IROS Best
Paper Award, 2008 Ig Nobel Prize (Cognitive Science Prize), 2012 IEEE/RSJ JCTF Novel
Technology Paper Award for Amusement Culture Finalist, Living Machines 2012 Best Paper Award.
[Papers][1] Yasui K, Takano S, KanoௗT, Ishiguro A (2022) Adaptive centipede walking via synergetic coupling
between decentralized control and flexible body dynamics. Front. Robot. AI, 9:797566.
[2] Kano T, Kanno T, Mikami T and Ishiguro A (2022) Active-sensing-based decentralized control of
autonomous mobile agents for quick and smooth collision avoidance. Front. Robot. AI 9:992716.
[3] Sellers WI, Cross CF, Fukuhara A, Ishiguro A and Hirasaki E (2022) Producing non-steady-state
gaits (starting, stopping, and turning) in a biologically realistic quadrupedal simulation. Front. Ecol.
Evol. 10:954838.
Contact to Professor ISHIGURO Akio : akio.ishiguro.b1@tohoku.ac.jp

29

2022
Nano-Bio Hybrid Molecular Devices

Development of novel bio-devices through the combination of nanotechnology
and biomaterials
Nano--Bioo Hybridd Molecularr Devices:: Ayumii Hirano--Iwata,, Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
Our research activities focus on the development of sophisticated molecular-scale devices throughthe combination of well-established microfabrication techniques and various soft materials.
㸯 㸬New aspects in artificial cell membrane systems for ion
channel functional analysis
We have constructed two types of artificial cell membrane systems
with different aspects. One is a cell membrane mimicry system
combined with cell-free protein synthesis technology for theevaluation of drug side effects. The other is a four-terminal artificial
cell membrane system that introduces a new input, parallel
membrane voltage, in addition to the conventional transmembrane
voltage. The details of our artificial cell membrane systems and theirprospects are discussed. [Membranes, 12, 863 (2022)]
㸰㸬High spatiotemporal-resolution recording and biocomputing
applications of artificial neuronal networks
We established a new surface modification protocol for patterning
cultured neurons on high-density multielectrode array (HD-MEA)
devices and reconstituted neuronal networks with a modular structure.
Measurement of spontaneous neural activity revealed that a fast,
sub-millisecond activity propagation within modules could be captured
in the HD-MEA recordings [Frontiers in Neuroscience 16, 943310(2023)]. Furthermore, by using the framework of reservoir computing,the stimulus responses of cultured neural networks were decoded torealize pattern classification, revealing the relationship between
network modularity and information processing performance.
㸱㸬Bionanofiber-based flexible electrodes for nerve stimulation
A flexible electrode was fabricated by combining chitosan nanofibers(CSNFs) and carbon nanotubes. The fabricated electrodes were used tostimulate the peripheral nerves of live locusts. This result wasachieved through an international collaboration with Technical
University of Munich. [J. Nanobiotechnol., 20, 491 (2022)]

Constructed artificial cell
membrane systems

Neuronal activities
recorded with HD-MEA[Staff]
Professor: Ayumi Hirano-Iwata, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Daisuke Tadaki, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Maki Komiya, Dr.
Fabrication ofAssistant Professor: Kaoru Hiramoto, Dr.
CSNF-based electrodes[Profile]
Ayumi Hirano-Iwata 2016– RIEC, Tohoku University, Japan,
Professor, Doctor of Science. Memberships: The Japan Society of Applied Physics, The Japan
Society of Vacuum and Surface Science.
[Papers][1] H. Kageyama, T. Ma, M. Sato, M. Komiya, D. Tadaki, A. Hirano-Iwata, “New aspects of bilayer lipid
membranes for the analysis of ion channel functions”. Membranes, 12, 863 (2022).
[2] Y. Sato, H. Yamamoto, H. Kato, T. Tanii, S. Sato, A. Hirano-Iwata, “Microfluidic cell engineering on
high-density microelectrode arrays for assessing structure-function relationships in living neuronal
networks”, Front. Neurosci., 16, 943310 (2023).
[3] D. Ando, T.F. Teshima, F. Zurita, H. Peng, K. Ogura, K. Kondo, L. Weiß, A. Hirano-Iwata, M.
Becherer, J. Alexander, B. Wolfrum, “Filtration̻processed biomass nanofiber electrodes for flexible
bioelectronics”, J. Nanobiotechnol., 20, 491 (2022).

30

Contact to Professor HIRANO Ayumi : ayumi.hirano.a5@tohoku.ac.jp

2022
Research Targets and Activities of Systems & Software Division
The goal of System & Software Division is to realize ideal ubiquitous environment where
everyone can freely communicate in real-time with anyone, anywhere, and at any timethrough any kind of information. With the reorganization of RIEC in FY2016, our division has
the following six research fields related to such high-level ubiquitous systems, software andcontents by integrating computer and communication:
Ɇ Computing Information Theory: Fundamental theory of new software.
Ɇ Communication Network: Network systems and applications.
Ɇ Environmentally Conscious Secure Information System: Embedded system securityɆ Soft Computing Integrated System: Brainmorphic hardware.
Ɇ New Paradigm VLSI System: Post-binary CMOS-based VLSI computing.
Ɇ Structure of Information Society (Visitor Section).
An overview of research results from Apr. 2022 to Mar. 2023 of these fields except the visitor
section is described in this section.

(1) Computing Information Theory
Continuing on from last year, we have studied bidirectional transformation (BX) techniquesapplied to data synchronization and data sharing. One of this year's research results is a
successful expressiveness comparison of some BX languages as a first step to organizing
many existing BX languages. As a stepping stone to developing computational models of BX,
which are indispensable for estimating expressive powers of BX languages, we have designed
a time-symmetric Turing machine as a computational model for the congruence function,
which is closely related to BX. In addition, we introduced a unified semantic framework of
linear logic, which refines a state-of-the-art model of quantum programming languages. In
parallel with them, we have proved that, in higher-order program verification, the order-nreachability problem is equivalent to the order-(n+1) May-reachability problem. Furthermore,as a theoretical foundation of software verification, we introduced the notion of strong
commutation modulo alpha-equivalence in nominal rewriting systems defined by rewrite
rules with atom variables, and used it to present a new condition for confluence on groundnominal terms.

(2) Communication Network Systems
We have promoted research on information network systems and their applications that
support diverse human activities. In the study on remote management of network equipmentusing low-speed and long-life networks, we proposed a technology for efficiently compressing
and transmitting commands for networking device operations using a communication method
called LPWA, which has low speed but wider-area communication and consumes lower power,
to remotely manage equipment that constitutes a large-scale network spanning remotelocations. We showed that it can compress up to 95% of communication volume. In addition, inthe study on internet congestion control, we proposed a new architecture that actively
performs congestion control at network nodes rather than the conventional end-to-end
congestion control, and revealed its potential through mathematical analysis. Furthermore,in the research on agent-type IoT and its applications, we prototyped and evaluated a mobile
agent framework for small IoT devices.

31

2022
(3) Environmentally Conscious Secure Information System
We are studying future secure information communication systems from theories toimplementation technologies for constructing advanced information and communication
infrastructures in a safe and secure manner. In this year, we developed novel hardware
architectures to efficiently realize cryptographic hardware including those of post-quantum
cryptography (PQC) that is resistant to quantum computers. In particular, we have developed
a hardware architecture that can achieve the world's highest efficiency for Crystals-Kyber,which was standardized as PQC by the National Institute of Standards and Technology(NIST), and for AES, which is the most widely used international standard block cipher.

Wealso developed a security evaluation technology based on a new design and evaluation
platform in addition to new machine-learning-based analysis methods for physically secure
implementation of cryptographic hardware.

The developed technology makes it possible toperform security evaluation with the highest accuracy for software and hardware ofinternational standard cryptography such as Crystals-Kyber and AES. It is also effective as atechnique for estimating the cost of the optimal attack more accurately than ever.

(4) Soft Computing Integrated System
We are working on a novel high-performance, highly-efficient, flexible, and robust
brain-inspired brainmorphic computer hardware system, in particular, through physicalcomplex-networked dynamical process using an analog VLSI as a core component. Results ofthis year include the followings. (1) Discrete word speech recognition experiments wereconducted using a chaotic neural network reserver (CNNR) LSI implemented in 3D stacking
by Through Silicon Via and Micro Bump. Furthermore, we applied FORCE learning to
CNNRs and successfully generated time series using CNNRs with various dynamics including
hyperchaos. In addition, chaotic neurons were introduced in the output layer neurons toperform time series prediction, and very high performance was confirmed. (2) In order torefine the mathematical models of spin-orbit torque neuron-like and synapse-like devices
based on thermal dynamics, we have modeled them using thermal circuits and analyzed themin detail using a physical simulator. (3) We proposed a neural network that introduces
internal state time constants and self-coupling time constants as local memories in thereservoir neural network, and investigated speech recognition performance throughsimulation experiments. (4) In order to implement the spatio-temporal context learning andmemory network as a spiking neuron circuit, we described it as a continuous-time differential
equation model with a basic circuit configuration, and confirmed its effectiveness throughcircuit experiments.

(5) New Paradigm VLSI System
Our research activity is to solve the several limitations such as power dissipation,
performance and reliability due to the present binary-CMOS-based VLSI computing. The key
approach to breaking through such limitations is primarily the following two ways: thelogic-in-memory architecture based on nonvolatile logic, and the brainware LSI (BLSI)
computing, which would open up a novel VLSI chip paradigm, called a “new-paradigm VLSI
system.” In FY 2022, we have preliminarily achieved the following two activities. (a) First, wehave succeeded in realizing an energy-efficient CPU based on spintronics/CMOS-hybrid

32

2022
technology. By incorporating a PG (power gating)-control instruction into a general-purpose
CPU (RISC-V) instruction set, the overhead associated with PG control has been greatly
reduced, achieving energy savings. Applied to the execution of a typical arithmetic circuit,significant power saving has been achieved (J. Mem.-Mat., Dev., Cir. & Sys., 2023; doi:
10.1016/j.memori.2023.100035 ). (b) In addition, FPGA-oriented hardware that solves
combinatorial optimization problems at high speed based on stochastic computing, andsucceeded in significantly improving performance compared to conventional methods (IEEE
JETCAS, March 2023; doi: 10.1109/JETCAS.2023.3243260). This year's research results,
including the above, were reported in 4 academic journal papers, 8 refereed international
conference papers, and 1 book.

33

2022
Computing Information Theory

Filling the Gap between Humans and Computers&RPSXWLQJ,QIRUPDWLRQ7KHRU\Keisuke Nakano, Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
Notwithstanding that programming is one of themost typical methods for a human to communicate
with a computer, there is a significant gap between
programs that are recognizable for humans and thosethat are efficiently executed by computers. Programs
described as humans think are highly readable but
are not always efficient. On the other hand, programs
described with carefully considering the behavior ofcomputers show much better performance in time and space but are very complicated andhardly maintainable. Our ultimate goal is to fill the gap between humans and computers inprogramming.
More specifically, our research topics include program transformation and program
verification. Program transformation is to automatically derive well-tuned and efficient
programs from human-readable ones; Program verification is to statically (that is, without
running) check if human-written but well-tuned complicated programs behave as the
programmers expect for any input. To this end, we deeply study the theory of formal tree
languages, such as tree automata and tree transducers, which has a close relationship withthe program transformation and verification. Besides that, we are working on formalizing
relevant results in mathematics and theoretical computer science on a proof assistant tomake our theory more robust.
[Staff]
Professor 㸸 Keisuke Nakano, Dr.
Assistant Professor 㸸 Kazuyuki Asada, Dr.
Assistant Professor 㸸 Kentaro Kikuchi, Dr.
[Profile]
Keisuke Nakano received his Ph.D. from Kyoto University in 2006. He worked as a
researcher atthe University of Tokyo from 2003 to 2008. He has been an assistant professor
from 2008 to 2012 and an associate professor from 2012 to 2018 at the University ofElectro-Communications. Since 2018, he has been a professor at the Research Institute ofElectrical Communication. His research interests include formal language theory,
programming language theory, and functional programming. He is a member of ACM,
JSSST, and IPSJ.
[Papers][1] Keisuke Nakano. Time-symmetric Turing machines for computable involutions, Science ofComputer Programming, Volume 215, 102748.
[2] Takeshi Tsukada and Kazuyuki Asada. Linear-Algebraic Models of Linear Logic as
Categories of Modules over Sigma-Semirings, In Proc. the 37th Annual ACM/IEEE Symposiumon Logic in Computer Science (LICS 2022), No. 60, pp. 1-13, ACM[3] Kentaro Kikuchi. Ground Confluence and Strong Commutation modulo Alpha-Equivalencein Nominal Rewriting, In Proc. of the 19th International Colloquium on Theoretical Aspects ofComputing (ICTAC 2022), LNCS 13572, pp. 255-271, Springer.

34

Contact to Professor NAKANO Keisuke : keisuke.nakano.a3@tohoku.ac.jp

2022
Communication Network Systems

Information Network Architecture for the IoT Society
Informationn Network
k Architecture
e: Go Hasegawa,, Professor[Research Target and Activities]
In this year, the following studies had been done. (a) Research on Internet congestion control
including in-Network Congestion Control architecture and Machine learning-based estimation of
network environment and its application to congestion control, (b) Research on virtualized network
systems and applications, including mobile core network architecture for 5G and beyond,User-Oriented Network Architecture (UONA), Mobile traffic prediction for network resource
allocation, and analysis of edge-cloud networking systems, (c) Traffic compression technologies for
LPWA-based remote network equipment operations, and (d) Mobile agent technologies for
LPWA-based lightweight IoT terminals.
Internet

Service generation

Disaster/evacuation
information

Disaster
info service

Large-scale disruption

Disaster
info service

Security
service

Watch overserviceCooperative security cameras

Wireless security buzzer

Personsearch service

Regional
services
Autopoiesis
computing infra.

1HWZRUNVOLFLQJ DUFKLWHFWXUHIRUEH\RQG* QHWZRUNV[Staff]
Professor㸸 Go Hasegawa, Dr.
Secretary㸸 Ami Nagashima

Sandals with wireless beacon

Autopoiesis
network$QLPDJHRIDXWRSRLHWLFQHWZRUNLQJ[Profile]
Go Hasegawa received the M.E. and D.E. degrees in Information and Computer Sciences from
Osaka University, Japan, in 1997 and 2000, respectively. From July 1997 to June 2000, he was
Research Assistant of Graduate School of Economics, Osaka University. From 2000 to 2018, he wasan Associate Professor of Cybermedia Center, Osaka University. He is now a Professor of ResearchInstitute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University. His research work is in the area of
information network architecture. He is a member of the IEEE and IEICE.
[Papers]
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]

Xun Shao, Go Hasegawa, Mianxiong Dong, Zhi Liu, Hiroshi Masui, Yusheng Ji, ‘‘An Online
Orchestration Mechanism for General-Purpose Edge Computing,’’ to appear in IEEE Transactions
on Service Computing, 2022.Link
Shuya Abe, Go Hasegawa, Masayuki Murata, ‘‘Performance Analysis of Mobile Cellular Networks
Accommodating Cellular-IoT Communications with Immediate Release of Radio Resources,’’ IEICE
Transactions on Communications, Vol.E105-B, No.12, pp.1477-1486, Dec. 2022. Link
Yukio Ogawa, Go Hasegawa, Masayuki Murata, ‘‘Probabilistic Control of Dynamic Crowds Toward
Uniform Spatial-Temporal Coverage,’’ IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing, Dec 2022.
Satoshi Utsumi and Go Hasegawa, ‘‘Improving Inter-Protocol Fairness Based on EstimatedBehavior of Competing Flows,’’ in Proceedings of IFIP Networking 2022 June 2022.Link
Keito Maeta, Gen Kitagata and Go Hasegawa, ‘‘Improving Per-Flow Fairness by ML-Based
Estimation of Competing Flows’ Congestion Control Algorithm,’’ in Proceedings of IEEE ICUFN
2022, July 2022.Link
Ryu Yachikojima, Shin’ichi Arakawa, Takeshi Kitahara, Nagao Ogino, Go Hasegawa, and Masayuki
Murata, ‘‘Low-latency Probabilistic Collision Detection Method for C-V2X Applications,’’ inProceedings of ICVTS 2022, September 2022.
Kodai Tanabe, Go Hasegawa, and Gen Kitagata, ‘‘Traffic Reduction for Out-Of-Band Network
Management over LPWA,’’ in Proceedings of IEEE ICOIN 2023, January 2023.

Contact to Professor HASEGAWA Go : go.hasegawa.a6@tohoku.ac.jp

35

2022
Environmentally Conscious Secure Information System Laboratory

Advanced information security technology
Environmentally Conscious Secure Information System, Naofumi Homma, Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
We are studying future secure
information communication systems
from theories to implementation
technologies
forconstructing
advanced
information
andcommunication infrastructures in asafe and secure manner. In this year,
we have discovered and reported
some impelementation attacks on
public key cryptosystems such as RSA
andpost-quantum
cryptography(PQC), including Crystals–Kyber,which is a winner of NIST PQC
standardizationcompetition.
Wevalidated the attacks experimentally,
have developed their countermeasure, and confirmed the effectiveness through further
experiments. In addition, we have developed efficient hardware architectures forcomputing PQCs. Furthermore, we have provided in-depth analyses on side-channel
attacks on cryptographic implementations from the viewpoints of probability andinformation theories. As a result, we succeeded in formally proving the security ofside-channel attack countermeasure called masking under a much more relaxed andpractical condition than a previous proof. Moreover, we pointed out an uncertainty ofprevious metrics for evaluating success rate of side-channel attacks, and then presented
new metrics to revise it. We also showed that our metrics have some good properties interms of statistics and practical computations.
[Staff]
Professor: Naofumi Homma, Ph. D
Assistant Professor: Rei Ueno, Ph. D
Secretary: Mikiko Hattori[Profile]
Naofumi Homma received the PhD degrees in information sciences from Tohoku University,
Sendai, Japan, in 2001. Since 2016, he has been a Professor in the Research Institute ofElectrical Communication, Tohoku University. In 2009-2010 and 2016-2017, he was avisiting professor at Telecom ParisTech, Paris, France. He received a number of awards
including the IACR CHES Best Paper Award in 2014, the JSPS Prize in 2018, and theGerman Innovation Award in 2018.
[Papers][1] Kotaro Saito, Akira Ito, Rei Ueno, and Naofumi Homma, “One Truth Prevails: A Deep-learning BasedSingle-Trance Power Analysis on RSA--CRT with Windowed Exponentiation,” IACR Trans. Cryptogr.
Hardw. Embedded Syst., 2022(4), pp.490–526, 2022.
[2] Akira Ito, Rei Ueno, and Naofumi Homma, “On the Success Rate of Side-Channel Attacks on Masked
Implementations: Information-Theoretical Bounds and Their Practical Usage,” ACM CCS, pp.
1521–1535, 2022.
[3]  Akiko Inoue, Kazuhiko Minematsu, Maya Oda, Rei Ueno, and Naofumi Homma, “ELM: A
Low-Latency and Scalable Memory Encryption Scheme,” IEEE Trans. Inf. Forensics Security, 2022.

36

Contact to Professor HOMMA Naofumi : naofumi.homma.c8@tohoku.ac.jp

2022Soft Computing Integrated System

Brainmorphic Computing Hardware System
Softt Computing
g Integratedd Systemm Yoshihikoo Horio,, Professor[Research Target and Activities]
We are working on a novel high-performance, highlyefficient, flexible, and robust “brainmorphic”
computing hardware system through physicalcomplex-networked dynamical process using novel
nano-scale devices. Toward the final goal, we aredeveloping integrated circuit and device technologies
suitable for the brainmorphic computer systems,
ultra-low-power asynchronous neural network
systems, neuron-like and synapse-like spintronics
devices, and a brainmorphic system architecture. During the FIY 2022; 1) We conducted discrete
word speech recognition experiments using a chaotic neural network reservoir (CNNR) 3D-LSI.
Furthermore, we successfully applied FORCE learning to CNNRs, and we newly introduced chaotic
neurons in the output layer; 2) We improved neuron-like and synapse-like spintronics device models
using thermal circuits; 3) We proposed a reservoir neural network that introduces an internal statetime constant and a self-coupling time constant; and 4) We described the spatio-temporal learningand memory network as a continuous-time differential equation model.
[Staff]
Professor㸸Yoshihiko Horio, Ph.D.
Specially Appointed Researcher㸸Takemori Orima, Dr.㸦from October,2022㸧
Technical Assistant㸸Mariko Takahashi[Profile]
Yoshihiko Horio received the B.E., M.E., and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Keio
University, Japan, in 1982, 1984, and 1987, respectively. He is currently a Professor with the
Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, Japan. From 1987 to 2016, he
was with Department of Electronic Engineering, Tokyo Denki University, Japan, being a Professor
from 2000. From April 1992 to March 1994, he was a Visiting Professor at Center for
Telecommunications Research, Columbia University, U.S.A. His current research interests are in
the area of neuromorphic and brainmorphic hardware systems based on complex physical dynamics,
mixed analog/digital VLSI circuit design, and high-order brain-inspired VLSI systems withconsciousness, self, and embodiment. Dr. Horio received the 3rd Hiroshi Ando Memorial Young
Engineer Award (1990), the IEEE Myril B. Reed Best Paper Award (1991), NCSP Best Paper Awards(2005, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2020), IEEE NDES Best Paper Awards (2005, 2007), ISCS-ISIS Best Paper
Award (2008), JSAP Outstanding Paper Award (2019), NOLTA2020 Best Paper Award (2020), IEICENOLTA Lifetime Achievement Award (2016), Fellow, IEICE (2018), and Emeritus Professor of Tokyo
Denki University (2020).
[Papers][1] K. Onuki, K. Cho, Y. Horio, and T. Miyano, "Secret-key exchange through synchronization of
randomized chaotic oscillators aided by logistic hash function," IEEE Transactions on Circuits andSystems I: Regular Papers, vol. 69, no. 4, pp. 1655-1667, DOI: 10.1109/TCSI.2022.3140762, 2022.
[2] T. Orima and Y. Horio, "Preliminary experimental results of a stacked 3D cyclic chaotic neuralnetwork reservoir integrated circuit," NOLTA, IEICE, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 306-311, DOI:
10.1587/nolta.13.306, .2022.
[3] Y. Horio, K. Naoe, S. Sato, Y. Yamanouchi, Y. Takaura, M. Yamaguchi, M. Morishima, and A. HiranoIwata, "Designing the human-centric IoT society: Cooperative industry-academic strategies forcreative future connection," NOLTA, IEICE, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 197-202, DOI: 10.1587/nolta.13.197,
2022.

Contact to Professor HORIO Yoshihiko : yoshihiko.horio.a3@tohoku.ac.jp

37

2022
New Paradigm VLSI System Research Group

Realization of a New-Paradigm VLSI-Computing WorldNew Paradigm VLSI System: Takahiro Hanyu, Professor
New Paradigm VLSI Design: Masanori Natsui, Associate Professor
New Paradigm VLSI Computing : Naoya Onizawa, Associate Professor
[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
Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) chip. Our research activity is to solve the above problems primarily
by the following two ways: the logic-in-memory architecture based on nonvolatile logic, and thebrainware LSI (BLSI) computing, which would open up a novel VLSI chip paradigm, called a “newparadigm VLSI system.”This year, we have succeeded to design the nonvolatile-register-embedded energy-efficient CPU for
IoT application (Fig. 1), and the fast-converging stochastic simulated annealing for solving large-scale
combinational optimization problems based on FPGA (Fig. 2).
[Staff]
Professor
㸸 Takahiro Hanyu, Dr.
Associate Professor 㸸 Masanori Natsui, Dr.
Associate Professor 㸸 Naoya Onizawa, Dr.
[Profile]
Takahiro Hanyu received the D.E. degrees in Electronic engineering from Tohoku University, Sendai,
Japan, in 1989. His general research interests include multiple-valued current-mode logic and its
application to high performance and low-power arithmetic VLSIs.
Masanori Natsui received the Ph.D. degrees in information Sciences from Tohoku University, Sendai,
Japan, in 2005. His research interest includes automated circuit design technique, nonvolatile-based
circuit architecture and its application, and design of high speed low-power integrated circuits.
[Papers][1] N. Onizawa, et al., "Fast-Converging Simulated Annealing for Ising Models Based on Integral Stochastic Computing," IEEE Trans. on Neural
Networks and Learning Systems, 2023 (in press)㸬
[2] D. Shin, et al., "Memory-Efficient FPGA Implementation of Stochastic Simulated Annealing," IEEE Journal on Emerging and Selected Topics inCircuits and Systems, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 108-118, Mar. 2023.
[3] M. Natsui, K. Sakamoto, and T. Hanyu, "Design of a Nonvolatile-Register-Embedded RISC-V CPU with Software-Controlled Data-Retention andHardware-Acceleration Functions," Memories - Materials, Devices, Circuits and Systems, vol.4, pp.100035-1-100035-9, 2023.
[4] D. Suzuki and T. Hanyu, "Design of an Energy-Efficient Nonvolatile Lookup Table Circuit Using Active-Load-Localized Circuitry with SelfTerminated Writing/Reading," Japanese Journal of Applied Physics (JJAP), 2023 (in press).
In addition to the above achievements, there are 6 refereed international conference papers in FY 2022.

38

Contact to Professor HANYU Takahiro : takahiro.hanyu.c4@tohoku.ac.jp

2022
Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics
The Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics of the Research Institute of ElectricalCommunication (RIEC) was established in April of 2004. Its purpose is to develop andestablish the science and technology of nanoelectronics and spintronics for information
technology. Utilizing the facilities installed in the Nanoelectronics-and-Spintronics building
and under collaboration between RIEC and related laboratories of the Graduate Schools ofEngineering, Information Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, of Tohoku University, R&D on
nanotechnologies of materials and devices in Nanoelectronics and Spintronics are continued
extensively. Furthermore, nation-wide and world-wide collaboration research projects are
conducted to build a systematic database in electrical communication research.
The Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics mainly consists of laboratories ofNano-Integration Devices and Processing, Spintronics, and Nano-Bio Hybrid Molecular
Devices; together with the project office of the Center for Innovative Integrated Electronic
Systems, and the groups of Ultra-Broadband Signal Processing, Soft Computing Integrated
System and Quantum Devices. These groups cooperatively carry out the research aimed at
establishing a world-wide Center of Excellence (COE) in the research area of nanoelectronics
and spintronics.

Highlights of our research activities in 2022 are shown below.

39

2022
Nano Integration‫ ە‬Nano-Integration Devices and Processing (S. Sato, M. Sakuraba, and H. Yamamoto)(1) A spiking neuron that reproduces various neural pulses and operates at extremely low
power was implemented on an LSI, and a recurrent neural network was constructed using it
and applied to reservoir computing. It has been confirmed by electrical measurements thattime-series signals such as speech signal could be correctly classified.
(2) To develop high-voltage and low-loss power semiconductor devices, double ion-implanted Al-gate
4H-SiC MOS transistors were fabricated utilizing high-temperature wet oxidation, and clear
transistor-operation characteristics with low gate leakage were demonstrated even for gate length of 5
micron.
(3) We developed defined neuronal networks with a modular design on high-density microelectrode arrays(HD-MEAs), using a surface coating protocol involving a cell-permissive hydrogel for secure attachmentof a polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic film. The spontaneous neural activity recorded from theseengineered networks demonstrated that the modular architecture enhances functional complexity by
reducing excessive neural correlation between spatially separated modules.
(4) A method for reservoir computing using Josephson transmission lines has been proposed.
Numerical experiments show that fast and low-power time series recognition is possible using
the Josephson junctions.
‫ ە‬Soft Computing Integrated System (Y. Horio)
We are working on a novel high-performance, highly-efficient, flexible, and robust
brain-inspired brainmorphic computer hardware system, in particular, through physicalcomplex-networked dynamical process using an analog VLSI as a core component. Results ofthis year are summarized as follows:(1) Discrete word speech recognition experiments were conducted using a chaotic neural network reserver(CNNR) LSI implemented in 3D stacking by Through Silicon Via and Micro Bump. Furthermore, weapplied FORCE learning to CNNRs and successfully generated time series using CNNRs with various
dynamics including hyperchaos. In addition, chaotic neurons were introduced in the output layer neurons toperform time series prediction, and very high performance was confirmed.
(2) In order to refine the mathematical models of spin-orbit torque neuron-like andsynapse-like devices based on thermal dynamics, we have modeled them using thermal
circuits and analyzed them in detail using a physical simulator.
(3) We proposed a neural network that introduces internal state time constants andself-coupling time constants as local memories in the reservoir neural network, andinvestigated speech recognition performance through simulation experiments.
(4) In order to implement the spatio-temporal context learning and memory network as aspiking neuron circuit, we described it as a continuous-time differential equation model witha basic circuit configuration, and confirmed its effectiveness through circuit experiments.

40

2022
Spintronics and Information Technology‫ ە‬Spintronics (S. Fukami and S. Kanai)
Our research activities focus on realizing low-power functional spintronic devices. The
outcomes in the last fiscal year are as follows: (1) discovering the generalized scaling law
describing the phase coherence time of quantum information in solids, (2) proposing a newprinciple of inductance that arises from magnetization dynamics caused by the spin-orbit
interactions, (3) observing the magnetic domain structure of noncollinear antiferromagnetic
Mn3Sn thin film and clarifying the relation with the transport properties, (4) experimentally
determining the unrevealed factor in the mathematical expression of the thermally-activatedmagnetization reversal under magnetic fields and electric current, (5) quantifying thespin-orbit torque in FeRh/NiFe heterostructure and revealing unexpectedly large spin-orbit
torque arising when FeRh is in the antiferromagnetic phase, (6) proposing and demonstrating
theexternal

field

robuststochastic

magnetic

tunneljunction

utilizing

synthetic

antiferromagnetic coupling, (7) demonstrating the high computation performance and low
powercapability

using

a

systemwithstochastic

magnetic

tunneljunctionandfield-programmable-gate-array, (8) summarizing the new paradigm of antiferromagnetic
spintronics which is characterized by the coherent dynamics of collective antiferromagnetic
spin structures, (9) quantifying the thermal stability factor of noncollinear antiferromagnetic
Mn3Sn nanodots with single domain structure, and (10) measuring the non-linear transport
properties of nanoscale magnetic tunnel junction with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy anddiscussing their origin.
‫ ە‬Ultra-Broadband Signal Processing (T. Otsuji and A. Satou)
The goal of our research is to explore the terahertz frequency range by creating novel
integrated electron devices and circuit systems. III-V- and graphene-based active plasmonic
heterostructures for creating new types of terahertz lasers and ultrafast transistors are major
concerns.
developing

By making full use of these world-leading device/circuit technologies, we are
futureultra-broadband

wireless

communication

systems

as

well

as

spectroscopic/imaging systems for safety and security. The followings are the majorachievements in this fiscal year.
1. Development of graphene-channel terahertz detectors
Graphene, a monolayer sheet of honeycomb carbon crystal, is expected to break through thelimit on conventional device operating speed/frequency performances. In this fiscal year, wedeveloped a graphene-channel field-effect transistor with our original asymmetricdual-grating gates, discovered a novel unipolar photothermoelectric terahertz detection
mechanism that only electrons contribute, and demonstrated its fast response time and highresponsivity for the first time. (Press-released on December 2022)
2. Development of photonics-electronics convergence mixers
To realize the carrier frequency down-conversion from optical to wireless data signals,
which is one of key technologies in future photonics-electronics convergence networks, wehave developed photonic double-mixers based on InGaAs-channel high-electron-mobility
transistors. In this fiscal year, we paid attention to a technique of generating low-noise,

41

2022
high-intensity optical signal input to a double-mixer and showed that the linear enhancementof the conversion gain with up to 10-dB enhancement is expected. (Received the Best Poster
Paper Award at a prestigious international conference)‫ ە‬Quantum Devices (T. Otsuka)
We are exploring interesting properties of solid-state nanostructures utilizing precise andhigh-speed electric measurement and control techniques. We are also developing materials
and devices using nanostructures. Our research activities in FY 2022 are the following.
(1) We developed electronic measurement and control methods of local electronic states innanostructures utilizing semiconductor quantum dots. We improved the methods withhigh-frequency techniques and applied them to new materials.
(2) We measured local electronic and spin states in nanostructures utilizing sensitiveelectronic measurement techniques. We revealed the detail of local electronic states innanostructures and new materials.
(3) We studied semiconductor quantum bits for future quantum information processing. We
worked on state analysis and control of quantum devices to scale up the systems and new material-based
devices.
Nano-Bio Hybrid Molecular Devices‫ ە‬Nano-Bio Molecular Devices (A. Hirano-Iwata)
Our research activities focus on development of sophisticated molecular-scale devices
through the combination of well-established microfabrication techniques and various soft
materials, such as biomaterials and organic materials.
(1) We have constructed two types of artificial cell membrane systems with different aspects.
One is a cell membrane mimicry system combined with cell-free protein synthesis technology
for the evaluation of drug side effects. The other is a four-terminal artificial cell membrane
system that introduces a new input, parallel membrane voltage, in addition to theconventional transmembrane voltage. The details of our artificial cell membrane systems andtheir prospects are discussed.
(2) We established a new surface modification protocol for patterning cultured neurons on
high-density multielectrode array (HD-MEA) devices and reconstituted neuronal networks
with a modular structure. Measurement of spontaneous neural activity revealed that a fast,
sub-millisecond activity propagation within modules could be captured in the HD-MEA
recordings. Furthermore, by using the framework of reservoir computing, the stimulus
responses of cultured neural networks were decoded to realize pattern classification,
revealing the relationship between network modularity and information processing
performance.
(3) A flexible electrode was fabricated by combining chitosan nanofibers (CSNFs) and carbon
nanotubes. The fabricated electrodes were used to stimulate the peripheral nerves of live
locusts. This result was achieved through an international collaboration with Technical
University of Munich.

42

2022
Research Targets and Activities of Laboratory for Brainware Systems
䢢

The Laboratory for Brainware Systems of the Research Institute of Electrical Communication wasestablished in 2004 and renewed in 2014. Its purpose is to contribute to the research and developmentof advanced information science and technology for Brainware systems which realize a seamless fusionof the changeable and complex real world and the cyber space.
We aim at establishing scientific and technological foundations and at exploring human-likebrainware computing applications for Adaptive Cognition and Action Systems Division (Recognition
and Learning Systems Group), Autonomous Decentralized Control Systems Division (Real-World
Computing Group), Brainware LSI Systems Division (New Paradigm VLSI System Group and Soft
Computing Integrated System Group), and Brain Architecture Division. The Laboratory for Brainware
Systems consists of the above four divisions which cooperatively carry out the research. At the sametime, 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 thefour Divisions of the Institute, and the research conducted in the Divisions, in turn, is expected toprovide scientific basis for the information technology developed in the Laboratory.

Physical and Adaptive Hardware Environment

Seamless Fusion of Real Worldand Multi-Modal Computing䞉㻮㼞㼍㼕㼚㻙㻸㼕㼗㼑㻌㻯㼛㼙㼜㼡㼠㼕㼚㼓䠄㻮㼞㼍㼕㼚㻌㻭㼞㼏㼔㼕㼠㼑㼏㼠㼡㼞㼑䠅䜲䞁䝍䞊䝛䝑䝖

࣭Higher-Order Multimodal Perception
and Information Generation
㸦Recognition and Learning Systems㸧

Hardware Environment with Massively Parallel Brain LSI
3D-LSI

Discrete Word Recognition

0.8
PG

ACC Exec.

Reg. Other

Dynamic

0.7

StaticFFT
FIR
LaplacianEnergy [PJ]

0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3

DFT

0.2
0.1

Chaotic Neural Network Reservoir

ᵬᶍᶌᶔᶍᶊᵿᶒᶇᶊᶃ
ᶄᶊᶇᶎᵋᶄᶊᶍᶎ

0
w/o ACC&PG

w/ ACC

w/ PG

w/ ACC&PG(This work)࣭Low-Power Nonvolatile CPU for IoT Edge Devices
㸦New Paradigm VLSI System㸧

[Research Target]
The goal of this facility is to develop fundamental technologies and their applications that willlead the world to the next-generation information system that seamlessly integrates thecyber-physical world and the ever-changing real world. In order to realize this goal, eachlaboratory participating in this facility has set the following individual goals and promotes
research activities as follows:
Real-World Computing Section: Animals exhibit adaptive locomotion under unpredictable andunstructured environments by coordinating their large number of bodily degrees of freedom inreal time. We aim to understand the design principle of such adaptive locomotion by focusing on
autonomous decentralized control wherein macroscopic behaviors emerge from local interactions
among each individual components. Moreover, we aim to develop artificial agents (e.g. robots) that
Contact to Professor ISHIGURO Akio : akio.ishiguro.b1@tohoku.ac.jp

43

2022
function like animals by implementing the obtained design principle.
New Paradigm VLSI System Section: Rapid progress in recent deep submicron regime has led
the capability to realize giga-scaled embedded systems on a chip (SoC), while performancedegradation 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-memoryarchitecture based on nonvolatile logic, and the use of asynchronous data-transfer schemes basedon multiple-valued current-mode logic, which would open up a novel VLSI chip paradigm, called a“new-paradigm VLSI system.”
Recognition and Learning Systems Section: Humans can perform various actions based on therecognition of the outside world that is constructed through multiple sensory inputs such as visionand touch, even though they frequently move their own body parts in the environment. Here we
investigate the adaptive-process and functions of the human cognitive system for action throughpsychophysical experiments. On the basis of the experimental evidence, we aim to createcomputational models of the recognition and learning processes in the human brain.
Soft Computing Integrated System Section: We are working on a novel high-performance,
highly-efficient, flexible, and robust brain-inspired brainmorphic computer hardware system, inparticular, through physical complex-networked dynamical process using an analog VLSI as acore component. Toward the final goal, we are developing integrated circuit and device
technologies suitable for the brainmorphic computer systems. We further intend to realize an
autonomous brain-inspired computer with a sense of self and consciousness based on dynamic andcomplex changes in spatiotemporal network state and structure.
[Research Activities]
Aiming at the seamless integration of the cyber-physical world and the real world, which is thegoal of Laboratory of Brainware Systems, the following research results were obtained. In
particular, the following research results in fiscal year 2022 are an important step towards thegoal as:--Real-World Computing Section demonstrates "Active-sensing-based decentralized control of
autonomous mobile agents for quick and smooth collision avoidance” reported in Frontiers inRobotics and AI.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frobt.2022.992716/full--New Paradigm VLSI System Section has succeeded in inserting a PG (power gating) control
instruction into the original instruction set of a nonvolatile CPU (RISC-V), and in significantly
reducing power dissipation during typical arithmetic operations such as FFT and Laplacian filtering.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773064623000129--Recognition and Learning Systems Section reported "Prediction of Image Preferences from
Spontaneous Facial Expressions" in Interdisciplinary Information Sciences (2022) Vol. 28 (1) pp.
45-53
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/iis/28/1/28_2022.A.02/_article--Soft Computing Integrated System Section succeeded in speech recognition experiments with achaotic neural network reservoir (CNNR) 3D LSI, application of FORCE learning to CNNR, andintroduction of chaotic neurons in the output layer.
https://doi.org/10.1587/nolta.13.306
The more detailed research results of each section (laboratory) are shown as follows:
Real-World Computing Section:(refer to Real-World Computing Laboratory in Human Information Systems Division)
New Paradigm VLSI System Section:(refer to New Paradigm VLSI System Laboratory in Systems & Software Division)
Recognition and Learning Systems Section:(refer to Visual Cognition and Systems Laboratory in Human Information Systems Division)(refer to Advanced Acoustic Information Systems Laboratory in Human Information Systems
Division)
Soft Computing Integrated System Section:(refer to Soft Computing Integrated System Laboratory in Systems & Software Division)
44

2022
Recognition and learning systems laboratory

Understanding the human recognition and learning systems(Visual Cognition and Systems, Satoshi Shioiri, Professor)(Advanced Acoustic Information Systems, Shuichi Sakamoto, Professor)
[Research Target and Activities]
To create computational models of the process that thehuman brain integrates multiple sensory inputs from theoutside world, we are investigating the visual andauditory functions in the human brain for implementing
these functions in hardware under biologically plausible
settings. Our approaches include psychophysics, brain
wave measurements, and computer simulations.
This year, first, we investigated the effects ofhand movements on the hand proximity attention. Visual
processing is facilitated around a hand, which is known as handproximity attention. Visual probes were presented around a hand
Figure. Comparison of attention modulation around a handusing a head mount display (HMD). The participant held a pen
between hand movement and stationary conditions.
type force feedback device (Phantom omni) by a hand to move thedevice along a circular path. The pen tip was attached to a ballbearing so the pen movement was restricted to a circular path. While the participant was moving a hand or
keeping it stationary, visual stimuli were presented at various locations along the circular path, with which
attention effect was measured. The attention effect varied dependently on the distance from the hand, suggesting
the hand proximity attention without a visual hand. The hand proximity effect is larger with a hand in motion
comparing with a hand in stationary. Further analysis showed that attention modulation with active hand
movement was not different from that with passive hand movement. The present experiment revealed that moving
hand attracts attention more than stationary hand.
Second, we investigated the relationship between self-motion and auditory spaceperception. We have especially focused on sound localization accuracy during self-motion. The
results of the experiment revealed that the sound-localization resolution degraded when thelisteners are actually/virtually rotating. During perceptual information processing, the listenershould constantly update sound image position information via conscious head/body movement,
resulting in an increase in the amount of information to be processed. Therefore, the results suggestthat a top-down process induced by listeners' conscious perception of motion may act as a constraint
against such information processing overload.
[Staff]
Professor: Satoshi Shioiri, Ph.D.
Professor: Shuichi Sakamoto, Ph.D.
[Papers][1] S Shioiri, K Iwai, CH Tseng, Y Hatori, Hand proximity attention with a moving hand, Journal of Vision 22(14), 3482-3482, doi:https://doi.org/10.1167/jov.22.14.3482[2] S Shioiri, K Iwai, CH Tseng, Y Hatori, The effect of perceived hand location on hand proximity attention,
PERCEPTION 51, 30-31[3] Y. Ssyo, Y. Hotsguchi, L. anel, S. Shioiri, Interdisciplinary Information Sciences (2022) Vol. 28 (1) pp.
45-53, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/iis/28/1/28_2022.A.02/_article/-char/ja/[4] S. Honda, S. Tsunokake, Y. Suzuki, S. Sakamoto, Auditory subjective-straight-ahead blurs duringsignificantly slow passive body rotation. i-Perception 13(1), 1-5 (2022).
[5] A. Honda, K. Maeda, S. Sakamoto, Y. Suzuki, Effects of visually nduced self-motion on sound localization
accuracy, Applied Sciences 12(1), 173 (2022).
45

2022
 Research Center for 21st Century Information Technology
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 planned on matching withboth basic technologies in the University and application in the Industry. Combination of thetechnologies of the University and Industry makes practical technologies with availability for thecommercial products. The center actively accelerates to obtain the intellectual properties generated
from the development of practical technology to the Industry. Last year, the center was reformed andtwo divisions are newly established. One is “Interdisciplinary Collaboration Research Division” andit consists of two projects, “Research project of human value estimation of multimodal information
based on informatics paradigm to manage both quality and value” and “Research project of
spintronics/CMOS-hybrid brain-inspired integrated system”.
Another is “Challenging andExploratory Research Division” and it consists of three projects, “Development of the education
support system with estimation of attention states”, “Drone utilization technologies to realize asymbiotic society” and “Wireless IoT technology for smart factories”. Former “Technology
Development Division” was renamed to “Industry-Academia-Government-Collaboration Researchand Development Division” and it consists of one group, “Wireless ICT platform project”. Presently,
three governmental R&D projects are carried out in this group.

[Staff]Director: Noriharu Suematsu, Professor
Industry-Academia-Government-Collaboration Research and Development Division(Wireless ICT platform project)
Noriharu Suematsu, Leader, Professor
Takashi Shiba, Specially Appointed Professor
Suguru Kameda, Visiting Professor
Yasunori Suzuki, Visiting Professor
Mizuki Motoyoshi, Visiting Associate Professor
Takashi Mehata, Visiting Associate Professor
Interdisciplinary Collaboration Research Division
Satoshi Shioiri, Project Leader, Professor
Takahiro Hanyu, Project Leader, Professor
Challenging and Exploratory Research Division
Satoshi Shioiri, Project Leader, Professor
Yoshifumi Kitamura, Project Leader, Professor
Noriharu Suematsu, Project Leader, Professor

46

2022
IT21 Center Industry-Academia-Government-Collaboration Research and Development
Division, Wireless ICT Platform Project

Dependable Air
Noriharu Suematsu, Professor (Project Leader)Takashi Shiba, Specially Appointed Professor
Quasi-Zenith Satellite
Communication

100000km

Universal Clock

Location &Short Message

Dependable AirSpace(Heterogeneous Air Interface)

10000kmDependable
Network Control
physical distribution

CDMA

TDMA

broadcast/communication
network

OFDMA

distance
PDC cdmaOne

1000m

W-CDMA

HSPA

cdma2000

car/ITS

Dependable
Air Interface

Multi-mode/Multi-band
Module802.16e802.20

Cellular

802.11 802.11b

PHS

100m

Wide area

medicalplant control

LTE

High
throuput

Mobile Internet
smart gridfarming/fishery/
forestryhome network

LTEAdvanced
VHT SG

Surface802.11a/g

Wireless LAN

Ultra highthroughput

10mStandard

802.11nZigbeeShort range 802.15.4

Non IEEEIEEE (IP friendly)

Bluetooth802.15.1

UWB

mmWave802.15.3c
802.11ad

RF-ID

10
Sea

100

10k

100k
10M
1M
Broadband
Narrowband

100M

1G
10G
throughput [bit/s]

Fig. Dependable Air.
[Research Target and Activities]
Mobile wireless communication technology is one of the significant communication technologies that
support the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) society, connected with the high-speed
backbone network using optical fiber. Evolution of the mobile wireless communication technology inJapan is indispensable to keep the leadership in this technology area in the world. The mobile
wireless technology group has been proposing the concept of “Dependable Air,” which is aheterogeneous and highly-reliable wireless network. The Dependable Air is able to work even in theevent of a big disaster. The group proceeded a R&D project “R&D on Technologies to Densely andEfficiently Utilize Radio Resources of Unlicensed Bands in Dedicated Areas” supported by the
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) from 2017. The group had also proceeded R&D
project “R&D on Adaptive Media Access Control for Increasing the Capacity of Wireless IoT Devices in
Factory Sites” supported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications from 2019. From
2020, the group started sub-10GHz/28GHz Si RFICs for B5G station under the R&D project supported
by NEDO. From 2022, the group start two R&D projects relating to spectrum monitoring and sensingof wireless IoT for smart factories under the R&D project supported by MIC.
[Staff]
Professor: Noriharu Suematsu, Ph.D
Specially Appointed Professor: Takashi Shiba, Ph.D
[Papers][1] T. Shiba, T. Furuichi, K. Akimoto, M. Motoyoshi, S. Kameda, N. Suematsu, "Real-Time Wideband Spectrum Monitor
Using Multiple Sampling Frequency Direct RF Undersampling for Wireless IoT," 2021 51th European Microwave
Conference (EuMC), pp. 461-471, Apr. 2022.
[2] T. Furuichi, M. Motoyoshi, S. Kameda, T. Shiba, N. Suematsu, "RF Signal Frequency Identi¿cation in a Direct RF
Undersampling Multi-band Real-time Spectrum Monitor for Wireless IoT Usage," IEICE Transactions on
Communications, vol. E105-B, no. 4, Apr. 2022.
[3] T. Furuichi, K. Akimoto, M. Motoyoshi, S. Kameda, T. Shiba, N. Suematsu, “A Simple Spectrum Reconstruction
Method in Direct RF Undersampling Receiver for Real-Time Spectrum Monitor,” IEICE Transactions on Electronics,
Vol.J105-C, no. 4, pp.117-126, Apr. 2022.
[4] T. Furuichi, T. Shiba, N. Suematsu, "Multi-band RF Spectrum Reconstruction from Multiple Direct RF Undersampled
Signals," 2022 URSI-Japan Radio Science Meeting, Sep. 2022.
[5] Y. Fujiya, K. Edamatsu, T. Shiba, N. Suematsu, "Self-Mixing Noise Reduction Effect in Wi-Fi Backscatter Receiverby Tx Signal Canceller," 2022 IEEE Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference (APMC), pp. 493-495, Nov. 2022.

Contact to Professor SUEMATSU Noriharu : noriharu.suematsu.a3@tohoku.ac.jp

47

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

Interdisciplinary Collaboration Research Division

Research project of human value estimation of multimodal information basedon informatics paradigm to manage both quality㻌
Satoshi Shioiri, Dr. Professor
Nobuyuki Sakai, Dr. Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
In this year, we developed a method to experimentally investigate the process of integratingaudiovisual information into binocular rivalry, and revealed that auditory information influences
binocular rivalry caused by different directions of movement. Binocular rivalry is a phenomenon inwhich, when different visual stimuli are presented to the left and right eyes, the two appear tocompete and appear alternately. It is known that auditory information influences which one
becomes dominant. For example, when random dots moving rightward is presented to the right eye
and random dots moving leftward to the left eye, which becomes dominant depends on motion ofauditory stimulus presented simultaneously. In the present research, we investigated the effect on
binocular rivalry between upward and downward movements of visual stimuli by tone changes,
which are said to be related to vertical movement. Results showed that upward movement was
dominant with sound stimuli with rising tones. This result suggests that changes in tone is linked
to up-and-down movements in subconscious and at non-semantic level, and also that binocular
rivalry can be effectively used to investigate audiovisual integration processes.

㻌[Staff]
Professor 䠖 Satoshi Shioiri, Dr.
Professor 䠖 Nobuyuki Sakai, Dr.
Assistant Professor : Kosuke Yamamoto, Dr.

㻌[Profile]
Satoshi SHIOIRI Professor Shioiri graduated Tokyo Institute of Technology and received Dr. Eng
in 1986. In 2005, he joined Tohoku University and he has been a professor of Research Institute ofElectrical Communication of Tohoku University since then.

㻌Nobuyuki Sakai graduated from Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University in 1998.
Then he worked at Hiroshima Shudo University and National Institute of Advanced and Industrial
Science and Technology (AIST) , Kobe Shoin Women’s University. He, then, moved to Sendai in
October 2011, and he is a professor of Graduate School of Arts and Letters of Tohoku University
now.
㻌[Papers][1] Yamamoto, K., Shioiri, S. Auditory pitch modulation of binocular rivalry, European Conference on Visual
Perception 2022, Nijmegen, the Netherlands, August-September 2022
[2] Alexander Raevskiy , Ivan Bubnov , Yi-Chuan Chen , and Nobuyuki Sakai, Differences in Color Representations of
Tastes: Cross-cultural Study Among Japanese, Russian and Taiwanese. P.-L. P. Rau (Ed.): HCII 2022, LNCS
13311, pp. 378–395, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-06038-0_28[3] Alexander Raevskiy, Shuichi Sakamoto, and Nobuyuki Sakai Psychoacoustic Study of Japanese Mimetics for Food
Textures. K. Kondo et al. (eds.), Advances in Intelligent Information Hiding and Multimedia Signal Processing,
Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies 339, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-0105-0_37[4] Renjun Miao R. , Kato, H. Hatori, Y. Sato Y., and Shioiri, S. 2022. Analysis of Facial Expressions for the
Estimation of Concentration on Online Lectures. In World Conference on Computers in Education(IFIP WCCE,
2022), Hiroshima, Japan, 4G-1.
[5] Kato, H., Takahashi, K., Hatori, Y., Sato, Y. and Shioiri, S. 2022. Prediction of Engagement from Temporal
Changes in Facial Expression. In World Conference on Computers in Education(IFIP WCCE, 2022), Hiroshima,
Japan, 9G-2.
[6] Kato, H., Takahashi, K., Hatori, Y., Sato, Y. and Shioiri, S.2022. Prediction of engagement from facial expressions:effect of dynamic factors. In The 18th International Conference on Intelligent Information Hiding and Multimedia
Signal Processing (IIHMSP-2022). Kitakyushu, Japan. IIHMSP-2022-IS05-04.

48

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Spintronics/CMOS Hybrid Brain-Inspired Integrated Systems

Ultralow-power Spintronics/CMOS hybrid Brain-inspired VLSI for Edge Devices
Takahiro Hanyu, Professor
Tetsuo Endoh, Professor
Tao Li, Assistant Professor[Research Target and Activities]
The objective of our research is to pave the path
for an innovative AI hardware approach, spanningfrom the fundamental science of material andinformation to devices, circuits, architectures, andsoftware technologies, in order to develop a novel
brain-inspired computing hardware system for
precise and real-time processing of information
value judgment, selection, and refusal. This year,
thisproject

establishedtheRealization of ultralow-power nonvolatile brain-inspired
VLSI based on novel Spintronics/CMOS hybrid approach

experimental

environment for the validation of hybrid spintronics/CMOS brain-inspired systems by 2021, laying the foundation
for assessing the efficacy and accuracy of brain-inspired VLSI processors. This year's primary objective is todesign a spintronics/CMOS hybrid brain-inspired circuit module containing an adaptive quantization module andan approximate multiplier module. The progress of these two research achievements and the associated research
results this year are presented as follows:ձ. Adaptive and energy-efficient quantization module for Spintronic/CMOS hybrid brain-inspired
systems.
For the development of spintronic/CMOS hybrid brain-inspired systems, it is essential to achieve adaptive
transformation of different data representation formats. This project proposes a new adaptive andenergy-efficient quantization technique and systematically demonstrates its efficacy from algorithm tohardware module for industrial IoT applications, including precise navigation for autonomous vehicles andprecise classification of deep neural networks. The proposed quantization method combines an adaptive
conversion function from floating-point to fixed-point binary representations and an adaptive radix-point
determination function, ensuring adequate resolution and minimal error loss of the fixed-point inputs to theedge AI modules. The experimental results indicate that the quantization error in the proposed quantization
technique contributes negligible errors to the navigation solutions of the strapdown inertial navigation systemand the classification accuracy of the top-1 and top-5 DNNs. In addition, a quantization-on-module isdesigned, synthesized, and routed in accordance with the proposed quantization technique.
ղ. Hybrid signed convolution module for energy-efficient STT-MRAM-based spintronic/CMOS hybrid
brain-inspired systems
STT-MRAM is the most promising memory for the fast development of spintronics/CMOS hybrid
brain-inspired systems in consumer electronics because of its low power consumption, rapid processing speed,
and high endurance. To enhance the functional diversity and energy efficiency of spintronics/CMOS hybrid
brain-inspired systems, a hybrid signed convolution module with the architecture of an unsigned
divide-and-conquer multiplier is proposed in this project. The proposed multiplier framework enables three
49

2022
multiplication modes, significantly increasing the multiplier's versatility for next-generation brain-inspired
systems. The proposed multiplier-based convolution module has the lowest average power consumption for
8-bit convolution when compared to state-of-the-art convolution accelerators. Utilizing power-gating
technology on STT-MRAM, the proposed convolution module keeps acceptable precision in high-bit
multiplication while reducing energy consumption by a factor of 22. Incorporating a hybrid convolution
module further enhances power efficiency by 8x, resulting in a 175x decrease in power efficiency for
spintronics/CMOS hybrid brain-inspired systems.

[Staff]
Professor: Takahiro Hanyu, Ph.D
Professor: Tetsuo Endoh, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor: Tao Li, Ph.D.

[Profile]
Takahiro Hanyu received the D.E. degrees in Electronic engineering from Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan,
in 1989. His general research interests include multiple-valued current-mode logic and its application to highperformance and low-power arithmetic VLSIs.
Tetsuo Endoh received his Ph.D. in electronic engineering from Tohoku University in 1995. He joined Toshiba
Corporation in 1987 and became a lecturer at the RIEC, Tohoku University, in 1995, an associate professor in
1997, and a professor in April 2008. Since 2012, he has been a professor at the Graduate School of Engineeringand director of CIES and CSIS at Tohoku University. He is a JSAP Fellow. He was the recipient of the LSI IP
Design Award (2001), the JJAP Paper Award (2009), the 6th Fellow Award of the JSAP (2012), the SSDM Paper
Award (2012), the 2020 VLSI Test of Time Award (2021), the 14th Prime Minister’s Award for its Contribution to
Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration (2017), and National Invention Award (2018).
Tao Li received a Ph.D. in Navigation, Guidance, and Control from the Graduate School of Engineering, Harbin
Engineering University, in June 2016. He worked as a specially appointed researcher at the Institute of Innovative
Science and Technology, Tokai University, in October 2016. In May 2020, he served as an assistant professor at
the Center for Innovative Integrated Electronic Systems and Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University.
Since April 2023, he has been an assistant professor at the Research Institute of Electrical Communication,
Tohoku University.

[Papers][1] T. Li, Y. Ma, K. Yoshikawa and T. Endoh, "Hybrid Signed Convolution Module With Unsigned
Divide-and-Conquer Multiplier for Energy-Efficient STT-MRAM-Based AI Accelerator," in IEEE
Transactions on Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) Systems, doi: 10.1109/TVLSI.2023.3245099.
[2] T. Li, Y. Ma, and T. Endoh, "Neuromorphic processor-oriented hybrid Q-format multiplication with adaptive
quantization for tiny YOLO3," Neural Computing and Applications, 35, 11013–11041 2023, doi:
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00521-023-08280-y.
[3]

T. Li, Y. Ma and T. Endoh, "From Algorithm to Module: Adaptive and Energy-Efficient Quantization Method
for Edge Artificial Intelligence in IoT Society," in IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, 2022, doi:
10.1109/TII.2022.3223222.

50

2022


Exploratory Research Division

Development of the education support systemwith estimation of attention states
0nline processing
Improve teaching
Don’t understandCurious
Tired

How to improve
Frequent change of attention → Repeating
Fixed attention →Describe more in details
Diverse attention → BreakMeasure facial expression,gaze, head movement, pose,voice, etc.
Estimate attention
states

Improve teaching
methods/matrials
Vicarious
experience

Offline processing㻌㻌㼂㼕㼏㼍㼞㼕㼛㼡㼟㻌㼑㼤㼜㼑㼞㼕㼑㼚㼏㼑㻌㼟㼥㼟㼠㼑㼙㻌㼛㼒㻌㼟㼠㼡㼐㼑㼚㼠㼟䇻㻌㼍㼠㼠㼑㼚㼠㼕㼛㼚㻚㻌㻲㼕㼞㼟㼠㻘㻌㼠㼔㼑㻌㼍㼠㼠㼑㼚㼠㼕㼛㼚㻌㼟㼠㼍㼠㼑㻌㼛㼒㻌㼍㻌㼟㼠㼡㼐㼑㼚㼠㻌㼕㼟㻌㼑㼟㼠㼕㼙㼍㼠㼑㼐㻌㼛㼒㼒㼘㼕㼚㼑㻘㻌㼍㼚㼐㻌㼠㼔㼑㻌㼏㼛㼚㼐㼕㼠㼕㼛㼚㻌㼛㼒㻌㼍㼠㼠㼑㼚㼠㼕㼛㼚㻌㼕㼟㻌㼑㼤㼜㼑㼞㼕㼑㼚㼏㼑㼐㻌㼎㼥㻌㼛㼠㼔㼑㼞㼟㻚㻌㻲㼞㼛㼙㻌㼠㼔㼑㻌㼠㼕㼙㼑㻙㼟㼑㼞㼕㼑㼟㻌㼐㼍㼠㼍㻌㼛㼒㻌㼠㼔㼑㻌㼍㼠㼠㼑㼚㼠㼕㼛㼚㻌㼟㼠㼍㼠㼑㻌㼍㼚㼐㻌㼠㼔㼑㻌㼢㼕㼏㼍㼞㼕㼛㼡㼟㻌㼑㼤㼜㼑㼞㼕㼑㼚㼏㼑㻘㻌㼠㼑㼍㼏㼔㼑㼞㼟㻌㼏㼍㼚㻌㼏㼛㼚㼟㼕㼐㼑㼞㻌㼔㼛㼣㻌㼠㼛㻌㼕㼙㼜㼞㼛㼢㼑㻌㼠㼔㼑㻌㼘㼑㼏㼠㼡㼞㼑㼟㻚㻌㼀㼔㼑㼚㻘㻌㼠㼑㼏㼔㼚㼛㼘㼛㼓㼥㻌㼣㼕㼘㼘㻌㼎㼑㻌㼍㼜㼜㼘㼕㼑㼐㻌㼒㼛㼞㻌㼞㼑㼍㼘㻌㼠㼕㼙㼑㻌㼡㼟㼍㼓㼑㻌㼛㼒㻌㼍㼠㼠㼑㼚㼠㼕㼛㼚㻌㼑㼟㼠㼕㼙㼍㼠㼕㼛㼚㻌㼐㼡㼞㼕㼚㼓㻌㼘㼑㼍㼞㼚㼕㼚㼓㻚㻌㻌
[Research Target and Activities]
While online classes and conferences have become popular and the limitations compared to faceto-face meetings have been identified, online communication is attracting many people in terms of
new types of information usages. According to rapid increase of online classes, it is an urgent issue
to research of mental state estimation for the appropriate and effective use of video teachingmaterials, tablet teaching materials, etc., are expected in the field of education. The purpose of the
project is to estimate the attention state from facial expressions and voices, constructing a model.
For the purpose, we measure facial images and voices as well as EEG during learning. To analyze
these time varying measures online, it is necessary to use high speed and performance system
based on the latest AI technology and FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[Staff]Satoshi Shioiri,
Project Leader, Professor[Profile]㻌
Satoshi SHIOIRI Professor Shioiri graduated Tokyo Institute of Technology and received Dr. Eng
in 1986. In 2005, he joined Tohoku University and he has been a professor of Research Institute ofElectrical Communication of Tohoku University since then.
[Papers][1] Miao R. , Kato, H. Hatori, Y. Sato Y., and Shioiri, S. 2022. Analysis of Facial Expressions for the Estimation ofConcentration on Online Lectures. In World Conference on Computers in Education(IFIP WCCE, 2022),
Hiroshima, Japan, 4G-1.
[2] Kato, H., Takahashi, K., Hatori, Y., Sato, Y. and Shioiri, S. 2022. Prediction of Engagement from Temporal
Changes in Facial Expression. In World Conference on Computers in Education(IFIP WCCE, 2022), Hiroshima,
Japan, 9G-2.
[3] Kato, H., Takahashi, K., Hatori, Y., Sato, Y. and Shioiri, S.2022. Prediction of engagement from facial expressions:effect of dynamic factors. In The 18th International Conference on Intelligent Information Hiding and Multimedia
Signal Processing (IIHMSP-2022). Kitakyushu, Japan. IIHMSP-2022-IS05-04.

51

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

Exploratory Research Division

Drone Utilization Technologies to Realize a Symbiotic Society
Yoshifumi KITAMURA,, Professor[Research Target and Activities]
This project aims to develop core technologies of interactive drone content for real industrial use
including Drones have been playing an increasingly active role in recent years, but their utilization
requires consideration of sustainability and accessibility. In order to realize a symbiotic society, thisstudy addresses to develop key technologies for the utilization of drones that can be used by anyone
by introducing an open source framework and environmentally friendly technologies.
[Staff]
Professor: Yoshifumi Kitamura, Dr.
[Profile]
Yoshifumi Kitamura: Since 2010, Yoshifumi Kitamura has been Professor in the Research Instituteof Electrical Communication, Tohoku University. Prior to arriving at Tohoku, he was an Associate
Professor at Graduate School of Engineering, and Graduate School of Information Science andTechnology, Osaka University. While working at ATR Communication Systems ResearchLaboratories, he focused on sophisticated user interfaces in virtual environments. His first formal
appointment was in the Information Systems Research Center Canon Inc., where he was involved
in research on artificial intelligence, image processing, computer vision, and 3D data processing. His
formal education was obtained at Osaka University, B.Sc (1985); M.Sc. (1987); and Ph.D. (1996).
[Papers][1] Maakito Inoue, Kazuki Takashima, Kazuyuki Fujita, Yoshihumi Kitamura. BirdViewAR:
Surroundings-aware Remote Drone Piloting Using an Augmented Third-person Perspective, Proc of
the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.

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IT21 Center
Exploratory Research Division
Wireless IoT Technology for Smart Factories

Toward smart factories with next generation wireless IoT


Fig.1 WiFi-backscatter communication   Fig.2 Leaky coaxial cable (LCX)

with Retro-directive array (RDA)

communication system

Noriharu Suematsu, Professor (Project Leader)Takashi Shiba, Specially appointed Professor
Jean Temga, Research fellow
Suguru Kameda, Visiting Professor (Hiroshima University)[Research Target and Activities]
Beyond 5G(B5G)/6G will offer us not only high speed/high throughput but also low latency (realtime)/massive connection wireless IoT communication. The factories equipped with B5G/6G (i.e. smart
factories) is a key of manufacturing revolution which is called as “Industry 4.0.”
This division conducts exploratory research on establishing the following two technologies.
(a) measurement and analysis of smart factory’s real-time radio environment in which multiple IoT
communication systems (such as local 5G, wireless-LAN, Bluetooth and WPT) coexist.
(b) next generation wireless system, transceiver hardware, signal processing technologies for next
generation smart factory’s wireless IoT communication in 6G era.
This year we have developed WiFi-backscatter communication using Retro-directive array (RDA) andhave started the development of LCX communication system for smart factories.
Fig.1 shows WiFi-backscatter communication with RDA and Fig.2 shows evaluation setup of LCX
communication system.
[Papers][1] Y. Honma, J. Temga, T. Shiba, N. Suematsu, "A Compact 5.2 GHz Reflection-Type Retrodirective Array
Using Butler Matrix with Broadside Couplers," 2022 European Microwave Conference (EuMC), pp. 393396, Sep. 2022.
[2] Y. Honma, J. Temga, T. Furuichi, T. Shiba, N. Suematsu, "A 5 GHz-Band 2×2 Reflection-Type
Retrodirective Array with Stacked Stripline Phase Conjugate Circuit," 2022 Asia-Pacific Microwave
Conference (APMC), pp. 151-153, Nov. 2022.

53

2022
Management Office for Safety and HealthRealizing and Maintaining a Safe and Comfortable Environment to Support
Research[Research Target and Activities]

Safety and health seminar (Online)
High pressure gas safety seminar (Online)
1. Outline of the Management Office for Safety and Health
The Management Office for Safety and Health is established to maintain the safety and health 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 Safety and Healthprovides support for safety and health 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 Safety and Health
For the actual management of safety and health at the office, the Safety and Health Committee firstpresents the basic policies of safety management at the institute, and the Management Office for
Safety and Health 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 Safety and Health 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 safety and health. 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 safety and health management system and working
environment within the instituteʊ Holding first aid training course
ʊ Investigation of laws related to safety and health and collection of information regarding safety
and health management
ʊ Providing advice and information to safety and health personnel in each department[Staff]
Manager: Shigeo Sato, Professor
Nobuyuki Sato, Assistant Professor
Maho Abe, Technical Staff

54

Hiroyuki Yagyu, Technical Staff
anzen-riec@grp.tohoku.ac.jp

Haruka Takahashi, Clerk

2022
Flexible Information System Center
Development and Management of Flexible Information System[Summary and Role of the Flexible Information System Center]
The existing information systems are inflexible,
meaning that they only provide processing functions
predetermined in their design phase.

The objectiveof this center is to introduce, operate, and maintain
information networks and systems to support
research activities in the Research Institute ofElectronic Communication (hereafter RIEC), basedon the concept of flexible information processing thatreflects human intentions and the environment.
Moreover, utilizing know-how obtained throughpractical experiences of the information networks

FigureRIEC server roomand systems, this center designs and constructs thestate-of-the-art systems for advanced organization, utilization, management and operation, anddispatch of scientific information.
1. Information collection, organization, dispatching, utilization, and research support environment.
2. Advanced maintenance, management, and operation of the network.
3. Technical support for information networks and systems in the institute.

[Status Report of the Flexible Information System Center]
At the Flexible Information System Center, we manage and operate the server system and theinformation network underlying the academic research conducted throughout RIEC.
࣭Maintaining and monitoring the server and network hardware.
࣭Responding to information security crises.
࣭Advising and answering problems on the use of network services raised by individual researchgroups.
࣭Managing the information system accounts.
࣭Constructing and renewing the official RIEC website.
࣭Developing and publishing videos containing the events and conferences associated with RIEC
activities.
࣭Establish and maintain an online conference system in the conference room, and support theoperation of online events.
࣭Improving on the security measures of mobile devices checked out of the RIEC premises.
࣭Operating the system with backup power sources under scheduled power shutdowns.

fir@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

55

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[Staff](1) Steering Committee
Professors: Go Hasegawa, Dr., Masafumi Shirai, Dr., Takuo Suganuma, Dr., Hiroshi Yasaka, Dr.,
Akio Ishiguro, Dr.
(2) Staff
Director (Professor): Go Hasegawa, Dr.
Technical Official: Kenji Ota
Technical Official*: Yuko Maruyama
Technical Support Member: Mutsumi Shuto, Kiwamu Sumino

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Fundamental Technology Center

Supporting research with high-level specialized knowledge and technology

Overview of the Fundamental Technology Center[Research Target and Activities]
The Fundamental Technology Center provides a wide range of technical support for research anddevelopment through four divisions: Machine Shop Division, Evaluation Division, Process Division, andInformation Technology Division. The following is a summary of the activities of the divisions of theFundamental Technology Center for the current year.
1. Machine Shop Division
Following requests from researchers, the Machine Shop Division supplied 94 machining products.
About 10% of the requests were from outside the institute.
2. Evaluation Division
20 laboratories and 2 external research institute and company utilized the evaluation andmeasurement apparatuses for shared usage (the utilization time was 2,666 hours). Technical assistanceon the use of liquid helium was provided for 3 laboratories. In cooperation with the administration andthe management offices for safety and health, this division also engaged in safety maintenance of theinstitute.
3. Process Division
In cooperation with the technical office, a section of the Laboratory for Nanoelectronics andSpintronics, 345Electron-beam lithography products, 39 photomasks and 21 commissioned analyzes
such as focused ion beam systems were supplied.

Operation management and maintenance were

provided for operating the clean rooms of the Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics.
4. Information Technology DivisionThis division operated the in-house network at the institute and maintained shared-useinformation-equipment, in cooperation with the Flexible Information System Center. This division also
engaged in the contracting aspects of collaborative research based on intellectual property rights andgave advice to researchers who tried to apply for the grant of patents.

[Staff]Director (Professor): Shigeo SATO.
Assistant Professor: Nobuyuki SATO.
Technical Officials:

Tamotsu SUENAGA, Kento ABE, Yasuaki MAEDA, Kana SEKIYA, Maho ABE,
Takenori TANNO, Hiroyuki YAGYU, Iori MORITA, Rikima ONO,

Michimasa MUSHA, Yuko MARUYAMA, Kenji OHTA

eac-riec@grp.tohoku.ac.jp

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Ad-hoc research groups
Taking advantage of the wide range of expertise in the institute, ad-hoc research groups areformed outside of the formal organizational structure to investigate challenging exploratory topics
and needs-based, cutting-edge subjects.

[Group of multimodal attention]
Selecting information obtained through sensory organs by attention is inevitable to live thecomplicated world with dynamic changes. A number of studies have investigated the mechanisms ofattention related to cognitive processes, and little is known about attention effect on action. This
research group investigates representation of space in the brain, which expresses the outside space
based on multiple sensory information. We hypothesize that attention in the multi-sensory spatial
representation is crucial to select action. We investigated interaction between top-down andbody-related attention and found that these two are not controlled by a common process.

[Cyber-Physical Security Research Group]
For the next-generation information and communication infrastructures such as IoT, M2M, and
CPS, we aim to developing advanced information security technologies to ensure security andreliability at the level of vast and diverse information sources (i.e., embedded devices such as sensor
terminals) in a vertically integrated manner by various researchers from the viewpoints of software
constitutive theory, system security, hardware security, circuit architecture, next-generation
microprocessor, and so on. In 2022, we continued discussion about our goal and research direction
with several seminars and meetings.

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[Brainmorphic Nano-Devices and Circuits Research Group]
Brain-inspired hardware systems have been actively developed recently. However, a big
break-through to the true brain-like system has not been reached yet. This research group aims at
development and implementation of novel brainmorphic computational hardware that reproduces
the bio-physics and dynamics in the brain directly through dynamics and physics of nano-devices
and ultra-low-power integrated circuits based on the latest physiological knowledge. This year, inorder to promote research on brain-morphic computing from a wide range of perspectives, including
brain science, spintronics devices, analog and digital integrated circuits, cultured neural circuits,
and nonlinear complex dynamics, we are cooperating with the JST CREST Sato project and the
Yamamoto project of Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas (B), which was adopted
through full support by this research group. We also organized and presented our research in the
joint workshop of Nonlinear Workshop and Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A), in which Horio
serves as a representative.

[Group of developing the AI clone system]
The aim of the group is to adopt knowledge of the cognitive science to AI (artificial intelligence)and AR (augmented reality) technology. Specifically, we develop "AI clone", which is the model ofrecognition and action characteristics of a person. AI clone enables others to re-experience thetarget person's recognition and action with AR interface. Our goal is to establish the newcommunication technology that improves mutual understanding among people with differences in avariety of aspects, using AI clone and AR interface. We started a project of IT21center, Developmentof the education support system with estimation of attention states, this year.

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

Division for the Establishment of Frontier Sciences

Multimodal Cognitive System Division

Research project on multimodal information integration based on foodperception.
Integration

Classical Bottom-Up model for perception of foodExpectation for Taste

Top-down model for perception of food in this research

Fig. 1 The model adapted in this research is shown in right panel. The perception of food is based on interactive
top-down processing of multimodal sensory inputs, not on simple integration of sensory inputs.
Nobuyuki Sakai, Dr. Professor
[Research Target and Activities]
In this year, we have done some experiments about the followings; the psycholinguistic research on
onomatopoeia on food texture; the neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying face recognition
and face aesthetics investigated by fMRI and fNIRS, etc. We have also started the cognitive studies
about the effect of audition on binocular rivalry, the interactive mechanisms of audition withsomatosensation, and the phenomena of the effects of top-down processing on food recognition andpalatability evaluastion.

[Staff]
Professor 㸸 Nobuyuki Sakai, Dr.
Assistant Professor : Kosuke Yamamoto[Profile]
Nobuyuki Sakai graduated from Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University in 1998.
Then he worked at Hiroshima Shudo University and National Institute of Advanced and Industrial
Science and Technology (AIST) , Kobe Shoin Women’s University. He, then, moved to Sendai in
October 2011, and he is a professor of Graduate School of Arts and Letters of Tohoku University
now.
[Papers][1]

Alexander Raevskiy , Ivan Bubnov , Yi-Chuan Chen , and Nobuyuki Sakai, Differences in Color Representationsof Tastes: Cross-cultural Study Among Japanese, Russian and Taiwanese. P.-L. P. Rau (Ed.): HCII 2022, LNCS
13311, pp. 378–395, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-06038-0_28[2] Alexander Raevskiy, Shuichi Sakamoto, and Nobuyuki Sakai Psychoacoustic Study of Japanese Mimetics for Food
Textures. K. Kondo et al. (eds.), Advances in Intelligent Information Hiding and Multimedia Signal Processing,
Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies 339, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-0105-0_37

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Spintronics/CMOS Hybrid Brain-Inspired Integrated Systems

Ultralow-power Spintronics/CMOS hybrid Brain-inspired VLSI for Edge Devices
Spintronics/CMOS Hybrid Brain-Inspired Integrated Systems

Tetsuo Endoh, Professor

Spintronics/CMOS Hybrid Brain-Inspired Integrated Systems

Tao Li, Assistant Professor[Research Target and Activities]
The objective of our research is to pave the path
for an innovative AI hardware approach, spanningfrom the fundamental science of material andinformation to devices, circuits, architectures, andsoftware technologies, in order to develop a novel
brain-inspired computing hardware system for
precise and real-time processing of information
value judgment, selection, and refusal. This year,
thisproject

environment

established
for

the

the

validation

experimentalofRealization of ultralow-power nonvolatile brain-inspired
VLSI based on novel Spintronics/CMOS hybrid approachhybridspintronics/CMOS brain-inspired systems by 2021, laying the foundation for assessing the efficacy and accuracyof brain-inspired VLSI processors. This year's primary objective is to design a spintronics/CMOS hybrid
brain-inspired circuit module containing an adaptive quantization module and an approximate multiplier module.
The progress of these two research achievements and the associated research results this year are presented asfollows:
ձ. Adaptive and energy-efficient quantization module for Spintronic/CMOS hybrid brain-inspired
systems.
For the development of spintronic/CMOS hybrid brain-inspired systems, it is essential to achieve adaptive
transformation of different data representation formats. This project proposes a new adaptive andenergy-efficient quantization technique and systematically demonstrates its efficacy from algorithm tohardware module for industrial IoT applications, including precise navigation for autonomous vehicles andprecise classification of deep neural networks. The proposed quantization method combines an adaptive
conversion function from floating-point to fixed-point binary representations and an adaptive radix-point
determination function, ensuring adequate resolution and minimal error loss of the fixed-point inputs to theedge AI modules. The experimental results indicate that the quantization error in the proposed quantization
technique contributes negligible errors to the navigation solutions of the strapdown inertial navigation systemand the classification accuracy of the top-1 and top-5 DNNs. In addition, a quantization-on-module isdesigned, synthesized, and routed in accordance with the proposed quantization technique.
ղ. Hybrid signed convolution module for energy-efficient STT-MRAM-based spintronic/CMOS hybrid
brain-inspired systems
STT-MRAM is the most promising memory for the fast development of spintronics/CMOS hybrid
brain-inspired systems in consumer electronics because of its low power consumption, rapid processing speed,
and high endurance. To enhance the functional diversity and energy efficiency of spintronics/CMOS hybrid

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brain-inspired systems, a hybrid signed convolution module with the architecture of an unsigned
divide-and-conquer multiplier is proposed in this project. The proposed multiplier framework enables threemultiplication modes, significantly increasing the multiplier's versatility for next-generation brain-inspired
systems. The proposed multiplier-based convolution module has the lowest average power consumption for
8-bit convolution when compared to state-of-the-art convolution accelerators. Utilizing power-gating
technology on STT-MRAM, the proposed convolution module keeps acceptable precision in high-bit
multiplication while reducing energy consumption by a factor of 22. Incorporating a hybrid convolution
module further enhances power efficiency by 8x, resulting in a 175x decrease in power efficiency for
spintronics/CMOS hybrid brain-inspired systems.

[Staff]
Professor: Tetsuo Endoh, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor: Tao Li, Ph.D.

[Profile]
Tetsuo Endoh received his Ph.D. in electronic engineering from Tohoku University in 1995. He joined Toshiba
Corporation in 1987 and became a lecturer at the RIEC, Tohoku University, in 1995, an associate professor in
1997, and a professor in April 2008. Since 2012, he has been a professor at the Graduate School of Engineeringand director of CIES and CSIS at Tohoku University. He is a JSAP Fellow. He was the recipient of the LSI IP
Design Award (2001), the JJAP Paper Award (2009), the 6th Fellow Award of the JSAP (2012), the SSDM Paper
Award (2012), the 2020 VLSI Test of Time Award (2021), the 14th Prime Minister’s Award for its Contribution to
Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration (2017), and National Invention Award (2018).
Tao Li received a Ph.D. in Navigation, Guidance, and Control from the Graduate School of Engineering, Harbin
Engineering University, in June 2016. He worked as a specially appointed researcher at the Institute of Innovative
Science and Technology, Tokai University, in October 2016. In May 2020, he served as an assistant professor at
the Center for Innovative Integrated Electronic Systems and Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University.
Since April 2023, he has been an assistant professor at the Research Institute of Electrical Communication,
Tohoku University.

[Papers][1] T. Li, Y. Ma, K. Yoshikawa and T. Endoh, "Hybrid Signed Convolution Module With Unsigned
Divide-and-Conquer Multiplier for Energy-Efficient STT-MRAM-Based AI Accelerator," in IEEE
Transactions on Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) Systems, doi: 10.1109/TVLSI.2023.3245099.
[2] T. Li, Y. Ma, and T. Endoh, "Neuromorphic processor-oriented hybrid Q-format multiplication with adaptive
quantization for tiny YOLO3," Neural Computing and Applications, 35, 11013–11041 2023, doi:
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00521-023-08280-y.
[3]

T. Li, Y. Ma and T. Endoh, "From Algorithm to Module: Adaptive and Energy-Efficient Quantization Method
for Edge Artificial Intelligence in IoT Society," in IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, 2022, doi:
10.1109/TII.2022.3223222.

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

Center for Science and Innovation in Spintronics (CSIS)
㸺About the Center㸼
Establishment㸸January 30, 2018
Organization㸸Director: Yoshio Hirayama (Specially Appointed Professor)
Number of academic members: 43 (including 5 full-time and 37 concurrent members)
Research Target㸸Creation of world-leading research center pioneering in so-called “Spin-Centered Science”
by strategic consolidation of excellent researchers from foreign leading universities infundamental and applied fields.
Research Activities㸸Spin-centered fundamental science, advanced spintronic materials, spintronic devices,
and integration technology of spintronic devices.
㸺Major Achievements in 2022㸼
࣭Promotion of world-leading research in spintronics
Excellent 5 proposals, which are creative and expected to make outstanding achievements, were adopted
to the international cooperative research projects and their research and outsourcing expenses were
supported by CSIS. The submission fees and/or article processing charges of high impact-factor journals
were also supported.
࣭Fostering excellent early-career researchers
Excellent early-career researchers, 4 persons from foreign countries, were employed as assistant professors
to promote collaborations with researchers of domestic and foreign institutions. An associate professor
was employed as PI in the CSRN division and established the laboratory for the interdisciplinary researchof quantum sensing and spintronics.
࣭Promoting international academic exchange
The laboratory for international collaboration with the University of Chicago was operated continuously.
The 6th International Symposium for the Core Research Clusters for Materials Science and Spintronics
was held via online in October, 2022. The following international meetings were also co-sponsored or
supported by CSIS:- EPSRC International Network for Spintronics Early Carrier Researchers Meeting (May, 2022)- The 2022 Spintronics Workshop on LSI (June, 2022)- Materials Development Towards Energy Efficient Magnetic Memory (December, 2022)- International Workshop of Spin/Quantum Materials and Devices (February, 2023)- 2nd Online RIEC International Workshop on Spintronics (March-April, 2023)

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Center for Innovative Integrated Electronic Systems (CIES)
㸺Overview㸼Establishment: The CIES was established in October 2012 to enhance industry-academia collaborations
and contribute to further development of the electronics industry. The building of the CIES wasconstructed in March 2013 as the first Science Park in this country by a private donation locatedin Aobayama New Campus at Tohoku University.
Organization: Director: Tetsuo Endoh (Professor, Graduate School of Engineering)Number of staff: 71 (including appointments across Graduate School of Engineering, Graduate
School of Information Sciences, RIEC etc.)
Mission: The CEIS researches and develops integrated electronic technologies with various research seeds
that Tohoku University has and abundant results of industry-academia collaboration as centripetal
force. And the CIES pursues to contribute to the enhancement of global competitiveness in thefield of next generation integrated electronics systems by establishing an international industryacademia collaboration base. Further, the CIES aims for practical use of the technologies in thisfield and is aiming to create new industries.
Research topics: Under the framework of industry-academia joint research, national projects, regional
collaboration projects, the CIES has expanded from the world's most advanced spintronics
technology, which has been developed at CIES, to AI hardware technology and power electronics
technology. While promoting research and development of these three core technologies, we areaiming to develop an innovative integrated electronics system that realizes dramatic power-saving
operation that is indispensable for the realization of carbon neutrality and AI / IoT / DX.
㸺Major activities in FY2021㸼
CIES has managed the “CIES consortium” which consists of industry–academic collaborations, major
national projects (MEXT X-nics, JST OPERA, JSPS Core-to-Core, JAXA Space Exploration Innovation Hub,
NEDO, METI Tohoku Supporting Industry, MEXT Power Electronics) and regional collaboration projects
from material, equipment, devices and system in cooperation with various international and domestic
companies aiming for the practical applications of innovative core technologies created by Tohoku University.
Our center was selected as the 1st base of the " J-Innovation HUB Initiative", a new project of the METI in
2020. The research and development field has been expanded from spintronics to 3D memory, AI hardware
and power electronics, and the industry-academic collaborations have been significantly expanded to twenty.
Here, these companies utilized “a special private-sector investment promotion zone system (for information
service-related industries)” under a joint application from Miyagi prefecture and local municipalities, and“financial assistance according to the amount of property tax paid (created under an agreement between
Tohoku University and Sendai City)”. In June 2021, Tohoku University established the Tohoku University
Semiconductor Technology Co-creation to contribute to Japan's semiconductor strategy and, by extension, theworld's energy-saving society. In addition to this co-creation, CIES is positioned as a spintronics power-saving
logic semiconductor development base in Japan's semiconductor strategy, and we are further strengthening ourefforts to promote industry-academia-government co-creation and social implementation.

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CIES has developed a variety of innovative technologies with world-first 300mm wafer process line andfacilities operated by the university for prototype manufacturing and characterizing spintronics integrated
circuits compatible with world-class companies, and has made progress in developing IoT and AI systems that
require ultra-low power consumption.
Specifically, in the field of spintronics, new iPMA-type Hexa-technology in Magnetic Tunnel Junctions(MTJ) has demonstrated data retention durability at 260°C and over 10 million rewrite durability at the timeof manufacturing advanced microcomputers. The result paves the way for high-performance and large-capacity
embedded non-volatile memory for X nm generation advanced microcomputers. In 2022, our university's
proposal "Innovative spintronics X semiconductor research hub (Director: Tetsuo Endoh)" was adopted by
MEXT "Initiative to Establish Next-generation Novel Integrated Circuits Centers (X-NICS)". Over a periodof 10 years, we will promote the creation of innovative low-power semiconductors and the development ofadvanced human resources in collaboration with collaborating and cooperating organizations. In addition, it
has been adopted by NEDO “Efficient Design and Demonstration of AI Processor using CMOS / Spintronics
Hybrid Technology” and is working with the RIEC to develop technology to accelerate the industrial
application of AI edge computing. In the field of power electronics, MEXT “Research and Development of
Basic Technologies for Creating Innovative Power Electronics” adopted in 2021 further promoted researchand development of integrated power electronics. We are working to achieve higher power density(miniaturization) and higher efficiency by researching and developing circuit systems that take full advantageof the superior performance of wide bandgap devices such as SiC and GaN, and by applying passive
components that are optimal for such circuit systems, we will develop high-performance inverters for nextgeneration EVs and power supplies for data centers. Utilizing the three core technologies of spintronics
technology, AI hardware technology and power electronics technology, which are the world's most advanced
technologies that have been researched and developed at CIES, we aim to develop IoT/AI system, which isindispensable for realizing carbon neutrality and requires ultra-low power consumption.
Aiming to contribute to the development of the innovative integrated electronics business and further
advancement of industry-academia collaboration, Power Spin Inc., a startup company from Tohoku University,
is now in its fifth year, and it has been put into practical use based on the technology and know-how of thiscenter. In addition to Miyagi Prefecture, the Miyagi Advanced Electronics and Machinery Industry Association,
the Miyagi Automotive Industry Promotion Council, Iwate Prefecture, Iwate Semiconductor and Electronics
Industries Promotion Conference, local and local companies in Yamagata Prefecture was added, and regional
cooperation was expanded with cooperation of the METI Tohoku. In 2022, based on Japan's semiconductor
strategy, the METI Tohoku played a central role in establishing the TOHOKU Study Group on Design of
Semiconductor and Electronics Industry. Director Endoh participates in this study group, and in cooperation
with the Technology Co-creation for Semiconductor of Tohoku University, etc., we are considering humanresource development according to the characteristics of the region and promotion such as strengthening the
supply chain.
In order to establish world leading R&D base for integrated electronic systems and AI hardware, we willcontinue to create innovative core technologies and contribute to the industry and the enhancement of global
competitiveness by the practical applications, and “new creation and innovation” through global and regional
partnership.

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

Advanced Institute for Yotta Informatics
㸺About the Center㸼
Establishment㸸April 1, 2018
Based on research activities as a Program for Key Interdisciplinary Research of Tohoku
University from 2015 to 2017, Yotta Informatics Research Center is granted by MEXT in
2018.
Organization㸸Director: Satoshi Shioiri (Director, Professor, RIEC)
Number of members: 47 (RIEC, Graduate School of Engineering, Graduate School of Arts &Letters, Graduate School of Information Sciences, Graduate School of Economics andManagement, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Education,
Graduate School of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural Science,㻌Graduate Schoolof International Cultural Studies,㻌Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, International
Research Institute of Disaster Science, Cyberscience Center, The Center for Academic
Resources and Archives, Unprecedented-scale Data Analytics Center)Research Target㸸Novel science and technology to manage both quantity and quality of yotta-scale
information, in order to establish the future ICT technology and new humanics bycollaborative work of engineering and human and social science.
Research Activities㸸The amount of information is rapidly increasing, which is projected to reach to theamount of one yotta (1024 ) bytes. Ordinary extension technology of the conventional ICT
cannot cope with such gigantic amount of information, therefore essential paradigm change
for the information processing is indispensable. In this institute, we aim at the new
information science, which can manage the quality of information as well as the information
amount. For the sake, experts of information engineering, human and social science fromdepartments are discussing about interdisciplinary collaborating works to understand thequality and value of information, as well as the quantity. The value information is the key
properties for the future informatics to receive the full benefit of the information in theupcoming “beyond the big data” era.
㸺Major Achievements in 2022㸼
1. We have started 15 interdisciplinary projects that lead the new information science, which can manage thequality of information as well as the information amount and select important information appropriately.
We published 105 papers and 114 presentations (including 24 invited talks).
2. We organized an international symposium “Symposium of Yotta Informatics – Research Platform for
Yotta-Scale Data Science 2022” and co-organized a RIEC international symposium “Tohoku U - NTU
Symposium: When AI Meets Human Science," and invited many researchers from inside and outside ofJapan. We also conducted International Workshop on Emerging ICT and three special sessions of IEICE
meetings.
3. The issue of Interdisciplinary Information Sciences (IIS), where we edited a special section, “Newinformatics paradigm to manage quality and value of information” has published.

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

Graduate Program in Spintronics (GP-Spin)
㸺Overview㸼Establishment㸸April 1, 2015
Organization㸸Head of the Division for International Joint Graduate School Programs: Masahiro Yamaguchi(Vice President for Education Reform and Global Engagement)
Graduate Program in Spintronics (GP-Spin) Program Director: Yoshiro Hirayama (Specially
Appointed Professor)
Program members: 21 academic staffs in Tohoku University
Foreign organization: Johannes Gutenberg Univ. Mainz (Germany), Univ. Regensburg(Germany), Tech. Univ. Kaiserslautern (Germany), Tech. Univ. München (Germany), Univ.
Lorraine (France), Univ. Chicago (USA), Tech. Univ. Delft (The Netherland), Univ.
Groningen (The Netherland), University of York (UK), University of Leeds (UK), Polish
Academy of Sciences (Poland), Tsinghua University (Chaina)
Mission㸸Education of world-class leaders in spintronics from fundamental to applications
Activities㸸(1) Education by world-leading professors from all departments and institute in Tohoku
University with participation from all over the world(2) Joint education with foreign organization including joint supervised degree/joint degree,
mutual visit and long-term internship, international school/workshop, qualifying examination toguarantee the educational quality
㸺Major Achievements in FY2022㸼
Under the influence of COVID-19 in FY2022, the students of GP-Spin arranged 5 talks by researchers of
Tohoku University in “EPSRC International Network for Spintronics Early Carrier Researchers Meeting”
held in May, 2022. The Students’ Workshop, including 4 invited talks and presentations by the students of
GP-Spin, was held as a part of the 32nd Joint-Interlaboratory Workshop on Nano-Magnets in February, 2023.
The workshops to improve the students’ skills of presentation in English were held twice in June andOctober, 2022.


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
                          

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan
WISE Program (Doctoral Program for World-leading Innovative & Smart Education)
Advanced Graduate Program for AI Electronics
㸺About the Center㸼
Establishment㸸Adopted October, 2018.
It has been adopted by the WISE Program (Doctoral Program for World-leading Innovative& Smart Education) of MEXT. This program is a new education program that starts fromFY 2018.

Organization㸸Chief executive: Hideo Ohno (President of Tohoku University)
Program leader: Masahiro Yamaguchi (Vise-President of Tohoku University (Education
Reform / International Strategy))
Program coordinator: Toshiro Kaneko (School of engineering, Professor)
Program manager: Approximately 70 people (including managers and a coordinator)

Target of Program㸸In this Graduate School Program, we will foster world-class talented doctors who canmake an innovation continuously through the learning of “an practical ability”, “solving ofsocial problems”, “creation of novel value”, and “an ability that can see real space andcyberspace in Society 5.0 with wide perspectives”.

㸺Major Achievements in 2022㸼
The program received an A grade from the interim evaluation conducted in the previous
fiscal year. Although the program as a whole received a high evaluation, some points werepointed out and efforts were made to improve them. In FY2022, the Project Based
Learning (PBL) courses, which are unique to the AIE Graduate School of Excellence, wereconducted in a face-to-face format, and a symposium on learning outcomes was held after
the completion of the program. After completing the course, a symposium was held andstudents made presentations on the results of their studies in the course. In addition, six
AIE lectures and an international symposium were held, in which prominent professors
from Japan and abroad gave lectures on a wide range of topics, from basic technologies toapplications and issues in the social practice of artificial intelligence electronics. All
students in the program presented their research in English at the international symposium.
We recruited and selected students for the fifth year, and 25 new students (7 new M1students, 11 new M2 students, and 7 new D1 students) were selected.

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㸲. 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, wireless communication, applications of ultrasoniccommunication and acoustic communication, non-linear physics and engineering, and computer
software. On the basis of this rich historical background the Institute was designated as a National
Center for Cooperative Research in 1994. Accompanying Tohoku University’s transformation to “anational university juridical entity” in April, 2004, this institution plays a leading role on the worldstage, as its researchers, both domestic and foreign, continue the task of “investigating the theory
and application of universal science and technology to realize communication, to the enrichment of
humanity.”
With this 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 Projects. 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 Selection Committee that includes members from outside of Tohoku University has a
Judging function for project proposals. The purpose of the Project Steering Committee is the proper
operation of approved projects.

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Nation-wide Cooperative Research Projects List 2022
Grant
Number

R02/A01

Title of Research

Development of graphene based
devices for terahertz applications

Analyses and mathematical modeling
R02/A02 of the function of artificial neuronal
circuitPrincipal Investigator

MEZIANI Yahya Moubarak
Department Fisica Aplicada,Salamanca University

OTSUJI
TaiichiTANII Takashi
Faculty of science and engineering,
Waseda University

YAMAMOTO
Hideaki

UCHINO Takashi
Department of Electrical andDevelopment of optoelectronic devices
R02/A03
Electronic Engineering, Faculty ofbased on two-dimensional materials
Engineering,Tohoku Institute of Technology

OTSUJI
TaiichiSpin transport and magnetism in 2D
R02/A04 van der Waals ferro andantiferromagnets

Singh Ravi PrakashDepartment of Physics,
Indian Institute of Science Education
and Research Bhopal

FUKAMI
Shunsuke

New Group-IV Semiconductor
R02/A05 Materials and Highly-Integrated
Device Process

SAKURABA Masao
Research Institute of ElectricalCommunication,
Tohoku University

SAKURABA
Masao

Investigation of physical structure
R02/A10 model of high-k/Ge interface affectedby fabrication processes

OTANI Yohei
Department of Mechanical andElectrical Engineering, Faculty ofEngineering,
Suwa University of Science

SATO
ShigeoR02/A11

Single-crystal graphene functional
deviceNAGASE Masao
Institute of Post-LED Photonics,
Tokushima University

OTSUJI
Taiichi

R02/A13Ultra-low-latency video coding for 8K
high-resolution image sensing

MATSUMURA Tetsuya
College of Engineering,
Nihon University

OTSUJI
Taiichi

Development of Wireless Massive
Connect IoT

OGUMA Hiroshi
Department of Electronics andComputer Engineering,
National Institute of Technology,
Toyama College

SUEMATSU
Noriharu

R02/A14SUEMATSU Noriharu
A study on over 100GHz-band/optical Research Institute of Electrical
R02/A15
fiber feed direct digital RF transceiver Communication,
Tohoku University

70

Research
Collaborator
of RIECSUEMATSU
Noriharu

2022
Grant
NumberTitle of Research

Principal Investigator

Research
Collaborator
of RIECITOH Keiichi
Department of Electrical andInformation Engineering,
National Institute of Technology,
Akita College

SUEMATSU
Noriharu

Modeling the Japanese-Taiwanese
R02/A18 racial effect in facial expression
recognition

CHEN Chien-Chung
Department of Psychology,
National Taiwan University

TSENG
Chia-huei

Development of device modules that
R02/A19 embed sensors onto objects and its
application

MANABE Hiroyuki
Department of Computer Science andEngineering,
Shibaura Institute of Technology

TAKASHIMA
KazukiKAMIYA Haruyuki
Graduate School of Medicine,
Hokkaido University

HIRANO Ayumi

R02/A16

R02/A20

Study on development of millimeterwave antenna using 3D printerUnderstanding and reconstruction ofminimal brain

The shape variation of human pinna
ITO Masashi
R02/A21 and its effect on the acoustical transfer Faculty of Engineering,
function.
Tohoku Institute of Technology

SAKAMOTO
Shuichi

ZABIR Salahuddin Muhammad
Salim
Research on the development of a new
R02/A22
Department of Creative Engineering,
generation IoT platform
National Institute of Technology,
Tsuruka College

HASEGAWA Go

Exploring and Understanding Touch
R02/A23 Interaction using a Slidable-Sheet on
Smart Devices

FUJITA Kazuyuki
Research Institute of ElectricalCommunication,
Tohoku University

FUJITA
Kazuyuki

Investigating cultural issues for the
R02/A24 design of touch-based interactive DFLIP photo management system

CHINTAKOVID Thippaya
Department of Library Science,
Faculty of Arts,
Chulalongkorn University

KITAMURA
Yoshifumi

Multimodal Data Flow Processing
R02/A25 Platform for Enhancing Human
Abilities

MINENO Hiroshi
Faculty of Informatics,
Shizuoka University

HASEGAWA Go

KIM Sungyoung
ECT Engineering Technology,
Rochester Institute of Technology

SAKAMOTO
Shuichi

R02/A29

Cultural background and auditory
selective attention

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2022
Grant
NumberPrincipal Investigator

Research
Collaborator
of RIEC

Constructive research on nonlinear
R02/A31 complex systems and development of
their theories

HORIO Yoshihiko
Research Institute of ElectricalCommunication,
Tohoku University

HORIO Yoshihiko

Determinants of multisensory
R02/A32
auditory space perception

HONDA Akio
Faculty of Informatics,
Shizuoka Institute of Science andTechnology

SAKAMOTO
ShuichiRadiation effect study on spintronics
R03/A01
devices for space applications

WATANABE Kyota
Research and Development
Directorate,
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

FUKAMI
Shunsuke

Development of Multi-Functional
R03/A02 Integrated Circuit on Si/Ge Hybrid
Platform

YAMAMOTO Keisuke
Faculty of Engineering Sciences,
Kyushu University

SAKURABA
Masao

Control of spin dynamics in nonR03/A03
magnetic materials

ISHIHARA Jun
Department of Applied Physics,
Faculty of Science,
Tokyo University of Science

KANAI
Shun

Creation of Bio-Medical Devices
R03/A04 Utilizing Non-Equilibrium PlasmaProducing Reactive Species

KANEKO Toshiro
Graduate School of Engineering,Tohoku University

HIRANO Ayumi

Heusler magnetic Weyl semimetal
R03/A05 :Toward a voltage-controlled nonvolatile magnetic memory

CHIBA Takahiro
General Education,
National Institute of Technology,
Fukushima College

TSUJIKAWA
Masahito

R03/A0672

Title of Research

R&D on radiation response ofquantum devices

KISHIMOTO Yasuhiro
OTSUKA
Research Center for Neutrino Science,
Tomohiro
Tohoku University

Development of Quantum Device
R03/A07 based on Atomically Thin Layered
Materials

KATO Toshiaki
Graduate School of Engineering,Tohoku University

OTSUKA
Tomohiro

Research of on-chip THz array
R03/A09 antenna for ultra-wideband
communication

KANAYA Haruichi
Graduate School of Information
Science and Electrical Engineering,
Kyushu University

SUEMATSU
Noriharu

2022
Grant
NumberTitle of Research

Principal Investigator

Research
Collaborator
of RIEC

High frequency chaos circuits using
R03/A10 resonant tunneling diodes and theirapplications

MAEZAWA Koichi
Graduate School of Science andEngineering,
University of Toyama

OTSUJI
Taiichi

Millimeter-wave large-scale array
R03/A11 antenna for wireless terminal
application

YOSHIDA Satoshi
Research Field in Engineering,
Science and Engineering Area,
Research and Education Assembly,
Kagoshima University

SUEMATSU
Noriharu

MARUYAMA Tamami
Department of Production Systems
Study on energy harvesting and metaR03/A12
Engineering,
surface applied for 5G / IoT
National Institute of Technology,
Hakodate College

SUEMATSU
Noriharu

Study of delay-sensitive and seamless
access networks using widely
R03/A13frequency selectable optoelectronics
integrated devices

YOSHIMOTO Naoto
Faculty of Science and Technology,
Chitose Institute of Science andTechnology

OTSUJI
TaiichiMixed Reality for IoT and Robotics:
R03/A14 Opportunities and Challenges for
Immersive Human-Robot Interaction

SUZUKI Ryo
Department of Computer Science,
University of Calgary

KITAMURA
Yoshifumi

Reconfigurable Head-Mounted
R03/A15 Displays Enabling Real-world
Interactions

KIYOKAWA Kiyoshi
Graduate School of Science andTechnology,
Nara institute of science andtechnology

KITAMURA
Yoshifumi

An investigation on spatio-temporal
R03/A16 characteristics of auditory selective
attention

TERAOKA Ryo
Graduate School of Humanities andSocial Sciences,
Kumamoto University

SAKAMOTO
Shuichi

R03/A17

Study on sound space perception
under limited binaural cue condition

MORIKAWA Daisuke
Faculty of Engineering,
Toyama Prefectural University

SAKAMOTO
Shuichi

R03/A20

Neuromorphic Systems using ThinFilm Memcapacitors

KIMURA Mutsumi
Faculty of Science and Technology,
Ryukoku University

HORIO Yoshihiko

OGUMA Hiroshi
Department of Electronics andComputer Engineering,
National Institute of Technology,
Toyama College

HOMMA Naofumi

R03/A22 IoT security technologies

73

2022
Grant
NumberTitle of Research

Research
Collaborator
of RIECUCHIYA Takahiro
Development of Advanced Harmonized
Information Technology Center,
Agent Platform
Nagoya Institute of Technology

SAKAMOTO
ShuichiCreation of device informatics and
R03/A25
application to Beyond 5G devices

FUKIDOME Hirokazu
Research Institute of ElectricalCommunication,
Tohoku University

FUKIDOME
Hirokazu

Quantum research based on
R03/A26 integration of experimental,
theoretical and data science

FUKUHARA Takeshi
Research Institute of ElectricalCommunication,
Tohoku University

OTSUKA
Tomohiro

Investigation of contactless power
R03/A27transmission in a long distance

INAMORI Mamiko
Department of Electrical andElectronic Engineering,
Tokai University

SUEMATSU
Noriharu

Embodiment of space perception:
R03/A28
anisotropy and individual difference

TERAMOTO Wataru
Graduate School of Social andCultural Sciences,
Kumamoto University

SAKAMOTO
ShuichiSUZUKI Shigeru
Micro System Integration Center,
Tohoku University

ISHIYAMA
Kazushi

CUI Zhenglie
Media Informatics,
Aichi University of Technology

SAKAMOTO
Shuichi

R03/A23

R03/A29

Application of high-performance soft
magnetic alloys to advanced devices

Effects of body vibration generated
R03/A30 from audio-visual signal on perceived
reality in multimodal contents

74

Principal Investigator

Research on the formation of a gravity KASAI Keisukeobservation network using optical
Research Institute of Electrical
R03/A31
Communication,communication technologies and themonitoring of volcanic activities
Tohoku University

KASAI Keisuke

SATO Shigeo
Hardware Technology for Brain
Research Institute of Electrical
R03/A32 Computing and its Application to Edge
Communication,
ComputingTohoku University

SATO
ShigeoCoplanar waveguide size andmagnetization angle dependence ofmagnetization dynamics in CoFeBR04/A01
MgO magnetic tunnel junction
structure measured by spin
rectification ferromagnetic resonance

FUKAMI
Shunsuke

Eli Christopher Inocencio Enobio
Department of Physics,
Mindanao State University-Iligan
Institute of Technology

2022
Grant
Number

R04/A02

Title of Research

Development of intraluminal NMR
receive coil for high field MRIJapan-Russia International
collaborative research on boosting a
R04/A03
performance of a large-area THz
photoconductive emitter

R04/A04

Study on Silicidation Reaction ofMetal Nanodots with SiH4

Principal Investigator

Research
Collaborator
of RIEC

LEE Sang-Seok
Faculty of Engineering,
Tottori University

SUEMATSU
Noriharu

DMITRY Ponomarev
Laboratory of high-power microwave
and mm-wave applications,
Institute of ultra high frequency
semiconductor electronics of Russian

OTSUJI
Taiichi

MIYAZAKI Seiichi
Graduate School of Engineering,
Nagoya University

SATO
ShigeoStudy of magnetic, dielectric and
AMINE El Moutaouakil
OTSUJI
R04/A05 optical properties of nanomaterials for Department of Electrical Engineering,TaiichiTerahertz applications
United Arab Emirates University

Electron transport through single
R04/A06 colloidal quantum dot coupled tonanogap metal electrodes

SHIBATA Kenji
Department of Electrical andElectronic Engineering,Tohoku Institute of Technology

OTSUKA
Tomohiro

MUROGA Sho
Database and its machine learning for
Graduate School of Engineering
R04/A07 development of next generation
Science,electromagnetic noise suppressors
Akita University

ISHIYAMA
KazushiHigh Frequency Response ofSubmicron-Sized Magnetic Materials
R04/A08with Asymmetric Magnetic Vortex
Structure

ISHIYAMA
Kazushi

KODA Tetsunori
General Education Division,
National Institute of Technology,
Oshima College

ISOGAMI Shinji
Fabrication of spintronic devices based Research Center for Magnetic and
R04/A09 on antiperovskite-type metallic films Spintronic Materials,
with light elements
National Institute for Materials
Science
Japan-USA International
Collaborative Research on the
Theoretical and Experimental
R04/A10 Investigation of Coulomb Drag
Instability of Graphene Dirac
Plasmons and its Application for THz
Laser Transistors

SHIRAI Masafumi

MITIN Vladimir
Department of Electrical Engineering,
School of Engineering and Appl.
OTSUJI
Science,
Taiichi
University at Buffalo, The State
University of New YorkKANEKO Junichi
Development of diamond RF highGraduate School Faculty of
R04/A11 power devices and circuits for post-5G
Engineering,base station
Hokkaido University

SUEMATSU
Noriharu

75

2022
Grant
Number

R04/A12

Title of Research

Manipulation of sense of self using
multisensory information

Exploring and designing interactions
R04/A13 for VR headsets using smartphoneinterfaces

Principal Investigator

TANAKA Akihiro
Department of Psychology,
Tokyo Woman's Christian University

SAKAMOTO
Shuichi

BOUSTILA Sabah
School of Digital Art,
Manchester Metropolitan University

TAKASHIMA
KazukiSAKAI Ko
Online-based visual psychophysics and Faculty of Engineering Information
R04/A14shared modeling environment
and Systems,
Tsukbua University

Estimation of attention states during
R04/A15learning

SHIOIRI Satoshi
Research Institute of ElectricalCommunication,
Tohoku University

SHIOIRI Satoshi

SHIOIRI Satoshi

SATO Yoshiyuki
Study on application of facial
Advanced Institute for Yotta
R04/A16 expression analysis to remote medical
Informatics,
care
Tohoku University

SHIOIRI Satoshi

Creation, manipulation, and electrical
TRETIAKOV Oleg
control of chiral spin textures in nonR04/A17
School of Physics,
collinear antiferromagnetic
University of New South Wales
heterostructures

FUKAMI
Shunsuke

HIRAMOTO Kaoru
Development ofFrontier Research Institute for
R04/A18 electrochemiluminescence microscopy
Interdisciplinary Sciences,for visualization of active biointerfaces
Tohoku University

HIRANO Ayumi

MIMA Satoru
Kobe Frontier Research Center,
Advanced ICT Research Institute,
National Institute of Information andCommunications Technology

SATO
ShigeoInterpersonal coordination of motor,
R04/A20 cognitive and neurophysiologicalprocesses in joint activities

CHENG Miao
Research Institute of ElectricalCommunication,
Tohoku University

CHENG Miao

Propagation directivity of wireless
R04/A21body area network

AKIMOTO Kohei
Department of Intelligent
Mechatronics, Faculty of Systems,
Akita Prefectural University

SUEMATSU
Noriharu

R04/A1976

Research
Collaborator
of RIEC

Study of Superconducting Nanowire
for Single Photon Detection

2022
Grant
NumberTitle of Research

Principal Investigator

HAYASHI Masako
An Exploratory Study to Build an
Institute for Excellence in Higher
R04/A22 Environment for Collaborative HyFlex
Education,
Classes" Utilizing XR Technology"
Tohoku University

Research
Collaborator
of RIEC
KITAMURA
Yoshifumi

INOUE Takashi
Electronics and Photonics ResearchInstitute,
National Institute of Advanced
Industrial Science and Technology

HIROOKA
Toshihiko

R02/B03

Layerless Design of Future WirelessCommunications and Its Applications

ISHIBASHI Koji
Advanced Wireless andCommunication Research Center,
The University of ElectroCommunications

SUEMATSU
Noriharu

R02/B04

KUKI Takao
Research on Wireless Technologies for
School of Science and Engineering,the Beyond-5G System
Kokushikan University

SUEMATSU
Noriharu

Coherent Communication andR02/B02 Measurement Systems Incorporating
Lightwave and Microwave

Spatial User Interface by
YAMAMOTO Goshiro
R02/B06 Understanding Human's Physical and Kyoto University Hospital,
Spatial Behaviors
Kyoto University

TAKASHIMA
Kazuki

OKABE Yasuo
Human / Social Sensing Infrastructure Academic Center for Computing and
R02/B07
by Heterogeneous Data Fusion
Media Studies,
Kyoto University

OTSUJI
Taiichi

Development for automation of crows'
TSUKAHARA Naoki
R02/B11 behavior control method using vocal
CrowLab Inc
communication

KITAMURA
YoshifumiInternational Research Collaboration
R02/B12 of Brainware LSI and Its Emerging
Technologies

R02/B14

Self-motion perception andmultisensory integration in 3D space

Measurement and control of thefunctions of lipid bilayer membrane
R02/B15 and membrane proteins based on
microfabrication technology andnanomaterials

HANYU Takahiro
Research Institute of ElectricalCommunication,
Tohoku University

HANYU Takahiro

SAKURAI Kenzo
Faculty of Liberal Arts,
Tohoku Gakuin University

SAKAMOTO
Shuichi

TERO Ryugo
Department of Environmental andLife Sciences,
Toyohashi University of Technology

HIRANO Ayumi

77

2022
Grant
NumberTitle of Research

Principal Investigator

Development of new physicalphenomena at interfaces brought on
R03/B01
by electron spins, orbitals andmultipoles

MIURA Yoshio
Research center for magnetic andspintronic materials,
National Institute for Materials
Science

A method for modeling of intellectual
productivity and computational
R03/B03
intervention for productivity
enhancement

ITOH Yuichi
Department of Integrated Information TAKASHIMA
Technology,
KazukiAoyama Gakuin University

SHIRAI Masafumi

HIROSE Fumihiko
Functionalization of oxide surfaces
Graduate School of Science and
R03/B04
and its application to biosensor devices Engineering,
Yamagata University

HIRANO Ayumi

High-dimensional and spatiotemporal HIROSE Akira
R03/B05 neurodynamics and its system
Graduate School of Engineering,
applications
Tokyo University

SATO
ShigeoTheory and implementation for
R03/B06 control-less wireless power supply
systems

SEKIYA Hiroo
Graduate School of Engineering,
Chiba University

HORIO Yoshihiko

A Study on Adaptive Workspaces in
R03/B07
the After-Corona Era

FUJITA Kazuyuki
Research Institute of ElectricalCommunication,
Tohoku University

FUJITA
Kazuyuki

JINNO Kenya
A study of the Application of
Department of Intelligent Systems,
R03/B08 Evolutionary Computation to Machine
Faculty of Information,
Learning
Tokyo City University

HORIO Yoshihiko

Study of perceptual, motor, cognitive,and emotional human characteristics
R03/B09
towards the understanding of theneural mechanisms of social behavior

TSUTSUI Ken-Ichiro
Graduate School of Life Sciences,
Tohoku University

SHIOIRI Satoshi

Mental imagery processing in people
R03/B11
with aphantasia

TAKAHASHI Junichi
Faculty of Human Development andCulture,Fuskushima University

SAKAMOTO
Shuichi

ISHIDA Shigeru
Empirical Research on dic Ubiquitous School of Systems Information
R03/B12
Computing Systems
Science, Department of Media,
Future University Hakodate

78

Research
Collaborator
of RIEC

HASEGAWA Go

2022
Grant
NumberTitle of Research

Research on magnetic devices foradvanced information system by
R04/B01
controlling multiscale structure ofmagnetic material

R04/B02

Emergence of novel spin dynamics insolids and its device applications

Principal Investigator

Research
Collaborator
of RIEC

IKEDA Shinji
Faculty of Production Systems
Engineering and Sciences,
Komatsu University

ISHIYAMA
Kazushi

KOHDA Makoto
Graduate School of Engineering,Tohoku university

KANAI
Shun

Nanomaterial synthesis by using novel
UCHIDA Giichiro
gas-phase processes and its
R04/B03
Faculty of Science and Technology,
applications to high-performance
Meijo University
devices

SATO
ShigeoControl and exploartion of functions of MATSUNO Jobu
R04/B04 quantum materials towards device
Graduate School of Science,
applications
Osaka University

FUKAMI
Shunsuke

Studies on Antenna Technologies and
KONNO Keisuke
Electromagnetic Analysis Methods for
R04/B05
Graduate School of Engineering,
Developing Core of The Next
Tohoku University
Generation Wireless Systems

SUEMATSU
Noriharu

Designing the Next Normal of
R04/B06
Academic Conferences

KITAMURA Yoshifumi
Research Institute of ElectricalCommunication,
Tohoku University

KITAMURA
Yoshifumi

Theory of object recognition in vision
R04/B07
and audition

KURIKI Ichiro
Graduate School of Science andEngineering,
Saitama University

SAKAMOTO
ShuichiWorkgroup on fundamental
technologies and issues of surface
R04/B08
unmanned vehicles for sustainable
society

SUEDA Koh
SENSEFOIL PTE.LTD.

KITAMURA
Yoshifumi

R04/B09

Studies on Generative Technology for
Enriched Multimedia

R04/B10

Application study on microwave andlaser SARSONODA Kotaro
School of Information and Data
Sciences,
Nagasaki University

KOGI Yuichiro
Department of Engineering,
Fukuoka Institute of Technology

SAKAMOTO
Shuichi

YASAKA Hiroshi

79

2022
Grant
NumberTitle of Research

Principal Investigator

TSENG Chia-huei
Research Institute of Electrical
An Inter-personal Dimension of MA:
R04/B11
Behavior, Physiology, and Engineering Communication,
Tohoku University

TSENG
Chia-huei

Research of the fundamental
technologies of edge computing and
R04/B12edge-assisted smart systems for smart
city

HASEGAWA Go

SHAO Xun
Division of Information andCommunication Engineering,
Kitami Institute of Technology

FUJITA Kazuyuki
Graph Content Visualization
Research Institute of Electrical
R04/B13 Techniques and Navigation Interfaces
Communication,
for Indoor Maps
Tohoku University

R02/S1

Establishment for innovative coherent AOKI Toru
wave technology
Research Institute of Electronics,
and its applications
Shizuoka University

FUJITA
Kazuyuki

YASAKA Hiroshi

Su-Ling Yeh
AI and Advanced Robotics Center,
Institute Graduate School National
Taiwan University

SHIOIRI
Satoshi

R04/T01

Electromagnetic-Wave Transmission
Technologies Workshop
Electromagnetic- and light-wave
transmission technologies toward
Society 5.0

YAMADA Hirohito
Graduate School of Engineering,Tohoku University

KASAI Keisuke

R04/T02

Technical committee for acoustic
engineering
Research presentation on basic andapplication of acoustics, speech,
hearing and multimodal systems

SAKAMOTO Shuichi
Research Institute of ElectricalCommunication,
Tohoku University

SAKAMOTO
Shuichi

R04/T03

Tohoku Plasma Forum
Fundamentals and applications of
non-equilibrium plasma phenomena

KANEKO Toshiro
Graduate School of Engineering,Tohoku University

HIRANO Ayumi

R04/T04

Special Interest Group on Computer
ScienceFoundation and Application ofInformation Science around
Theoretical Computer Science

SUMII Eijiro
Graduate School of Information
Sciences, Tohoku University

NAKANO Keisuke

R04/T05

Technical committee for system
control
Research presentation on theory andapplications of system control

WATANABE Takashi
Graduate School of Biomedical
Engineering,Tohoku University

ISHIGURO Akio

In English: Human sciences with AI
R03/SI01
technologies

80

Research
Collaborator
of RIEC

2022
Research
Collaborator
of RIEC

Grant
NumberTitle of Research

R04/T06

Research presentation on theory andapplications of system control
Next generation biodevices based on
bio-nanoelectronics

HIRANO Ayumi
Research Institute of ElectricalCommunication,
Tohoku University

HIRANO Ayumi

Spinics Research Society
R04/T07 Development of Magnetic Materials
and Their Magnetic ApplicationsYABUKAMI Shin
Graduate School of Biomedical
Engineering,Tohoku University

ISHIYAMA
Kazushi

R04/T08

New Paradigm Computing ResearchGroup
Research and development of newparadigm computing technologies forthe next generation IoT society

HARIYAMA Masanori
Graduate School of Information
Sciences, Tohoku University

NATSUI Masanori

R04/T09

Technical committee for ultrasonicelectronics
Research presentation on basics andapplications of ultrasound

KANAI Hiroshi
Graduate School of Engineering,Tohoku University

SAKAMOTO
Shuichi

R04/T10

Brainware Research Project
Toward Life-like Intelligent
Information Processing System

ISHIGURO Akio
Research Institute of ElectricalCommunication,
Tohoku University

ISHIGURO Akio

R04/T11

Biocybernetics and Bioinformatics
Analysis and modelling of biologicalsignals

SHIOIRI Satoshi
Research Institute of ElectricalCommunication,
Tohoku University

HATORI Yasuhiro

R04/T12Study Group on Nanoelectronics andSpintronics
Next-generation information andcommunication technology based on
nanoelectronics and spintronics

SATO Shigeo
Research Institute of ElectricalCommunication,
Tohoku University

FUKAMI
Shunsuke

Principal Investigator

81

2022
㸳. Symposium organized by the InstituteThis Symposium is planned to exchange relevant information on current important topics
concerning Electrical Eng., Electrical Communications, Electronic Eng., and Information Eng.
Many related researchers inside and outside Tohoku University participate the Symposium
and stimulate discussion.
International symposium organized by the Institute㸦Symposiums held in FY2022㸧
No

Title

118 2022 Spintronics Workshop on LSI
119
120
121
122

11th International Conference on Reactive Plasmas /75th Annual Gaseous Electronics Conference
RIEC International Symposium on Human-Computer Interaction
2023
The 11th RIEC International Symposium on Brain Functions andBrain Computer
The 13th International Workshop on Nanostructures andNanoelectronics

123 8th CIES Technology Forum124

82

19th RIEC International Workshop on Spintronics
㸦2nd Online RIEC International Workshop on Spintronics㸧

DateJun. 13,2022
Oct. 3-7,2022
Feb. 17-18,2023
Feb. 17-18,2023
Mar. 7-8,2023
Mar. 27-28,2023
Mar. 14- Apr. 6,2023

2022
6. International Activities
Many of the staff in RIEC contribute to the development of technology and science in theworld 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 researchers and students from all over the world every year.
Several academic exchange programs with foreign colleges or institutes are in operation.
International academic exchange programsŏ University of California, Santa Barbara (U.S.A.)ŏ University of California (U.S.A.)ŏ The University of Sydney (Australia)ŏ Purdue University (U.S.A.)ŏ National Taiwan University (Taiwan)ŏ Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne (Swiss)ŏ The University of York (U.K.)ŏ National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (Taiwan)ŏ The Technische Universität Dresden (Germany)ŏ Berlin Institute of Technology (Germany)ŏ National Tsing Hua University (Taiwan)ŏ Harvard University (U.S.A.)ŏ Technische Universität München (Germany)ŏ The University of Kaiserslautern (Germany)ŏ Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz (Germany)ŏ King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonbur (Taiwan)
ŏ Chemnitz University of Technology (Germany)ŏ The University of Melbourne (Australia)
ŏ University of Regensburg (Germany)ŏ Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg (Germany)ŏ University of Salamanca (Spain)
ŏ St. Petersburg Electrotechnical University (Russia)
ŏ Polish Academy of Sciences (Poland)ŏ Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences (Poland)ŏ IHP-Innovations for High Performance Microelectronics (Germany)ŏ The Interdisciplinary Center on Nanoscience of Marseille,
National Center of Scientific Research (France)ŏ Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China)
ŏ WINLAB, Rutgers University (U.S.A.)ŏ Research and Educational Center "Photonics and Infrared Technology" and Institute of RadioElectronics and Laser Technology, Bauman Moscow State Technical University(BMSTU)(Russia)ŏ Telecom Paris Tech (France)ŏ Faculty of Physics, M.V.Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russia)ŏ Center for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Robotics, National Taiwan University(Taiwan)ŏ V.G. Mokerov Institute of Ultra High Frequency Semiconductor Electronics of the Russian
Academy of Sciences, and Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of
Sciences (Russia)

83

2022
International journals in which a staff in RIEC participates as an editor
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I
Journal of Multiple-Valued Logic and Soft Computing
Nonlinear Theory and Its Applications, IEICE
Frontiers in Physics
The Journal of Computer Animation and Virtual Worlds
Frontiers in Psychology
Frontiers in Neuroscience
Auditory Perception & Cognition

Recent international conferences programmed by a staff in RIEC
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24

84

12th International Workshop on Nanostructures & Nanoelectronics (IWNN-12)
IEEE Inernational Symposium on Circuits and Systems (ISCAS 2021)
30th International Workshop on Post-Binary ULSI Systems (ULSIWS 2021)
16th ACM/IEEE International Symposium on Nanoscale Architectures(NANOARCH 2021)
2021 IEEE International Symposium on Multiple-Valued Logic (ISMVL 2021)
The 9th Russia-Japan-USA-Europe Symposium on Fundamental &Applied Problems of Terahertz Devices & Technologies (RJUSE TeraTech-2021)
International Symposium on Future Trends of Terahertz Semiconductor
Technologies 2022 (TST2022)
2021 Nonlinear Science Workshop (NLSW2021)
Magnetics and optics research International symposiumSoft Magnetic Materials (SMM)
ACM International Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technoglogy(VRST 2021)
ACM International Symposium on Interactive Surfaces and Spaces (ISS 2021)
The 46th International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves(IRMMW-THz 2021)
The 11th International Conference on Metamaterials, Photonic Crystals andPlasmonics (META2021)
XXIV International Symposium on Nanophysics and Nanoelectronics
The 6th International Conference on Power and Renewable Energy (ICPRE 2021)
The International Conference on Micro- and Nanoelectronics 2021 (ICMNE 2021)
The 12th Recent Progress in Graphene and Two-Dimensional Materials Research
Conference (RPGR 2021)
The 5th Graphene Flagship Japan-EU Workshop on Graphene and Related 2D
Materials
SPIE Photonics West 2022 International Symposium, Conference 11975 on Advancesin Terahertz Biomedical Imaging and Spectroscopy
XXVI International Symposium on Nanophysics and Nanoelectronics
SPIE Photonics Europe 2022 International Symposium
ACM International Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technoglogy (VRST)
Steering Committee Chair
ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2021) General
Chair

2022
7. 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 well as
the result of the Graduate Schools of Engineering, Information Sciences, Biomedical Engineering.
Since the journal also aims at publishing general research activities of the Institute and of the
Graduate Schools such as records of the final lectures of retiring professors, records of the InstituteSymposium, 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 around 1920.
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 Electrical Engineering
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 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 Electrical Communication,
Tohoku University
Published annually since 1995. This report details the activities of each research division andresearch facility. Also included are reports on nation-wide cooperative research projects, international
symposium, and the reports and evaluation on the RIEC advisory board members. English version is
also available since 2007.
3. RIEC NewsAs a part of RIEC’s publication service, “RIEC News” is published.
With the 75th anniversary of the establishment of RIEC, RIEC News introduces cutting-edge’s
research and the vision of the future from RIEC’s contributions to the progression of science andtechnology in Japan. RIEC News was first launched in March 2011. Every issue introduces special
topics such as large scale projects and Specially-Promoted Research, etc. RIEC News also includes
current information about each laboratory and center, all kinds of RIEC events, research exchange
meetings, laboratories open to the public (RIEC Open Day), etc. English version was also launched in
March 2014. Further, RIEC News offers a notification service by mail whenever a new issue is released
and an electronic version of every issue published so far can be downloaded by following the link below.
http://www.riec.tohoku.ac.jp/riecnews/
With the 26th issue of RIEC News, it has finished multi-monthly publication style as before. From
April 2020, in order to bring you the latest research results and event information as quickly as
possible, RIEC News was renewed to a new web-based publication style. The new RIEC Newsweb ispublished by the following link.
http://www.riec.tohoku.ac.jp/riecpr/

85

2022

8. 䚷Staff, Budget
1. Faculty & Staff
as of May 1, 2022
Professors

20

Associate Professors

19

Assistant Professors

20

Research Fellows

4

Specially Appointed Professors

2

Specially Appointed Assistant Professors

4

Administrative Staff䠄Including Limited Regular Employees䠅

30Technical Staff䠄Including Limited Regular Employees䠅

15

Total

114

2. Researchers (FY2022)
Foreign Researchers

Visiting Professors

2

Visiting Asociate Professors

1

Cooperative Researchers of Private Company etc

9

JSPS Research Fellowship for Young Scientists

6

JSPS Postdoctral Fellowship for Overseas Researchers

3

Invitation Fellowship for Research in Japan

1

Contract Researchers

1

Contract Trainees

1

Total

24

3. Students
as of May 1, 2022
School ofEngineering

Graduate School ofGraduate School ofInformation Science Biomedical Engineering

RIEC

Total

Undergraduate Students

56 (1)

56 (1)

Master Course Students

98 (4)

46 (9)

2

146 (13)

Doctor Course Students

13 (10)10 (5)

5

28 (15)167 (15)56 (14)7

Institute Reserch Students
Total

86

4 (2)

4 (2)

4 (2)

234 (31)

2022
4. Budget
Budget Shiftmillion yen
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thousand yen
Categories

FY2018FY2019FY2020

FY2021

FY2022

Personnel Expenses

790,118

742,128

801,695

744,591

699,851

Non-Personnel Expenses

556,937

566,533

567,249

571,737

553,851

Operation Grants Total

1,347,055

1,308,661

1,368,944

1,316,328

1,253,702

Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

231,643

363,325

293,404

282,400

276,146

Funds for Commissioned Research

753,391

486,053

669,454873,456

1,178,325

Donations

54,34442,43627,20057,422

29,604

Indirect Expenses

134,311

155,852

172,874

234,487

315,346

1,039,378

891,814990,058

1,213,278

1,484,075

Expenses for Reconstruction

0

1,936

172,477

6,732

20,472

Expenses for Relocation

0

0

0

0

0

Expenses for Facilities Improvement

0

0

0

0

117,997

0

1,936

172,477

6,732

138,469

2,386,433

2,202,411

2,531,479

2,536,338

2,876,246

Operation Grants

External Funds

External Funds Total

Expenses for Facilities Improvement etc. Total
Total

87

2022
External Funds
million yen
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thousand yen
Categories

FY2018FY2019FY2020

FY2021

FY2022Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

231,643

363,325

293,404

282,400

276,146

Funds for Commissioned Research

753,391

486,053

669,454873,456

1,178,325

Donations

54,34442,43627,20057,422

29,604

1,039,378

891,814990,058

1,213,278

1,484,075

Total

88

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2-1-1 Katahira,Aobaku,Sendai 980-8577, Japan
Tel. +81-(0)22-217-5420 Fax.+81-(0)22-217-5426
http://www.riec.tohoku.ac.jp/en/