Annual report of Research Institute of Electrical Communication 2023

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

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2. Organization Chart -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -5

3. Research Activities -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -7

Research Divisions
・

Computing System Platforms Division -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -7・Information Communication Platforms Division------------------------------------------------------------------

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・

Human and Bio Information Systems Division--------------------------------------------------------------------

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Laboratories and Centers
・Laboratory for Nanoelectoronics and Spintoronics

・Laboratory for Brainware Systems

・

Research Center for 21st Century Information Technology

・Interdisciplinary ICT Research Center for Cyber and Real Spaces

・

Co-creation Research Center・Management Office for Safety and Health・

Flexible Information System Center・

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

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Related Organizations and Programs, etc.
・Division for the Establishment of Frontier Sciences -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 63・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) -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 69

・Advanced Graduate Program for AI Electronics---------------------------------------

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5. Symposium Organized by the Institute
7. Periodicals Published by the Institute
8. Staff, Budget

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4. Nation-wide Cooperative Research Projects
6. International Activities--------------------------------------------------- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -88--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

892023 Introduction
１.

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

12023 Introduction
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, the first Co-Creation ResearchInstitute, which promotes industry-academia collaboration, has been
established in April 2023 (during three tears), and the “Research Center for
Comprehensive Knowledge Informatics” has been newly established in fiscal
year 2024, led by the members of the institute, following the Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) for budgetary
allocation. We also collaborate closely with Tohoku University's graduate
schools in subjects relating to electrical engineering (School of Engineering,
Graduate School of Information Sciences, and Graduate School of Biomedical
Engineering) in order to cover a wide range of cutting-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―both in Japanand overseas ― 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 important2

2023 Introduction
with 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.
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.
2024
Takahiro Hanyu
Director, Research Institute of Electrical Communication3

2023 Organization Chart
2 . O r g a n i z a t i o n C h a rt
Director

Advisory Council

Computing System Platforms Division

Deputy Director
Research Divisions

FacultyCouncil

Information Communication

Ultrahigh-Speed Optical Communication
Applied Quantum Optics
Advanced Wireless Information Technology
Information Storage Systems
Ultra-Broadband Signal Processing
Quantum-Optical Information Technology
Network Architecture
Environmentally Conscious Secure Information System
Information and Communication Platform Technology

Human and Bio Information
Systems Division

Electromagnetic Bioinformation Engineering
Advanced Acoustic Information Systems
Visual Cognition and Systems
Real-World Computing
Nano-Bio Hybrid Molecular Devices
Interactive Content Design
Soft Computing Integrated System
Spintronics/CMOS-Hybrid Brain-Inspired Integrated Systems
Bio Information Systems

Platforms Division

Research Facilities

Solid State Electronics
Dielectric Nano-Devices
Materials Functionality Design
Spintronics
Nano-Integration Devices and Systems
Quantum Devices
Innovative Spintronic Device
Computing Information Theory
New Paradigm VLSI System
Computing System Platform Technology

Laboratory for
Nanoelectronics and Spintronics

Nano-Integration Devices and Systems
Spintronics
Nano-Bio Hybrid Molecular Devices
Innovative Spintronic Device

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 Researech DivisionInterdisciplinary ICT Research Centerfor Cyber and Real Spaces

Human Communication Science Research Group
Network Platform Research Group
Security Platform Research GroupXR Communication Technology Research Group
Applied Research Group

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
General Affairs Section
Cooperative Research Section
Library
Accounting Section
Purchasing Section

Administration
OfficeCo-creation Research Center

Furukawa Electric×Tohoku Univ.
Co-creation Research Center for Photonics Integration5

2023 Computing System Platforms Division
３.

Research Activities

Targets and achievements of the Computing System
Platform Division
The computing system platform division is conducting research by verticallyintegrating the scientific areas ranging from condensed-matter physics and materialscience to devices, processes, circuits, systems, and software, in order to acquire the“Transcendent Computational Capability” that is one of the three major challenges
in the “RIEC Future Vision” set in 2021. The research being conducted in thisdivision will lead to the construction of technology to address computationally hard
problems with high speed and low energy, which are difficult for the conventional
computing scheme to efficiently address. To this end, we conduct research toestablish fundamental understanding for designing devices, circuits, and software
as well as to develop new-functional information devices and systems. We aim torealize semiconductor/ dielectric/ quantum/ and spintronic devices that utilize newfunctionalities emerged in novel materials and nanostructures, new-paradigm
semiconductor circuits based on unconventional design principles and devices, andhighly dependable programming languages.
To achieve the goal, the following 11 laboratories are carrying out research anddevelopments.
1. Solid State Electronics
2. Dielectric Nano-Devices
3. Materials Functionality Design
4. Spintronics
5. Nano-Integration Devices and Systems
6. Quantum Devices
7. Innovative Spintronic Device
8. Computing Information Theory
9. New Paradigm VLSI System
10. Software Construction
11. Computing System Platform (Visitor Section)
The research target and the summary of activities of each sub-division in FY2023
are described in the following pages.

72023 Computing System Platforms Division
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 2023, we succeeded for the first time in fabricating the gate stack structure consisting ofatomically thin channel and atomically-shortened gate by orthogonally growing graphene and 2D
semiconductors. This fabrication was published as two patents. Furthermore, we exploited thewhite-box DI using the expanded free-energy model visualized in cyber space.

The summary of our work.

[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 for Bell
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 and theiroperando-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] H. Fukidome, Issei Watanabe, M. Kawahara, M. Akiyama, M. Kawai, “Transistor, integrated circutis,
and the process to fabricate transistor”, Japan Patent Application No. 2023-095711, 2023.6.9.
[2] H. Fukidome, T. Suemitsu, I. Watanabe, M. Kawahara, M. Akiyama, M. Kawai, “Transistor
integrated circutis, and their fabricate processes”, Japan Patent Application No. 2023-095712,
2023.6.9.

8

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

2023 Computing System Platforms Division
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 ultrahigh density ferroelectric recording system. In addition, SNDM can be used for the evaluation of various
semiconductor materials and devices.
Major achievements of studies in 2023 are as follows: (1) The impact of grain boundaries on thepolarization switching behavior of hafnium oxide-based ferroelectric thin films was quantitatively
evaluated. This was done by directly comparing the mapping data of polarization switching behavior
obtained by local C-V mapping with grain boundary patterns extracted from surface topography images
in real space. (2) We performed nanoscale evaluation of wide-bandgap semiconductors, such as GaN
and diamond, and atomic-layer semiconductors using local capacitance-voltage profiling based on timeresolved SNDM. We also developed a device simulator that enables the evaluation of the impact of
spatially fluctuating interface charges on the electrical characteristics of power MOSFETs.
[Staff]
Associate Professor： 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 Business Laboratory,
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 main interests include thedevelopment of noncontact scanning nonlinear dielectric microscopy and potentiometry with atomicresolution. He also works on the development of multifunctional time-resolved scanning probe
microspectroscopy system for the evaluation of the next-generation electronic 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 et al., The 43th Annual NANO Testing Symposium (NANOTS2023), pp. 26-30 (2023).
[2] Yoshiomi Hiranaga, “Visualization of Nanoscale Ferroelectric Domain Dynamics Based on Local Capacitance
Measurements”, JAIST International symposium of Nano-Materials for Novel Devices, January 12, 2024 [invited]
Contact to Associate Professor YAMASUE Kohei : kohei.yamasue.a3@tohoku.ac.jp

92023 Computing System Platforms Division
Materials Functionality Design

Computational Design of Materials and their Functionalities 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 inmaterials for advanced 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 anddata-driven approaches. Our research activities in FY 2023 are as follows:(1) Design of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with the aid of machine learning
We explored MTJs, which are robust against thermal fluctuation ofmagnetic moments at the interface, by using ab initio calculations
with the aid of machine learning. As a result, we found that
CoCrMnZ/MgO (Z = Al, Ga, Si, Ge) interfaces (see Fig. 1) have large
exchange stiffness and thus CoCrMnZ are promising candidates as
Fig. 1electrode materials of the MTJs [1, 2].
(2) Ab initio study of structures in dense atomic hydriogen
The phase diagram of atomic hydrogen at terapascal pressures is investigated by using ab
initio methods, where two exchange-correlation functionals are compared: the generalized
gradient approximation (GGA) and the van der Waals density functional (vdW-DF). The
effects of proton zero-point energy on structures are also examined, anharmonicity being
considered with the use of the self-consistent harmonic approximation. The analysis showsthat the transition into an isotropic phase takes place at 3.5 TPa in the GGA and 4.6 TPa in
the vdW-DF. The findings suggest that the choice of the functional form is still crucial to theprediction of the phase diagram of hydrogen at terapascal pressures.
[Staff]
Professor: Masafumi Shirai, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Masahito Tsujikawa, Dr.

Associate Professor: Kazutaka Abe, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Tufan Roy, 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] R. Okabe, M. Li, Y. Iwasaki, N. Refnault, C. Felser, M. Shirai, A. Kovacs, T. Schrefl and A.
Hirohata, “Materials informatics for the development and discovery of future magnetic
materials,” IEEE Magn. Lett., Vol. 14, pp. 2500305/1-5, 2023
[2] T. Roy, M. Tsujikawa and M. Shirai, “Ballistic spin-transport properties of magnetic tunnel
junctions with MnCr-based ferromagnetic quaternary Heusler alloys,” Phys. Rev. Mater., Vol.
7, pp. 104410/1-11, 2023

10

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

2023 Computing System Platforms Division
Spintronics

Advanced technology for spintronics-based devices

Nano-Spin Ma terials and Devi ces: Shunsuke Fukami, Professor
Fu nctional Nano-Spin De vices: Shun Kanai, Associate Professor[Research Target and Activities]
We aim to deepen the understanding of spin-related physics
and to develop new functional materials and devices in whichelectron and its spin states are controlled. We are also working
on research and development of advanced technology for
spintronics-based devices and unconventional computing,which offer high-performance and low-power information andcommunication tecnologies.
The outcomes in the last fiscal year include (1) discovery offundamental difference between magnetic octupole and dipole
in their response to spin torque, (2) establishment of basic
understanding to tailor single-nanometer magnetic tunnel
junction for various MRAM applications, and (3) proposal anddemonstration of energy-efficient and easy-to-manufacture
probabilistic computer with CMOS and stochastic nanomagnet.
[Staff]
Professor: Shunsuke Fukami, 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 and Technology by the MEXT (2015), Aoba Foundation Award (2017),
Asian Union of Magnetics Societies, Young Researchers Award (2018), the Outstanding ResearchAward 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 Tohoku 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] J.-Y. Yoon, P. Zhang, C.-T. Chou, Y. Takeuchi, T. Uchimura, J. T. Hou, J. Han, S. Kanai, H. Ohno, S.
Fukami, and L. Liu, "Handedness anomaly in a non-collinear antiferromagnet under spin–orbit
torque," Nature Materials 22, 1106–1113 (2023). doi:10.1038/s41563-023-01620-2[2] J. Igarashi, B. Jinnai, K. Watanabe, T. Shinoda, T. Funatsu, H. Sato, S. Fukami, and H. Ohno,"Single-nanometer CoFeB/MgO magnetic tunnel junctions with high-retention and high-speed
capabilities," npj Spintronics 2, 1(1)-(9) (2024). doi:10.1038/s44306-023-00003-2[3] N. S. Singh, K. Kobayashi, Q. Cao, K. Selcuk, T. Hu, S. Niazi, N. A. Aadit, S. Kanai, H. Ohno, S.
Fukami, and K. Y. Camsari, "CMOS plus stochastic nanomagnets enabling heterogeneous computers
for probabilistic inference and learning," Nature Communications 15, 2685(1)-(9) (2024).
doi:10.1038/s41467-024-46645-6

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

112023 Computing System Platforms Division
Nano-Integration Devices and Systems

Deepening of nano-integration technology and development of brain
computerNano-Integration Devices

Shigeo Sato, Professor

Group I V Quan tum Hete rointegr ation

Masao Sakuraba, Associate Professor

Nano-Integration Neurocomputing Systems

Hideaki Yamamoto, Associate Professor[Research Target and Activities]
In this laboratory, we focus on non-von Neumann computing, such as brain computing and quantum
computing, and study their hardware technology. We conduct research on various topics including
device, process, circuit, algorithm, and neuroscience, and build revolutionary new computer
technology by integrating our findings. In this year, following results have been obtained: (1) A
reservoir computing system has been configured using a spiking neural network LSI that reproduces
various neural pulses and operates at extremely low power. Electrical measurements confirmed thatthe system could correctly classify data such as voice and handwritten text at low power. (2) To
develop Esaki diode, heavily P-doped Si film deposition with a carrier concentration of 2x1020 cm-3
was realized by using ECR plasma CVD. Moreover, we developed a
pn junction diode fabrication process using wet etching of the Pdoped Si, and confirmed good rectifying characteristics. (3) We
showed that micropatterned neuronal networks can be integrated in
the reservoir computing paradigm to study the computational
advantages of non-random network organizations.
[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] J. Madrenas, B. Vallejo-Mancero, J. À. Oltra-Oltra, M. Zapata, J. Cosp-Vilella, R. Calatayud, S. Moriya, S. Sato,“Real-time adaptive physical sensor processing with SNN hardware,” 2023 International Conference on Artificial
Neural Networks (ICANN), pp 423–434, 2023.
[2] T. Sumi, H. Yamamoto, Y. Katori, K. Ito, S. Moriya, T. Konno, S. Sato, A. Hirano-Iwata, “Biological neurons act as
generalization filters in reservoir computing,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A., 120,e2217008120, 2023.

12

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

2023 Computing System Platforms Division
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 2023 are the following.
(1) Development of local measurement and control techniques
We developed electronic measurement and control methods of
local electronic states in nanostructures utilizing semiconductor
quantum dots. We improved the methods with high-speed
electronics and developed techniques for new materials [1].
(2) Measurement of local electronic states in nanostructures
We measured local electronic and spin states in nanostructuresusing sensitive electronic measurement techniques. We
revealed the local electronic states in nanostructures and newmaterials [2].
(3) Development of quantum devices and systems
We studied semiconductor quantum devices for future
quantum information processing. We investigated state
analysis and control of quantum devices, and developed
techniques for scaling up the systems and creating newmaterial-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, 2023).
[Papers][1]“Wide dynamic range charge sensor operation by high-speed feedback control of radio-frequency reflectometry”, Y.
Fujiwara, M. Shinozaki, K. Matsumura, K. Noro, R. Tataka, S. Sato, T. Kumasaka, and T. Otsuka,
Applied
Physics Letters 123, 213502 (2023).
[2] “Single PbS colloidal quantum dot transistors”, K. Shibata, M. Yoshida, K. Hirakawa, T. Otsuka, S. Z. Bisri, and Y.
Iwasa, Nature Communications 14, 7486 (2023).
[3] “Radio-frequency reflectometry in bilayer graphene devices utilizing micro graphite back-gates”, T. Johmen, M.
Shinozaki, Y. Fujiwara, T. Aizawa, and T. Otsuka, Physical Review Applied 20, 014035 (2023).

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

132023 Computing System Platforms DivisionInnovative Spintronic Device

Magnetization dynamics-based innovative spintronic devices
Computing System Platforms Division: Johan Åkerman, Professor,
University Research Lead The Center for Science and Innovation in Spintronics (CSIS):
Ahmad Awad, Associate Professor[Research Target and Activities]
In spintronic devices, the interaction between magnetization and current via electron spins isbeing investigated to apply it to unconventional computing such as neuromorphic computing andIsing machines. We are working on theoscillation of magnetization to DC input via

0XWXDOV\QFKURQL]DWLRQLQ'DUUD\V

the spin Hall effect and the associated output
of RF signals, the realization of spin Hall
nano-oscillators using magnetic resonance to
RF input and the associated output of DC
signals for higher performance and novel
functionality, the formation of unexplored
antiferromagnetic topological spin structures,QQRYDWLYH6SLQWURQLF'HYLFHVand their fast and efficient current-driven
dynamics, etc.

[Staff]
Professor: Johan Åkerman
Associate Professor: Ahmad Awad（CSIS）
Assistant Professor: Takaaki Dohi

[Profile]
Johan Åkerman received the Ing. Phys. Dipl. degree from EPFL, Zurich, Switzerland, in 1994, theM.Sc. degree in physics from Lund University, Lund, Sweden, in 1996, and the Ph.D. degree inmaterials physics from KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden, in 2000. In 2008, he
was appointed Full Professor at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden, and is a Guest
Professor at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology. Also, he was appointed to a post at Tohoku
University and - following an extensive nomination and review process - been named its first"Professor, University Research Lead" as of January 1, 2023. He is also the Founder of NanOsc AB
and NanOsc Instruments AB, Kista, Sweden.
Ahmad A. Awad (Member, IEEE) received the Ph.D. degree in physics on high-frequency
magnetization and vortex dynamics in both magnetic and superconducting nanostructures from theAutonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain, in 2012., Since 2014, he has been a Postdoctoral
Research Fellow at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. His research interests
include the characterization of magnetic nanostructures and spintronic devices with a focus on spintorque-induced magnetization dynamics. In 2023, he was appointed associate Professor at Tohoku
University.

14

Contact to Professor AAKERMAN BENGT JOHAN : aakerman.bengt.johan.e3@tohoku.ac.jp

2023 Computing System Platforms Division[Papers][1] Akash Kumar, Himanshu Fulara, Roman Khymyn, Mohammad Zahedinejad, Mona Rajabali,
Xiaotian Zhao, Nilamani Behera, Afshin Houshang, Ahmad A Awad, and Johan Åkerman, "Robust
mutual synchronization in long spin Hall nano-oscillator chains," Nano Letters 23, 6720-6726 (2023).
doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c02036[2] Nilamani Behera, Avinash Kumar Chaurasiya, Victor H González, Artem Litvinenko, Lakhan
Bainsla, Akash Kumar, Roman Khymyn, Ahmad A Awad, Himanshu Fulara, and Johan Åkerman,"Ultra‐Low Current 10 nm Spin Hall Nano‐Oscillators," Advanced Materials 36, 2305002(1)–(9)(2024). doi/10.1002/adma.202305002[3] Takaaki Dohi, Markus Weißenhofer, Nico Kerber, Fabian Kammerbauer, Yuqing Ge, Klaus Raab,Jakub Zázvorka, Maria-Andromachi Syskaki, Aga Shahee, Moritz Ruhwedel, Tobias Böttcher,Philipp Pirro, Gerhard Jakob, Ulrich Nowak, and Mathias Kläui, " Enhanced thermally-activatedskyrmion diffusion with tunable effective gyrotropic force," Nature Communications 14, 5424(1)-(10)(2023). doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40720-0[4] Mona Bhukta, Takaaki Dohi, Venkata Krishna Bharadwaj, Ricardo Zarzuela, Maria-Andromachi
Syskaki, Michael Foerster, Miguel Angel Niño, Jairo Sinova, Robert Frömter, and Mathias Kläui,"Homochiral antiferromagnetic merons, antimerons and bimerons realized in synthetic
antiferromagnets," Nature Communications 15, 1641(1)−(10) (2024). doi.org/10.1038/s41467-02445375-z

152023 Computing System Platforms Division
Computing Information Theory

Filling the Gap between Humans and Computers
Computing Information Theory

Keisuke Nakano, Professor[Research Target and Activities]
Notwithstanding that programming is one of the mosttypical methods for a human to communicate with acomputer, there is a significant gap between programs
that are recognizable for humans and those that 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 ： Keisuke Nakano, Dr.
Assistant Professor ： Kazuyuki Asada, Dr.
Assistant Professor ： 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 of ElectroCommunications. Since 2018, he has been a professor at the Research Institute of ElectricalCommunication. His research interests include formal language theory, programming
language theory, and functional programming. He is a member of ACM, JSSST, and IPSJ.
[Papers][1] Keishi Hashiba, Keisuke Nakano, Kazuyuki Asada,Kentaro Kikuchi.In Proc. the 26th
Workshop on Programming and Programming Languages (PPL 2024).
[2] Takeshi Tsukada and Kazuyuki Asada,Enriched Presheaf Model of Quantum FPC,
Proc. ACM Program. Lang., January 2024, Volume 8, Issue POPL, Article No. 13, pp. 362-392.
[3] K Kazuki Watanabe, Clovis Eberhart, Kazuyuki Asada, and Ichiro Hasuo.
Compositional Probabilistic Model Checking with String Diagrams of MDPs,
In Proc. the 35th International Conference on Computer Aided Verification (CAV 2023),
LNCS 13966, pp. 40-61.

16

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

2023 Computing System Platforms Division
New Paradigm VLSI System Research Group

Realization of a New-Paradigm VLSI-Computing World

Ne w Pa radigm VLSI System: Takahiro Hanyu, Professor
Ne w Pa radigm VLSI Design: Masanori Natsui, Associate Professor
Ne w 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 an MTJ-based nonvolatile register based on a new data write
scheme for intermittent computing (Fig. 1), and the parallel probabilistic algorithm that has
successfully enabled stable and optimal solutions in probabilistic computers (Fig. 2).
[Staff]
Professor： Takahiro Hanyu, Dr.
Associate Professor ： Masanori Natsui, Dr.
Associate Professor ： 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 and T. Hanyu, “Enhanced Convergence in p-bit Based Simulated Annealing for Large Scale
Combinatorial Optimization Problems,” Scientific Reports, vol. 14, p. 1339, 2024. DOI:
10.1038/s41598-024-51639-x[2] N. Onizawa, K. Kuroki, D. Shin, and T. Hanyu, “Local Energy Distribution Based Hyperparameter
Determination for Stochastic Simulated Annealing,” IEEE Open Journal of Signal Processing, vol. 4, pp.
452-461, 2023. DOI: 10.1109/OJSP.2023.3329756[3] K. Sakai, M. Natsui, and T. Hanyu, "Design of an Error-Tolerant Nonvolatile Register for EnergyAware Intermittent Computing," The 66th IEEE International Midwest Symposium on Circuits andSystems (MWSCAS2023), pp.269-273, August 2023.
[4] D. Suzuki and T. Hanyu, "Design of an Energy-Efficient Nonvolatile Lookup Table Circuit Using
Active-Load-Localized Circuitry with Self-Terminated Writing/Reading," Japanese Journal of Applied
Physics (JJAP), 2023 (in press).

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

172023 Information Communication Platforms Division
Information Communication Platforms Division:
Research Targets and Results
This division aims to research and develop ultra-high-speed, high-performance, ultralow-power optical/high-frequency devices and secure, resilient, and green broadband
ICT infrastructure to create next-generation information communication systems that
support a sustainable smart society. The following is an overview of the research
activities of the core laboratories in this academic year.
(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 opticaland wireless communications. This year, we successfully demonstrated 1 Tbit/s/ x 23 ch
OTDM-WDM transmission over 1,600 km by newly introducing Probabilistically Shaped(PS)-QAM formats to coherent optical Nyquist pulses. We also applied our coherentlylinked optical and wireless transmission scheme to a 28 GHz band and successfully
demonstrated a 16 Gbit/s, 256 QAM transmission over a 10 km fiber and 20 m wirelessly
by using a microstrip antenna.
(2) Applied Quantum Optics
Novel functional semiconductor photonic devices including photonic integrated circuits
are being investigated to explore next-generation photonic network systems.
A study on an ultra-high-speed semiconductor laser introducing hybrid modulation
scheme was being continued. It was confirmed numerically that the hybrid modulation
laser can control the frequency chirp and increase the dispersion tolerance in single
mode optical fiber transmission. And it was also confirmed numerically that a hybrid
modulation semiconductor laser integrated with a passive waveguide has wide modulation
bandwidth more than 200 GHz even under the condition that the load resistance is 50 
thanks to the optical pre-emphasis of the modulation response by the photon-photon
resonance effect. Furthermore the study on a compact and narrow linewidth opticalnegative feedback laser was also continued. It was confirmed experimentally that the
optical frequency of the optical negative feedback laser is able to sweep 10 GHz bysynchronizing the resonant frequency of the optical filter to the lasing light.
(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, andsubsystem technologies. This year, we have invented novel scalable millimeter-wave
band DBF antenna and transceiver for LEO constellation satellites.
(4) Information Storage Systems
Research on next-generation perpendicular magnetic recording is being carried out tomeet the 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, a computational storage analytics platform with unified computing andstorage is targeted in the research and development.
We have been investigating novel, three-dimensional, energy-assisted recording
technologies that enable selective recording on media with multiple, discrete recording18

2023 Information Communication Platforms Division
layers. This year, our research concentrated on recording performance of heat-assisted
magnetic recording (HAMR), with the aim of doubling the storage capacity. We havealso been studying arrays of spintronic devices (spin-torque-oscillators) for use inartificial neural networks. We have demonstrated data transmission and data pathselection in 2-dimentiomal STO arrays. We have completed a “computational storage
system” with unified 2PB storage and computation functions, and integrated the object
distributed storage Ceph. By using visualization analytics of brain neuro 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
the terahertz region utilizing compound semiconductor heterostructure and graphenebased 2D materials.
First, we have theoretically discovered new instability mechanisms originating from the
Coulomb drag effect of graphene Dirac plasmons and the Zener-Klein tunneling effectof graphene Dirac fermions, and revealed their exceptional giant terahertz gain
bandwidth properties. Second, regarding InGaAs high-electron-mobility-transistorbased terahertz plasmonic detectors with original metallic diffraction-grating
structures, we demonstrated that the "3D rectification effect", where the diode current
nonlinearity associated with the electron tunneling is superimposed onto the plasmonic
hydrodynamic nonlinearities, can take place by applying a forward gate bias voltage
and succeeded in drastic enhancement of the detector responsivity by one order ofmagnitude (press released on Nov. 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 2023, we have achieved (1) development of plasmon-enhanced single photon source
coupled to an optical nanofiber, (2) optical trapping and transport of nanoparticles on an
optical nanofiber, (3) development of ultra-low-loss, polarization-maintaining photon switch,(4) generation of ultrapure heralded single photons via controlled quasi-phase-matchedparametric down-conversion, and (5) evaluation of error-disturbance uncertainty relation
using small-scale superconducting quantum computer.
(7) Network Architecture
We have promoted research on information network systems and their applications that
support diverse human activities. (1) We proposed an in-network congestion control
architecture that fundamentally overturns conventional concepts and clarified its potential
performance through performance analysis. (2) We developed an improved method tomaintain fairness in the unavoidable situation of mixed congestion control algorithms in theInternet (3) We developed a traffic compression technique for remote management of
network devices using LPWA networks. (4) We clarified the relationship between the
introduction of edge computing technologies and the improvement of wireless network
resource utilization efficiency, and established a machine learning-based edge utilization
decision method.
(8) Environmentally Conscious Secure Information System
We are conducting research and development on the theories and implementation
technologies of secure information communication systems. This year, we succeeded indeveloping the world's most efficient physical security evaluation technology forquantum-resistant cryptography, which is attracting attention as a next-generation
cryptography. We have also developed a new concept of key exchange technology that
dramatically improves the physical security of cryptographic implementation.

19

2023 Information Communication Platforms Division
Research Laboratory of Ultrahigh-Speed Optical Communication

Toward Innovative Optical Transmission from Backbone to AccessNetworks

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 ultrahighdefinition video transmission and ultra-realistic
communication cannot be realized without high-speed
and large-capacity optical transmission systems. At
the same time, optical transmission schemes with highspectral efficiency are crucial in terms of the maximum
utilization of limited bandwidth resources. In ourlaboratory, we are engaged in research on ultrahighspeed optical transmission using optical time divisionmultiplexing with a single-channel Tbit/s-classcapacity, digital coherent QAM optical transmission,and high-speed and spectrally efficient opticaltransmission by combining these two approaches. Witha view to supporting innovative new ICT services suchas 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, we
introduced PS-QAM formats to coherent optical
Nyquist pulses and demonstrated 1 Tbit/s/ x 23 ch PS32 QAM transmission over 1,600 km, resulting in longdistance (>1,000 km) transmission at 1 Tbit/s/ for the
first time.
[Staff]
Professor: Toshihiko Hirooka, Dr.

Fig. 1. 1 Tbit/s/ PS-32 QAM coherent
Nyquist pulse transmission over 1,600
km. (a) Experimental setup, (b)transmission results.

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 ResearchInstitute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University. He has been engaged in researchon lightwave control techniques and coherent optical communications.
[Papers][1] M. Yoshida, K. Kimura, T. Hirooka, K. Kasai, and M. Nakazawa, “Demodulation performancecomparison of high-speed coherent Nyquist pulse signal with analog and digital demultiplexing
schemes,” IEICE Trans. Commun. vol. E106-B, no. 11, pp. 1059-1064, November (2023).
[2] M. Nakazawa, M. Yoshida, and T. Hirooka, "Eigen-function division multiplexed coherent
optical transmission in time domain by using higher-order Hermite-Gaussian pulses," Opt.
Express, vol. 32, no. 7, pp. 12682-12707, March (2024).
[3] K. Shirahata, K. Kasai, T. Hirooka, M. Yoshida, M. Nakazawa, U. Azuma, and T. Kobayashi,“16 Gbit/s, 256 QAM optical and wireless fully coherent transmission at 28 GHz using small
microstrip antenna,” ECOC 2023, Tu.B.4.1, October (2023).

20

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

2023 Information Communication Platforms Division
Applied Quantum Optics

Research on Innovative Highly Functional Photonic Semiconductor Devices
Highly Functional Photonics
High a ccu ra cy op tical measuremen t
Emergin g semicondu ctor light source

Hiroshi Yasaka, Professor
Masato Yoshida, Associate Professor
Nobuhide Yokota, Associate Professor[Research Target and Activities]
Novel functional photonic devices including high function laser diode (LD) sources are being
investigated to explore new-generation photonic network systems.
The study on ultra-high-speed semiconductor lasers is being continued. It was confirmed
numerically that a hybrid modulation semiconductor laser integrated with a passive waveguide has
wide modulation bandwidth more than 200 GHz even under the condition that the load resistanceis 50  thanks to the optical pre-emphasis of the modulation response by the photon-photon
resonance effect.

Schematic structure of a hybrid modulation laser integrated with a passive waveguide (left)
and its frequency response (right).

[Staff]
Professor：
Associate Professor ：Associate Professor ：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] S. Asami, N. Yokota, W. Kobayashi, T. Shindo, and H. Yasaka, "Numerical analysis of negative chirp
operation in hybrid modulation semiconductor laser," IEICE Electronics Express, vol. 20, No. 17, pp.
20230268 1-5, 2023.
[2] H. Yasaka, N. Yokota, T. Shindo, and W. Kobayashi, "Improvement in bandwidth of an electroabsorption modulator by optical pre-emphasis utilizing photon-photon resonance," IEICE Electronics
Express, vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 20230594 1-4, 2024.
Contact to Professor YASAKA Hiroshi : hiroshi.yasaka.c4@tohoku.ac.jp

212023 Information Communication Platforms Division
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
digital signal processing,Beam-forming Transmitter/Receiver
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 millimeter-wave direct digital RF transmitterarchitecture which consist of Manchester coder and RF tripler. We have also developed sub-THz band
on-chip antenna and RFIC, both fabricated in CMOS process.
[Staff]
Professor: Noriharu Suematsu, Ph. D
Assistant Professor: Tomoyuki Furuichi, Ph.D
Research Fellow: Ahmad Abdalrazik, Ph.D
Junhao Zhang、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] Junhao Zhang, Noriharu Suematsu, “Image Enhancement Technique Using Manchester Coding and RF Tripler for
1-bit Bandpass Delta Sigma Direct Digital RF Transmitter,” IEEE Access, pp. 73359 - 73369, Nov. 2023.
[2] Jean Temga, Mizuki Motoyoshi, Noriharu Suematsu, “Sub-Terahertz-Band On-Chip 2×2 Beam-Forming Array
Antenna Using a Compact 2-D BFN On 45nm SOI CMOS,” 2023 IEEE International Symposium onRadio-Frequency Integration Technology (RFIT), pp. 63-66, Aug. 2023.
[3] Fumito Karasawa, Taiki Machii, Mizuki Motoyoshi, Tomoyuki Furuichi, Noriharu Suematsu, “130 GHz Band CMOS
Amplifier with Miniaturized Interstage Circuit by Stacked Radial Stubs,” 2023 Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference(APMC), pp.769-771, Dec. 2023.
[4] Ahmad Abdalrazik, Noriharu Suematsu, "Wideband Half-Cross Shaped Slotted Patch Antenna For 5G Applications, "2023 Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference (APMC), pp.688-690, Dec. 2023.

22

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

2023 Information Communication Platforms Division
Information Storage System Laboratory

High Density and High Speed Energy Assisted Magnetic Recording,and Computational Storage System ResearchInformation Storage・Computing Systems, Yoichiro Tanaka, Professor
Re cordin g Theory Computation, Simo n 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, low-cost storage due to the rapid growth of the Internet and web
services. We use computer simulations to study recording systems and novel technologies for data
storage applications. 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 storage, we have been investigatingnovel, 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 [1][2]. We have also been
studying arrays of spintronic devices (spin-torque-oscillators) for use in artificial neural networks.
We have demonstrated data transmission and data path selection in 2-dimensional STO arrays [3].
We have also completed a “computational storage system” with unified 2PB storage andcomputation functions, and integrated the object distributed storage Ceph. By using visualization
analytics of brain neuro structures, large scale data access performance was evaluated [5].

[Staff]
Professor: Yoichiro Tanaka, Ph.D.
Associate Professor: Simon Greaves, Ph.D.
[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 IEEE and the Japan Magnetic Society, as well as 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] S. J. Greaves, K. Tatsuno and Y. Kanai, “Write head design for control of transition curvature inheat-assisted magnetic recording”, IEEE Trans. Magn. 60(5), 3200405, (2024).
[2] S. Greaves, “Three-dimensional magnetic recording”, J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 588, 171343, (2023).
[3] T. Ise, S. J. Greaves and Y. Tanaka, “Controlling information flow in arrays of spin-torque oscillators”,
IEEE Trans. Mag. 59(11), 1400405, (2023).
[4] J. Pires, A. Sayyafan, B. Belzer, K. Sivakumar and S. Greaves, “Architecture optimization of a CNN
media noise estimator for TDMR”, IEEE Trans. Magn. 60(5), 3000206, (2024).
[5] Y. Tanaka, “Magnetic data storage technology: from perpendicular magnetic recording to thecomputational storage integration”, Proc. SPIE 12656, Spintronics XVI, 126560K, (2023).

Contact to Associate Professor GREAVES SIMON JOHN : greaves.simon.john.a4@tohoku.ac.jp

23

2023 Information Communication Platforms Division
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: Theoretical discovery of the
Coulomb drag instability (left) and
Zener-Klein tunnel instability(middle) of graphene Dirac plasmons in graphene-channel FETs
and their exceptional giant negative
conductivity
properties(right).
Bottom: Schematic view of a grating-gate terahertz plasmonic detector and 3D rectification effect(left) and scanning-electron-microscope image and measured
detector responsivity at 0.8 THz(right).

We are developing novel, integrated electron devices and circuit systems operating in the terahertz(THz) region. First, based on the prior works of an experimental demonstration of room-temperaturelaser amplification using the graphene Dirac plasmon instability in a graphene transistor, we theoretically discovered new instability mechanism originating from the Coulomb drag effect of the graphene
Dirac plasmons and the Zener-Klein tunneling of graphene Dirac fermions, and clarified its superior
THz gain bandwidth characteristics (two top-cover featured articles in 2023). Second, regarding InGaAs
high-electron-mobility-transistor-based THz plasmonic detectors with original metallic diffractiongrating structures, we demonstrated that the "3D rectification effect", where the diode current nonlinearity associated with the electron tunneling is superimposed onto the plasmonic hydrodynamic nonlinearities, can take place by applying a forward gate bias voltage and succeeded in drastic enhancement of the detector responsivity by one order of magnitude (press released on Nov. 2023).

[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] A. Satou, T. Negoro, K. Narita, T. Hosotani, K. Tamura, C. Tang, T.-T. Lin, P.-E. Retaux, Y. Takida, H. Minamide, T. Suemitsu, and T.
Otsuji, “Gate-readout and a 3D rectification effect for giant responsivity enhancement of asymmetric dual-grating-gate plasmonic
terahertz detectors,” Nanophotonics, vol. 12, iss. 23, pp. 4283-4295, Nov. 2023. DOI: 10.1515/nanoph-2023-0256[2] V. Ryzhii, C. Tang, T. Otsuji, M. Ryzhii, V. Mitin, and M.S. Shur, “Resonant plasmonic detection of terahertz radiation in field‑effecttransistors with the graphene channel and the black‑AsxP1−x gate layer,” Sci. Rep., vol. 13, pp. 9665-1-10, June 2023. DOI:
10.1038/s41598-023-36802-0[3] V. Ryzhii, C. Tang, T. Otsuji, M. Ryzhii, V. Mitin, and M. S. Shur, "Effect of electron thermal conductivity on resonant plasmonic
detection in terahertz hot-electron bolometers based on metal/black-AsP/graphene FETs," Phys. Rev. Appl., vol. 19, pp. 064033-1-10,
June 2023. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevApplied.19.064033

24

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

2023 Information Communication Platforms Division
Quantum-Optical Information Technology

Development of optoelectronic devices for quantum information andcommunication technology
Quantum-Optical Information Systems: Keiichi Edamatsu, Professor
Quantum-Optical Information Devices: Fumihiro Kaneda, Concurrent Professor(G. School of Science)[Research Target and Activities]
Our goal is to develop quantum information devices andsystems utilizing quantum interaction between photons
and electrons in solids. In 2023, we have achieved (1) development of plasmon-enhanced single photon source coupled
to an optical nanofiber, (2) optical trapping and transport ofnanoparticles on an optical nanofiber, (3) development of
ultra-low-loss, polarization-maintaining photon switch, (4)generation of ultrapure heralded single photons via con-Fig. 1. Plasmon-enhanced single photon source on an optical nanofiber.

trolled quasi-phase-matched parametric down-conversion,and (5) evaluation of error-disturbance uncertainty relation
using small-scale superconducting quantum computer.

[Staff]
Professor: Keiichi Edamatsu, Dr.
Concurrent Professor : Fumihiro Kaneda, Dr. (Graduate
School of Science, Tohoku University)[Profile]
Fig. 2. Ultra-low-loss polarizationKeiichi Edamatsu received B.S., M.S., and D.S. degrees inmaintaining optical switch.
Physics from Tohoku University. He was a Research Associate in Faculty of Engineering, Tohoku University, a Visiting Associate in California Institute of Technology, and an Associate Professor in Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University.
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, and an Associate professor in Research Institute of Electric Communication, Tohoku University.

[Papers][1] A. Syouji, R. Shimizu, S. Nagano, K. Suizu, and K. Edamatsu, “Short interference fringe and high event
rate of two-photon interference using up-converted photon pairs”, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 62, 022003/1-4(2023) doi: 10.35848/1347-4065/acb874[2] Y. Xuan, R. Sun, S.-Y. Baek. M. Sadgrove, and K. Edamatsu, “Numerical investigation of plasmonenhanced emission from a nanofiber coupled single photon emitter”, Appl. Phys. Exp. 17, 012003/1-6(2024) doi: 10.35848/1882-0786/ad1318[3] P. Wang, S.-Y. Baek, K. Edamatsu, and F. Kaneda, “Low-loss polarization-maintaining optical router forphotonic quantum information processing”, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 63, 040901/1-5 (2024) doi:
10.35848/1347-4065/ad3533

Contact to Professor EDAMATSU Keiichi : keiichi.edamatsu.e3@tohoku.ac.jp25

2023 Information Communication Platforms Division
Network Architecture Lab

Information Network Architecture for IoT/AI Societies

Information Network Architecture:

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) Researchon virtualized network systems and applications, including mobile core networkarchitecture 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

in-Network Congestion Control[Staff]
Professor： Go Hasegawa, Dr.
Secretary： Ami Nagashima[Profile]
Go Hasegawa received the M.E. and D.E. degrees in Information and Computer Sciencesfrom 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 was an Associate Professor of Cybermedia Center, Osaka University. He is now
a Professor of Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University. His
research work is in the area of information network architecture. He is a member of theIEEE and IEICE.
[Papers]
[1]

[2]
[3]

26

Satoshi Utsumi and Go Hasegawa, ‘‘A New Congestion-Based Congestion Control for Low
Latency and Low Packet Drop Rate,’’ in Proceedings of IEEE ICUFN 2023, July 2023.
Kodai Tanabe, Go Hasegawa, and Gen Kitagata, ‘‘Adaptive compression of operationalcommands for remote network management over LPWA,’’ in Proceedings of IEEE ITNAC
2023, November-December 2023.
Mitsihiro Watanabe and Go Hasegawa, ‘‘In-Network Congestion Control Toward Enhanced
Network Resource Utilization,’’ in Proceedings of IEEE ICOIN 2024, January 2024.

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

2023 Information Communication Platforms Division
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 toimplementation technologies for constructing advanced information and communication
infrastructures in a safe and secure manner. In this year, we have discovered and reported
efficient implementation attacks on post-quantum cryptography (PQC), including Crystals–
Kyber, which is a winner of NIST PQC standardization competition. We validated theattacks experimentally, developed their countermeasure, and confirmed the effectivenessthrough comprehensive experiments. In addition, we have developed an efficient rekeying
scheme, called LR4: LeakageResilient Rekeying with Random
oracle Repetition, for guaranteeing along-term security of cryptographic
implementation. Furthermore, wehave formulated the security andfunctional require- ments necessary
for Cache- Randomization, designed
a block cipher with an ultra-low
delay specialized for it, called
SCARF, and evaluated its hardware
performance at the architecturelevel [3].
[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, the German
Innovation Award in 2018, and Docomo Mobile Science Award in 2022.
[Papers][1] Rei Ueno, Naofumi Homma, Akiko Inoue, and Kazuhiko Minematsu, “Fallen Sanctuary: A
Higher-Order and Leakage-Resilient Rekeying Scheme,” IACR Transactions on
Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems, 2024(1), pp. 264-308, 2023.
[2] Yutaro Tanaka, Rei Ueno, Keita Xagawa, Akira Ito, Junko Takahashi, and Naofumi Homma,“Multiple-Valued Plaintext-Checking Side-Channel Attacks on Post-Quantum KEMs,”
IACR Transactions on Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems, 2023(3), pp.473–
503, 2023.
[3] Federico Canale, Tim Güneysu, Gregor Leander, Jan Philipp Thoma, Yosuke Todo, and Rei
Ueno, “SCARF---A Low-Latency Block Cipher for Secure Cache-Randomization,” USENIX
Security Synposium '23, pp.1937–1954, Anaheim, CA, USA, August 2023.

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

272023 Human and Bio Information Systems Division
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 coreandsystemtechnologies

essentialtoadvancedhuman-friendly

information

andcommunications systems through understanding biological information generation mechanisms,
human information processing mechanisms focusing on acoustic and visual inputs, andoptimizing 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) Real-world
computing, (5) Nano-Bio Hybrid Molecular Devices, (6) Interactive Content, (7) Soft Computing
Integrated System.
The goals and achievements in the fiscal year 2023 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 fromthe human body or electric devices and at obtaining the system for approaching action to thehuman body by using the nano-scale controlled magnetic materials and by the development of
the devices under the functions of the magnetics.
(Achievements) We developed a high-frequency magnetic field measurement system using apulsed laser and magnetic garnet. Applied to commercial analog high-frequency circuits(frequency synthesizers), it detected the strongest leakage magnetic field near the center of an
IC chip, which was previously undetectable. This system can measure magnetic fields in various
electronic circuits. We also devised a new method for fabricating magnetic garnet materials,
enhancing high-frequency measurements and creating magneto-optical devices. By using alaser to locally heat and crystallize the magnetic garnet, we produced magneto-optical materials
on semiconductor and optical circuit substrates. These advancements improve system
performance and enable new device development.

28

2023 Human and Bio Information Systems Division(2) Advanced Acoustic Information Systems(Aims) To propose high-definition communication systems that convey a rich and natural senseof presence. To this end, we are developing acoustic information processing technologies basedon well-grounded knowledge of the human auditory system and the multimodal perception
processes related to hearing.
(Achievements) We have focused on how people organize auditory objects from simultaneously
presented auditory information. In 2023, we investigated the effect of various acoustic featureson organizing auditory objects, such as frequency, sound pressure level, and spatial information.
We also investigated the replicability of the proportion of people with aphantasia, a condition
wherein individuals have a reduced or absent construction of voluntary visual imagery, using
both criteria in the same population of participants. In addition, we developed advanced acoustic
systems, such as 3D virtual auditory displays, sound acquisition, and presentation systems.
This fiscal year, we proposed a new sound space recording method using distributed sphericalmicrophone arrays.
(3) Visual Cognition and Systems(Aims) To understand the vision-related brain functions in order to apply the knowledge torealize human-oriented information communication systems.
(Achievements) In 2023, our major achievements were the followings. 1) We revealed that there
is visual attention to focus on the location of hand movement goal that is independent of topdown attention. Since our experiments showed that the two types of attention have different
spatial tunings, they are likely to have different roles in visual processing. 2) We investigatedinter-individual estimation of attentional levels during learning using facial expressions.
Although a machine leranig (ML) method predicts attention level from facial expressions,prediction accuracy is extremely low for individuals whose data are not used in learning phaseof the ML method.
(4) Real-world computing(Aims) This laboratory aims at understanding the mechanism underlying the adaptive andresilient behavior of animals from the viewpoint of decentralized control schemes.
(Achievements) The main contributions achieved in 2023 are summarized as follows: (1) We
have observed and modeled adaptive locomotion of tubificine worm blobs in a confinedenvironment, (2) we have proposed a control scheme that allows a quadruped robot to realize
flexible turning gait according to the center of mass position, (3) we have designed a quadruped
robot that has flexible body based on anatomical findings.

292023 Human and Bio Information Systems Division(5) 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) The main achievements in 2023 are as follows: (1) We developed an automatedanalysis system to classify channel currents, which are time-series data showing the functionof ion channel proteins, into two levels corresponding to the open/closed state of the channel. (2)Using microfluidic devices, we have realized an artificial neuronal circuit called a modular
structure and evaluated the effects of inflammatory cytokines on the spontaneous activity
patterns of neuronal circuits. (3) Using electrochemiluminescence imaging, we constructed ameasurement system that can monitor respiratory activity and metabolic changes of spheroids,
which are expected to be utilized in the fields of regenerative medicine and drug discovery.
(6) Interactive Content Design(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 theultimate 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 exploring visual-auditory redirectedwalking using auditory cues in reality, door-opening redirection with dynamic haptics in roomscale VR, real-time reconstruction of fluid flow under unknown disturbance, and surroundingsaware remote drone piloting using an augmented third-person perspective.
(7) Soft Computing Integrated System(Aims) We are working on a novel high-performance, highly-efficient, flexible, and robust braininspired brainmorphic computer hardware system, in particular, through physical complexnetworked dynamical process using an analog VLSI as a core component.
(Achievements) In this year, we proposed a neuron model introducing predictive dynamics andapplied it to reservoir neural networks, and found that it improves time-series prediction
performance and that the exponential decay property of memory capacity with respect to timedelay contributes to the performance improvement. In addition, to implement the
spatiotemporal contextual learning and memory network (STCLMN) model as an event-driven
spiking neural network learning integrated circuit system, we described it as continuous-valueand -time differential/difference equations giving eSTCLMN model. Furthermore, we
demonstrated feasibility of the eSTCLMN model with a prototype circuit.

30

2023 Human and Bio Information Systems Division
Electromagnetic Bioinformation Engineering

Communication with human body
Ele ctroma gneti c Bioinforma tion En gineering, Kazushi Ishiya ma, 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 thatinteract with living organisms and improve detection of unwanted electromagnetic waves.

Fig. 1. Measurement of the leakage
magnetic field distribution generated by acommercial analog high-frequency circuit.
This method revealed a significant leakage
magnetic field in the central part of thechip.

Fig. 2. Magneto-optical materials used inmagnetic sensors and optical communications
were fabricated using localized laser heating.
This enabled the integration of magnetooptical materials with semiconductor circuits
and optical circuits.

[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, Kazushi Ishiyama, Toshiaki Watanabe, Pang Boey Lim, Mitsuteru Inoue, Caroline A.
Ross, and Taichi Goto, "Growth of magnetooptical cerium-substituted yttrium iron garnet on yttrium
aluminum garnet using ion beam sputtering," Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 123, p. 112404, 2023.
[2] Hibiki Miyashita, Yuki Yoshihara, Kanta Mori, Takumi Koguchi, Pang Boey Lim, Mitsuteru Inoue,
Kazushi Ishiyama, and Taichi Goto, "Vacuum laser annealing of magnetooptical cerium-substituted
yttrium iron garnet films," Optical Materials, Vol. 146, p. 114530, 2023.
[3] Kanta Mori, Takumi Koguchi, Toshiaki Watanabe, Yuki Yoshihara, Hibiki Miyashita, Dirk Grundler,
Mitsuteru Inoue, Kazushi Ishiyama, and Taichi Goto, "Orientation-dependent two-dimensional
magnonic crystal modes in an ultralow-damping ferrimagnetic waveguide containing repositioned
hexagonal lattices of Cu disks," Physical Review Applied, Vol. 21, p. 014061, 2024.
Contact to Professor ISHIYAMA Kazushi : kazushi.ishiyama.d8@tohoku.ac.jp

312023 Human and Bio Information Systems Division
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 the mostimportant modalities in human perception. In addition,
we investigate the multimodal processing of auditory
and visual information, as well as proprioception. Ourfindings are applied towards the development ofadvanced acoustic communication systems and userinterfaces, including the realistic and comfortable
expression of three-dimensional (3D) sound spaces.
One typical example is the development of new type of
3D auditory displays, which present spatial soundimages by simulating the transfer functions for thesound paths from the sound sources to the listeners' Fig. 1 Application for the training of
external ears. Another example is the proposal of 3D spatial cognition using a high-definition
sound field information sensing systems. These virtual auditory display
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 FY2023, we focused on the mechanism of auditory scene analysis. The auditory scene analysis is awell-known streaming phenomenon which is observed when listeners group several sounds into
"auditory objects" in complex auditory scenes. This year, we investigated the tolerance thresholds forthe angular disparity at which the sound sources would segregate rather than group together into single
auditory objects. The results revealed that listeners tend to perceive the presented sequences as a single
stream when the angular disparity was small; however, these tolerance thresholds depended on thespatial region within which the sequences were presented [1]. These results were consistent with theminimum audible angle on the horizontal plane.
[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]

32

S. Sakamoto and M. Tamakawa, “The effect of angular disparity between sound source sequences on
the perceptual organization of auditory objects,” Proc. 185th Meeting of the Acoustical Society ofAmerica (Acoustics 2023), 3pPPa10 (2023).
J. Takahashi, G. Saito, K. Omura, D. Yasunaga, S. Sugimura, S. Sakamoto, T. Horikawa, and J. Gyoba,“Diversity of aphantasia revealed by multiple assessments of visual imagery, multisensory imagery,and cognitive style,” Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1174873 (2023).
S. Sakamoto and K. Katada, “Sound field recording using distributed spherical microphone arrays
based on a virtual spherical model (invited lecture),” Proc. INTERNOISE2023, 1-5-17, (6-pagemanuscript) (2023).
Contact to Professor SAKAMOTO Syuichi : shuichi.sakamoto.d5@tohoku.ac.jp

2023 Human and Bio Information Systems Division
Visual Cognition and Systems Laboratory

Understanding human visual system for the better communication
with visual information

Visual Cognition and Systems: Satoshi SHIOIRI, Professor
Attention and Learning Systems: Chia-huei TSENG, Associate Professor[Research Target and Activities]
Our target is to understand the
Attention at the
Attention at the handvision-related brain functions intarget location
movement goal
order to apply the knowledge to
Broad tuning
Narrow tuning
realize human oriented information
communication systems. In 2022,
our major achievements were thefollowings. 1) We investigated visual
attention at around the location ofhand movement goal. Separate
estimations of attention modulation
for the location and the focus of the
top-down attention revealed that
there is a process to orient attention
to the hand movement goal, which isdifferent
fromthe
top-down
The attention to a hand movement goal is narrowly
attention. Since the attention to
tuned while top-dow attention typically spreads
hand movement goal is effective
broadly around the attention focus.
within a smaller area than the topdown attention, the two attention
processes have likely different functions. 2) To investigate how actions lead to intention
expression and understanding and how the cultures influence this capacity is clarified,
we approached these endeavors by recruiting professional performers to our lab. Their
movements, recorded by a motion capture system (Vicon), were converted to dynamic
point-light animations. An additional naïve observers viewed these animations andreported the perceived impression in an online experiment platform. We discovered that
(1) naïve participants could judge the emotion from the movements well above chance,(2) Japanese participants are superior to detect negative expressions than the nonJapanese participants, and (3) observers have near-perfect performance to judge
friendliness over hostility. We plan to investigate same-race advantage and culturaleffects from this paradigm, and will continue to delineate the mechanisms in the future.
[Staff]
Professor ： Satoshi Shioiri, Ph.D.
Associate Professor ： Chia-huei Tseng, Ph.D.
[Profile]
Satoshi SHIOIRI: Professor Shioiri graduated Tokyo Institute of Technology andreceived Dr. Eng in 1986. Then, he was a postdoctoral researcher at University ofMontreal until 1989. From 1989 to 1990, he was a research fellow at Auditory and Visual
Perception Laboratories of Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute. From1990 to 2005, he was an assistant professor at Department of Image Sciences, anassociate 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
at Laboratory 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.
33

2023 Human and Bio Information Systems Division[Papers][1]

Wei Wu, Zhan Li, Takumi Miura, Yasuhiro Hatori, Chia-huei Tseng, Ichiro
Kuriki, Yoshiyuki Sato, Satoshi Shioiri; Different Mechanisms for Visual Attention at
the Hand-movement Goal and Endogenous Visual Attention. J Cogn Neurosci 2023; 35(8): 1246–1261[2] Spillmann, L., Hsu, L.C., Wang, W. Chen, C.C., Yeh, C.I., Tseng, C.H.. Gestalt neurons
and emergent properties in visual perception: a novel concept for the transformationfrom local to global processing. Journal of Vision, 23(12):8, 1-5. (2023)[3] Fujiwara, K., Cheng, M., Tseng, C.H., Kitamura, Y. Reading emotions from bodily
movements: The development of the Motion Unit AI. Journal of Information Processing.
(2023)

34

2023 Human and Bio Information Systems DivisionReal-world Computing

Toward Understanding Design Principle for Life-like Resilient Systems

Real-world Computing, Akio Ishiguro, Professor
Real-world Mathematical Modeling, Takeshi Kano, Associate 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:
Adaptivelocomotionoftubificine worm blobs in a confinedenvironment

Fig.2: Quadruped robot that realizes a turning gait
according to the center of mass position[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] Mikami T, Wakita D, Kobayashi R, Ishiguro A, Kano T (2023) Elongating, entwining, and dragging:mechanism for adaptive locomotion of tubificine worm blobs in a confined environment. Front.
neurorobot, 17:1207374.
[2] Amaike, H., Fukuhara, A., Kano, T., & Ishiguro, A. (2023). Decentralized Control Mechanism
Underlying Morphology-Dependent Quadruped Turning. Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics,
35(5), 1290-1299. https://doi.org/10.20965/jrm.2023.p1290

Contact to Professor ISHIGURO Akio : akio.ishiguro.b1@tohoku.ac.jp35

2023 Human and Bio Information Systems Division
Nano-Bio Hybrid Molecular Devices

Development of novel bio-devices through the combination of
nanotechnology and biomaterials

Nano-Bio Hybrid Molecular Devices: Ayumi 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 andvarious soft materials.
１．Adaptive automatic analysis system for picoampere currents
We developed an automated analysis system to classify the current
values at each time point into two levels corresponding to the open andclosed states of the channel. This system showed a higher accuracy Adaptive automatic analysis
rate than the conventional 50% threshold for about 80% of the pseudo- system for channel currents
channel current data sets. The analysis program and the pseudochannel current data set are available on the research data repository Zenodo.
２．Biomedical application of artificial neuronal networks
By patterning neurons using microfluidic devices, we realized artificial neuronal
networks that mimic the modular organization found in the nervous system. We
investigated the effect of IL-6 on the spontaneous activity patterns of theneuronal networks and found that exposure to IL-6 increased the synchrony of
Neuronal circuits
neuronal activity, and that this effect was more pronounced in networks withformed in ahigh modularity.
microfluidic device
３．Evaluation of spheroid activity using electrochemiluminescence imaging
Spheroids, produced by self-assembly of cells in a 3D culture
environment, are promising in vitro models for regenerative medicine
and drug discovery. We evaluated the metabolic activity of spheroids
using electrochemiluminescence imaging. We reported the effective
use of this system to evaluate drug efficacy by measuring changes in
the respiratory rate of breast cancer cell spheroids. We also succeededin monitoring the changes in the metabolic activity associated withosteogenesis induction of mesenchymal stem cell spheroids.
Electrochemiluminescenceimaging of a cellular spheroid[Staff]
Professor: Ayumi Hirano-Iwata, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Daisuke Tadaki, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Maki Komiya, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Kaoru Hiramoto, Dr.
[Profile]
Ayumi Hirano-Iwata 2016– RIEC, Tohoku University, Japan, Professor, Doctor of Science.
Memberships: The American Chemical Society. The Japan Society of Applied Physics, The Japan
Society of Vacuum and Surface Science.
[Papers][1]

M. Sato, M. Hariyama, M. Komiya, K. Suzuki, Y. Tozawa, H. Yamamoto, A. Hirano-Iwata, “Modelfree idealization: Adaptive integrated approach for idealization of ion channel currents”, Biophys. J,
122, 3959-3975 (2023).

[2]

M. Sakaibara, H. Yamamoto, H. Murota, N. Monma, S. Sato, A. Hirano-Iwata, “Enhanced responses
to inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 in micropatterned networks of cultured cortical neurons”,

Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 695, 149379 (2024).
[3]

K. Hiramoto, K. Komatsu, R. Shikuwa, A. Konno, Y. Sato, A. Hirano-Iwata, K. Ino, H. Shiku,“Evaluationofrespiratory

andsecretory

activitiesofmulticellularelectrochemiluminescence imaging”, Electrochimica Acta, 458, 142507 (2023).

36

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

spheroidsvia

2023 Human and Bio Information Systems DivisionInteractive Content

Technologies for Interactive Content
Interactive Content Design
Human-Content Interaction

Yoshifumi KITAMURA, Professor
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
visuo-haptic
door-opening
redirection
system in room-scale VR, a robotic touch
surface for supporting mid-air interaction in
VR, a real-time reconstruction technique of
fluid flow under unknown disturbance, anda drone-piloting user interface using an
augmented third-person perspective.

[Staff]
Professor: Yoshifumi Kitamura, Dr.
Associate Professor: Kazuki Takashima, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Kazuyuki Fujita, Dr.
Assistant Professor: Kaori Ikematsu, 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] Yukai Hoshikawa, Kazuyuki Fujita, Kazuki Takashima, Morten Fjeld, Yoshifumi Kitamura,
RedirectedDoors+: Door-Opening Redirection with Dynamic Haptics in Room-Scale VR, IEEE
Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, Vol. 30, Issue: 5, pp. 2276-2286, Mar.
2024.
[2] Kinfung Chu, Jiawei Huang, Hidemasa Takana, Yoshifumi Kitamura, Real-Time Reconstructionof Fluid Flow under Unknown Disturbance. ACM Trans. Graph. Vol. 43, Issue: 1, Article 4, 14
pages, Oct. 2023.
[3] Maakito Inoue, Kazuki Takashima, Kazuyuki Fujita, Yoshifumi 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 (CHI '23), Article No. 31,
pp. 1-19, May. 2023.

Contact to Professor KITAMURA Yoshifumi : yoshifumi.kitamura.b8@tohoku.ac.jp372023 Human and Bio Information Systems Division
Soft Computing Integrated System

Brainmorphic Computing Hardware System
Soft Computing Integrated System

Yoshihiko Horio, Professor[Research Target and Activities]
We are working on a “brainmorphic” computing hardware (BMCHW) system, and developing
integrated circuit and device technologies suitable for BMCHW. During the FIY 2023; 1) We proposeda prospective neuron model with self-feedbacks of its internal state and output. We then applied the
proposed model to the reservoir neurons or output neurons in a reservoir neural network. Throughsimulations, we showed the effectiveness of the prospective neurons. 2) We proposed an extended
spatiotemporal contextual learning and memory network (eSTCLMN) model for an event-driven
spiking neural network hardware. We also proposed a Hamming distance histogram and a multistage 2D map technique for evaluation of learning performance of the eSTCLMN model. We built a
prototype circuit for eSTCLMN using discrete circuit elements.

Memory capacity characteristics ofthe proposed prospective reservoir.

Neuron in the eSTCLMN
model.

Prototype of the eSTCLMN.

[Staff]
Professor ： Yoshihiko Horio, Ph.D.
Specially Appointed Assistant Professor ： Takemori Orima, Dr.
Technical Assistants ： Mariko Takahashi and Chikako Hibino[Profile]
Yoshihiko Horio received the Ph.D. degree from Keio University in 1987. He is currently a Professor
with the Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University. From 1987 to 2016, he
was with Department of Electronic Engineering, Tokyo Denki University being a Professor from2000. From 1992 to 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 andbrainmorphic hardware systems and brain-inspired VLSI systems. Dr. Horio is a Fellow of the IEICE,
and Emeritus Professor of Tokyo Denki University.
[Papers][1] T. Orima, T. Tsuji, and Y. Horio, "An extended spatiotemporal contextual learning and memory
network model for hardware implementation," Procedia Computer Science, vol. 222, pp. 478-487,
2023. DOI: 10.1016/j.procs.2023.08.186[2] Go Ishii, Yoshihiko Horio, and Takemori Orima, "Effect of memory capacity characteristics on timeseries prediction in reservoir neural network consisting of neurons with local temporal history," inProc. KJCCS, BP-6, 2024. (Best Student Paper Award).
[3] T. Tsuji, T. Orima, and Y. Horio, "Detailed evaluation of spatiotemporal learning rule based on
Hamming distances among output vectors," in Proc. NOLTA, pp. 415-418, 2023.

38

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

2023 Laboratory for Nanoelectoronics and Spintoronics
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 and establish
the science and technology of nanoelectronics and spintronics for information technology.
Utilizing the facilities installed in the Nanoelectronics-and-Spintronics building and undercollaboration between RIEC and related laboratories of the Graduate Schools of Engineering,
Information

Sciences,

Biomedical

Engineering,of

TohokuUniversity,

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 of NanoIntegration Devices and Systems, Spintronics, and Nano-Bio Hybrid Molecular Devices;
together with the project office of the Center for Innovative Integrated Electronic Systems, andthe groups of Ultra-Broadband Signal Processing, Soft Computing Integrated System andQuantum Devices. These groups cooperatively carry out the research aimed at establishing aworld-wide Center of Excellence (COE) in the research area of nanoelectronics and spintronics.

Highlights of our research activities in 2023 are shown below.

392023 Laboratory for Nanoelectoronics and Spintoronics
Nano Integration● Nano-Integration Devices and Systems (S. Sato, M. Sakuraba, and H. Yamamoto)(1) A reservoir computing system has been configured using a spiking neural network LSI that
reproduces various neural pulses and operates at extremely low power. Electricalmeasurements confirmed that the system could correctly classify data such as voice andhandwritten text at low power.
(2) To develop Esaki diode, heavily P-doped Si film deposition with a carrier concentration of
2x1020 cm-3 was realized by using ECR plasma CVD. Moreover, we developed a pn junction
diode fabrication process using wet etching of the P-doped Si, and confirmed good rectifying
characteristics.
(3) We showed that micropatterned neuronal networks can be integrated in the reservoir
computing paradigm to study the computational advantages of non-random networkorganizations.
● Soft Computing Integrated System (Y. Horio)
We are working on a brain-inspired brainmorphic computing hardware system using ananalog VLSI as a core component. Results of this year are summarized as follows:(1) We proposed a neuron model that introduces predictive dynamics in the neuron itself, andinvestigated the use of this model as (A) a reservoir layer neuron and (B) an output layer
neuron in a reservoir neural network, respectively. In (A), we derived a sufficient condition for
the echo-state property enabling the design of the network. Furthermore, we showed thatpredictive dynamics improves the closed-loop prediction performance of time-series, which is
attributed to the exponential decay property of the memory capacity. On the other hand, in (B),simulation experiments revealed that the one-step prediction performance of chaotic timeseries is improved.
(2) To implement the spatiotemporal contextual learning and memory network model as an
event-driven spiking neural network learning circuit system, we described it as continuousvalue and -time differential/difference equations. In addition, a prototype of a mixed
analog/digital circuit was implemented using off-the-shelf components to confirm thefeasibility of the proposed circuit. Because it is difficult to evaluate the learning performanceby extracting each synaptic weight value in integrated circuits, we proposed the Hamming
distance histogram and its hierarchical 2-D map method to evaluate the learning performancefrom the observable network outputs.

40

2023 Laboratory for Nanoelectoronics and Spintoronics
Spintronics and Information Technology● Spintronics (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) elucidating magnetic order in nanoscale
gyroid network using micromagnetic simulation, (2) finding fundamental difference in the
response of magnetic octupole to the spin-orbit torque from that of magnetic dipole, (3)establishing a method to prepare directed self-assembly of diamond network in triblock
terpolymer films, (4) demonstrating the feed-forward stochastic neural network using fast
fluctuating stochastic magnetic tunnel junction, (5) identifying the limitation of packing
density of ultra-small magnetic tunnel junction for high-density STT-MRAM, (6) summarizing
the tips to develop ultrasmall magnetic tunnel junction for retention-critical and speed-criticalapplications, (7) demonstrating heterogeneous probabilistic computer consisting of adeterministic CMOS circuit and stochastic magnetic tunnel junctions.
● Ultra-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. We are developing future ultra-broadband wireless communication systems as well
as spectroscopic/imaging systems for safety and security. The followings are the majorachievements in 2023 FY.
1. Creation of graphene-based current-injection terahertz lasers
We have developed a new principle current-injection terahertz laser transistor based on theproperties of Dirac plasmon, a quantum charge oscillation in graphene in which electrons andholes behave as relativistic Dirac particles, and have successfully demonstrated a terahertz
laser transistor with a maximum gain of 9% derived from plasmon instability under room
temperature using a prototype device with a unique asymmetric double-diffraction gratinggate structure. In this year, we theoretically discovered new instability mechanisms
originating from the Coulomb drag effect of the Dirac plasmons and the Zener-Klein tunneling
effect of Dirac fermions, and clarified its superior terahertz gain bandwidth characteristics. (3international peer-reviewed papers; 10 invited talks at international conferences).
2. Development of plasmonic terahertz detectors
For future ultrahigh-speed wireless communications, we have developed plasmonic
terahertz detectors with original metallic diffraction-grating structures, which utilizehydrodynamic nonlinearities of two-dimensional plasmons in the channels of InGaAs highelectron-mobility transistors (InGaAs-HEMTs). This fiscal year, we demonstrated that the "3D
rectification effect", where the diode current nonlinearity associated with the electron
tunneling is superimposed onto the plasmonic hydrodynamic nonlinearities, can take place byapplying a positive gate bias voltage in the gate-readout configuration of the output signal andsucceeded in drastic enhancement of the detector responsivity by one order of magnitude(Press-released on November 2023).

41

2023 Laboratory for Nanoelectoronics and Spintoronics● Quantum 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 anddevices using nanostructures. Our research activities in FY 2023 are the following.
(1) We developed electronic measurement and control methods of local electronic states innanostructures utilizing semiconductor quantum dots. We improved the methods with highspeed electronics and developed techniques for new materials.
(2) We measured local electronic and spin states in nanostructures utilizing sensitive electronic
measurement techniques. We revealed the local electronic states in nanostructures and newmaterials.
(3) We studied semiconductor quantum bits for future quantum information processing. We
worked on quantum bit operations and readouts, and developed techniques for scaling up thesystems and creating new material-based devices.
Nano-Bio Hybrid Molecular Devices● Nano-Bio Molecular Devices (A. Hirano-Iwata)
Our research activities focus on development of sophisticated molecular-scale devices throughthe combination of well-established microfabrication techniques and various soft materials,
such as biomaterials and organic materials.
(1) We developed an automated analysis system to classify the current values at each time
point into two levels corresponding to the open and closed states of the channel. This systemshowed a higher accuracy rate than the conventional 50% threshold for about 80% of thepseudo-channel current data sets. The analysis program and the pseudo-channel current data
set are available on the research data repository Zenodo.
(2) By patterning neurons using microfluidic devices, we realized artificial neuronal networks
that mimic the modular organization found in the nervous system. We investigated the effectof IL-6 on the spontaneous activity patterns of the neuronal networks and found that exposure
to IL-6 increased the synchrony of neuronal activity, and that this effect was more pronounced
in networks with high modularity.
(3) Spheroids, produced by self-assembly of cells in a 3D culture environment, are promisingin vitro models for regenerative medicine and drug discovery. We evaluated the metabolic
activity of spheroids using electrochemiluminescence imaging. We reported the effective use ofthis system to evaluate drug efficacy by measuring changes in the respiratory rate of breast
cancer cell spheroids. We also succeeded in monitoring the changes in the metabolic activity
associated with osteogenesis induction of mesenchymal stem cell spheroids.

42

2023 Laboratory for Brainware Systems
Research Targets and Activities of Laboratory for Brainware Systems
The Laboratory for Brainware Systems of the Research Institute of Electrical Communication
was established in 2004 and renewed in 2014. Its purpose is to contribute to the research anddevelopment of advanced information science and technology for Brainware systems which realize
a seamless fusion of the changeable and complex real world and the cyber space.
We aim at establishing scientific and technological foundations 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 carryout the research. At the same time, they serve as a laboratory for nation-wide cooperative researchin the field of Brainware systems.
The technology developed in the Laboratory is expected to enhance the research carried out inthe four Divisions of the Institute, and the research conducted in the Divisions, in turn, is expected
to provide scientific basis for the information technology developed in the Laboratory.

[Research Target]
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 the cyberphysical world and the ever-changing real world. In order to realize this goal, each laboratory
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 in realtime. 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) thatfunction like animals by implementing the obtained design principle.
Contact to Professor ISHIGURO Akio : akio.ishiguro.b1@tohoku.ac.jp

432023 Laboratory for Brainware Systems
New Paradigm VLSI System Section: Rapid progress in recent deep submicron regime has led thecapability to realize giga-scaled embedded systems on a chip (SoC), while performance degradationof 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 theabove problems primarily by the following two ways: the use of logic-in-memory architecture basedon nonvolatile logic, and the use of asynchronous data-transfer schemes based on multiple-valued
current-mode logic, which would open up a novel VLSI chip paradigm, called a “new-paradigm
VLSI system.”
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, highlyefficient, flexible, and robust brain-inspired brainmorphic computer hardware system, inparticular, through physical complex-networked dynamical process using an analog VLSI as a corecomponent. 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 and complex
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 2023 are an important step towards the goalas:--Real-World Computing Section has proposed a swarm model of tubificine worm blobs locomotion
in a confined environment.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frobt.2022.992716/full--New Paradigm VLSI System Section has successfully solved large-scale combinatorial
optimization problems with more than 1,000 nodes by utilizing stochastic computing.
https://doi.org/10.1109/TNNLS.2022.3159713--Cross-cultural comparison of lexical partitioning of color spacehttps://scholar.google.co.jp/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=ja&user=I9qDcUsAAAAJ&sort
by=pubdate&citation_for_view=I9qDcUsAAAAJ:cRMvf6lLvU8C
https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3573051.3596182--Soft Computing Integrated System Section succeeded in describing the hippocampal
spatiotemporal contextual learning and memory model by differential/difference equations.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2023.08.186
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 Human Information Systems
Division)44

2023 Laboratory for Brainware Systems
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 the human brain integrates multiple sensory
inputs from the outside world, we are investigating the visual and auditory functions in the humanbrain for implementing these functions in hardware under biologically plausible settings. Our
approaches include psychophysics, brain wave measurements, and computer simulations.
This year, first, we published a review paper about the cross-cultural comparison of lexicalpartitioning of color space. Comparisons of the color naming results in the identical experimental
setup among English speakers, Japanese speakers and Taiwnese Chinese speakers showed that thethree languages shear similar color categories which uniquely corresponde to color terms. This
indicates that it is not difficult to communicate about colors using languages with languagetranslation. On the other hand, however, there are also differences among these languages, such as
Mizu-iro (water color) in Japanese appears to be unique. There is a piece of evidence for influence of
cultures on color categories.
Seconds, we investigated the mechanism of auditory scene analysis. In the experiment, thetolerance thresholds for the angular disparity at which the sound sources would segregate rather
than group together into single auditory objects were measured. The results revealed that listeners
tend to perceive the presented sound sequences as a single stream when the angular disparity
between the sounds was small. Moreover, observed tolerance thresholds became large when thesound sequences were presented from the side, in comparison to the situation when the sequenceswere presented from in front of the listeners. These results were consistent with the minimum
audible angle on the horizontal plane.
[Staff]
Professor: Satoshi Shioiri, Ph.D.
Professor: Shuichi Sakamoto, Ph.D.
[Papers]
[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

S Shioiri, R. Tokunaga, I. Kuriki, Volume 1 Cross-Linguistic Studies, edited by Masatoshi Koizumi,
Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Mouton, 2023, pp. 41-62.
Kato, H., Takahashi, K., Hatori, Y., Sato, Y., Shioiri, S. (2023). Prediction of Engagement from Facial
Expressions: Effect of Dynamic Factors. In: Kondo, K., Horng, MF., Pan, JS., Hu, P. (eds) Advancesin Intelligent Information Hiding and Multimedia Signal Processing. IIHMSP 2022. Smart
Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol 339. Springer, Singapore.
S. Sakamoto, M. Tamakawa, “The effect of angular disparity between sound source sequences on theperceptual organization of auditory objects,” Proc. 185th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America(Acoustics 2023), 3pPPa10 (2023).
J. Takahashi, G. Saito, K. Omura, D. Yasunaga, S. Sugimura, S. Sakamoto, T. Horikawa, J. Gyoba,“Diversity of aphantasia revealed by multiple assessments of visual imagery, multisensory imagery,and cognitive style,” Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1174873 (2023).

45

2023 Research Center for 21st Century Information Technology
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. The center consists of three devisions,“Industry-Academia-Government-Collaboration
ResearchandDevelopment
Division”,“Interdisciplinary Collaboration Research Division”, and “Exploratory Research Division”.

[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
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

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

2023 Research Center for 21st Century Information Technology
IT21 Center Industry-Academia-Government-Collaboration Research and Development
Division, Wireless ICT Platform Project

Dependable Air

No riharu Suematsu, Professor (Project Leader)Takashi Shiba, Specially Appointed Professor
Quasi-Zenith Satellite
Communication

100000km

Location &Short Message

Universal Clock

Dependable AirSpace(Heterogeneous Air Interface)

10000kmDependable
Network Control
physical distribution

CDMA

TDMA

distance

PDC cdmaOne

1000m

W-CDMA

car/ITS

Dependable
Air Interface

HSPA

cdma2000

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

Cellular

Surface

Wide area
802.11 802.11b

PHS

100m

Wireless LAN

High
throuput

802.11a/g

ZigbeeShort range 802.15.4

Non IEEEIEEE (IP friendly)

Bluetooth802.15.1

Mobile Internet
smart grid
medicalplant control

LTEfarming/fishery/
forestryhome network

LTEAdvanced
VHT SG
802.11nUltra highthroughput

10mStandard

broadcast/communication
network

OFDMA

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 wirelesstechnology group has been proposing the concept of “Dependable Air,” which is a heterogeneous andhighly-reliable wireless network. The Dependable Air is able to work even in the event of a big disaster.
The group proceeded a R&D project “R&D on Technologies to Densely and Efficiently Utilize Radio
Resources of Unlicensed Bands in Dedicated Areas” supported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs andCommunications (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 sub10GHz/28GHz Si RFICs for B5G station under the R&D project supported by NEDO. From 2022, thegroup start two R&D projects relating to spectrum monitoring and sensing of wireless IoT for smart
factories under the support of MIC. The group also launch a new R&D project relating to millimeterwave NTN B5G LEO constellation satellite communication systems and on-board DBF antenna/devices
under the support of NICT.
[Staff]
Professor: Noriharu Suematsu, Ph.D
Specially Appointed Professor: Takashi Shiba, Ph.D
Specially Appointed Professor: Satoshi Tsukamoto, Ph.D
Researcher: Tamotsu Nishino, Ph.D

47

2023 Research Center for 21st Century Information Technology[Papers][1] T. Shiba, T. Furuichi, N. Suematsu, “Measurement of Power Delay Profile for Local 5G System,” URSIGASS 2023, Sapporo, Japan, 19-16 August 2023.
[2] T. Shiba, T. Furuichi, N. Suematsu, “Power Delay Profile Measurement Applied MUSIC for Local 5G
System,” 2023 6th World Symposium on Communication Engineering (WSCE), pp. 49-55, September
2023.
[3] N. Suematsu, “Q/V-band direct digital RF transceiver design for LEO constellation on-board DBF
antenna,” 2023 IEEE International Symposium on Radio-Frequency Integration Technology (RFIT),
2023.
[4] J. Zhang, K. Furuuchi, N. Suematsu, “20GHz-Band Low Backlobe Vivaldi Endfire Antenna Array for
Digital Beamforming Transmitter Antenna Module,” 2023 IEEE International Symposium on RadioFrequency Integration Technology (RFIT), pp. 41-43, 2023.

48

2023 Research Center for 21st Century Information Technology
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

innovativeAI

hardwareapproach, spanning from the fundamental
science of material and information todevices, circuits, architectures, and software
technologies, in order to develop a novel

Realization of ultralow-power nonvolatile brain-inspired
VLSI based on novel Spintronics/CMOS hybrid approachbrain-inspired computing hardware systemfor precise and real-time processing of information value judgment, selection, and refusal. This
project established the experimental environment for the validation of hybrid spintronics/CMOS
brain-inspired systems by 2021, laying the foundation for assessing the efficacy and accuracy ofbrain-inspired VLSI processors. In FY2023, we are exploring ways to reduce device power
consumption by combining the error tolerance characteristics of neural networks with the switching
characteristics of nonvolatile devices. Theoretically, we clarify the relationship between the error
tolerance of DNNs and the switching current of nonvolatile devices, and experimentally, wedemonstrate a method to reduce power consumption by introducing random errors into low 8-bit
DNN parameters without compromising the accuracy of the DNN. Experimental results show that
inverting 20% random binary reduces power by 5.63% and inverting 100% binary saves 34.84%
energy. Furthermore, incorporating the error maps of six practical STT-MRAM chips with amaximum error rate of 0.00868 into the low 8-bit parameters of the DNN does not affect its accuracy
under switching currents corresponding to 100% switching probability (maximum loss is 0.00067).
The MobileNet average Top 1 and Top 5 accuracy losses are 0.000355, 0.00079, 0.000670, and
0.000310, respectively, which have only a marginal impact on its industrial application.
The ECC project also proposed a new error correcting code module for future object recognition
systems that use STT-MRAM as weight data storage, which guarantees data integrity whileachieving high throughput and small area. The proposed ECC module employs pipelined highly
parallel BCH modules to address the high throughput requirements of STT-MRAM. To optimize thesmall area requirements, a 64-parallel linear LFSR for encoders and a parallel factor-reduced
decoder are proposed. The code length and correction capability of the BCH code are optimized forhigh efficiency in terms of memory redundancy and computational complexity. The correction
performance of the proposed ECC module is verified on a working STT-MRAM chip and theimplementation results show that it achieves a small area of 18.27K μm2 with 64-bit high throughput
49

2023 Research Center for 21st Century Information Technology
and 5.76 ns read delay. Experimental results show that a bit error rate of less than 2 × 10-3 for STTMRAM does not affect the recognition accuracy of neural networks. These research results indicatethat the ECC module is suitable for most manufactured STT-MRAM chips and can be integrated
into object recognition 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 high performance and low-power arithmetic VLSIs. He also received IEEE ISMVLBest Paper Award in 1986 and1988, respectively, Niwa Memorial Award in 1988, Sakai Memorial
Award in 2000, LSI Design of the Year Referee’s Special Award in 2002, ASP-DAC 2007 Special
Feature Award in 2007, JJAP Paper Award in 2009, IEICE Excellent Paper Award in 2010, Ichimura
Academic Contribution Award in 2010, IEEE ISVLSI 2010 Best Paper Award in 2010, SSDM Paper
Award in 2012, IEEE ASYNC 2014 Best Paper Finalist in 2014, FY2015 Commendation for Scienceand Technology by the MEXT (research division) in 2015. He is a Senior Member of IEEE．
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, anassociate professor in 1997, and a professor in April 2008. Since 2012, he has been a professor at theGraduate School of Engineering and 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 TimeAward (2021), the 14th Prime Minister’s Award for its Contribution to Industry-AcademiaGovernment Collaboration (2017), and National Invention Award (2018).
Tao Li received a Ph.D. in Navigation, Guidance, and Control from the Graduate School ofEngineering, 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.

50

2023 Research Center for 21st Century Information Technology[Papers][1] Y. Saito, S. Ikeda, N. Tezuka, H. Inoue, and T. Endoh, “Field-free spin-orbit torque switching andlarge damping-like spin-orbit torque efficiency in synthetic antiferromagnetic systems using
interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction,” Physical Review B, vol.108, pp.024419, 2023.
[2] Y. Saito, S. Ikeda, H. Inoue, and T. Endoh, “Charge-to-Spin Conversion Efficiency in Synthetic
Antiferromagnetic System Using Pt–Cu/Ir/Pt–Cu Spacer Layers,” IEEE Transactions on Magnetics,
vol.59, pp.1300405, 2023.
[3] T. Li, Y. Ma, K. Yoshikawa, and T. Endoh, “Neuromorphic processor-oriented hybrid Q-format
multiplication with adaptive quantization for tiny YOLO3,” Neural Computing and Applications, vol.
35, issue 15, pp.11013-11041, Feb. 2023. DOI： 10.1007/s00521-023-08280-y.
[4] T. Li, Y. Ma, K. Yoshikawa, T. Endoh, “Hybrid signed convolution module with unsigned divide-andconquer multi- plier for energy-efficient STT-MRAM-based AI accelerator,” IEEE Transactions on
Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) Systems, vol.31, pp.1078-1082, Feb. 2023.
[5] T. Li, L. Zhang, Y. Ma, and T. Endoh, “Bridging Artificial Intelligence and Devices: Power Reduction
Method ofNon-volatile Devices with Error-resilient Deep Neural Networks,” IEEE Transactions

on Magnetics, pp.1-9, Oct. 2023. DOI：10.1109/tmag.2023.3321878.
[6] T. Li, L. Zhang, and T. Endoh, “Small Area and High Throughput Error Correction Module of STTMRAM for Object Recognition Systems,” IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, 2024 (inpress).

51

2023 Research Center for 21st Century Information Technology
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

Vicarious experience system of students’ attention. First, the attention state of a student is estimated offline, andthe condition of attention is experienced by others. From the time-series data of the attention state and thevicarious experience, teachers can consider how to improve the lectures. Then, technology will be applied for realtime usage of attention estimation during learning.

[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 during problem solving, within which participants wereallowed to request hints. To estimate when participants needed hints, we used a machine learningtechinique with face features. The results showed that face features a few seconds before hint
request have information of the mental state to seek hints.

[Staff]Satoshi Shioiri, Project Leader, Professor[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.
[Papers][1] Wang, GY., Nagata, H., Hatori, Y., Sato, Y., Tseng, C.H., Shioiri, S. Detecting learners' hint inquiry
behaviors in e-learning environment by using facial expressions, Proceedings of the Tenth ACM
Conference on Learning@ Scale, 2023
[2] Miao, R., Kato, H., Hatori, Y., Sato, Y., Shioiri, S. Use of facial expressions to estimate level ofattention while watching video lectures, Journal of Vision 23 (9), 4726-4726, 2023
[3] Shioiri, S., Nagata, H., Sato, Y., Hatori, Y. Prediction of preference judgments of face images using
facial expressions and EEG signals, Journal of Vision 23 (9), 5063-5063, 2023

52

2023 Research Center for 21st Century Information Technology
Exploratory Research Division
Drone Utilization Technologies to Realize a Symbiotic Society

BirdViewAR overview with two drone formations

Yoshifumi Kitamura, Professor (Project Leader)[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, Procof the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.

53

2023 Research Center for 21st Century Information Technology
IT21 Center
Exploratory Research Division
Wireless IoT Technology for Smart Factories

Toward smart factories with next generation wireless IoT
No riharu Suematsu, Professor (Project Leader)Takashi Shiba, Specially appointed Professor
Tomoyuki Furuichi, Assistant Professor

Fig.1: Leaky coaxial cable (LCX)

Fig.2: Factories Radio Environment Monitoring[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.
Fig.1 shows LCX communication evaluation setup system for smart factories. We evaluated the effectof shadowing in a situation where a metal obstacle (e.g. wall) is placed near the antenna. Fig.2 shows
factories radio environment monitoring in smart factories using developed real-time spectrum monitor.
We monitored the radio wave environment in factories and evaluated the channel occupancy rate.
[Papers][1] E. Nagahari, T. Furuichi, T. Shiba, N. Suematsu, "A study on shadowing caused by a metallic object
placed near LCX antenna of 920MHz-band," 2023 XXXVth General Assembly and Scientific Symposiumof the International Union of Radio Science (URSI GASS), Sapporo, Japan, 2023.

54

Interdisciplinary ICT Research Center for Cyber

2023 and Real Spaces

Interdisciplinary ICT Research Center for Cyber and Real SpaceIn future telecommunications, it is expected that people will be able to communicate
with each other in the cyber/virtual space with objects and information from thephysical/real space they are located.
The successful key to realize such rich telecommunication is to unlock “communication
with nonverbal information” by appropriately conveying the subtleties of “non-spoken
signals,” which plays an important role in our daily interpersonal understanding.
When AI for “verbal information” has become a useful tool to transcend the barriers oflanguage differences, we hope creating AI for “nonverbal information” to build anaccessible and inclusive society that accommodates diversities in physicalcompetences, cultures, gender, etc.
We start to conduct research and development of “telecommunication with nonverbal
information” through interdisciplinary collaboration. We will synergize basic andapplied AI research, networks and security, human sciences (psychology, brain
sciences), human-computer interactions, and VR/AR/MR communication technologies,
to impact the society with the research results.

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

55

Interdisciplinary ICT Research Center for Cyber

2023 and Real Spaces

Enrich Telecommunication with Nonverbal Information[Research Target and Activities]
1. Visual-Auditory Redirected Walking using
Auditory Cues in Real/Physical SpaceWe investigated the effects of sounds
emitted from the real/physical space on
the perception of Redirected Walking,rather than sounds in the virtual/cyber
space [1].
2. Endless Cyber/Virtual Space, Roaming
around in a Small Room
We developed RedirectedDoors+, whichbuilt upon an existing visuo-haptic dooropening redirection technique, allows
participants to subtly manipulate thewalking direction while opening doors in
VR, guiding them away from real walls[2].
3. Sharing Interactions with Real/PhysicalSpace in Cyber/Virtual SpaceWe have harnessed the power of deep
reinforcement learning to replicate theflow of water when disturbed. Replicating
this agitated liquid motion, as it is known,
allowed them to recreate water flow inreal time based on only a small amount ofdata from real water. The technology
opens up the possibility for virtual reality interactions involving water [3].
4. A Robotic Touch Surface for Supporting Mid-air Planar Interactions in Room-Scale VR
We propose a robotic touch surface that can automatically reposition itself tophysically present a virtual planar input surface to users and to permit them toachieve accurate and fatigue-less input while walking around a virtual room [4].
[Papers][1] Kumpei Ogawa, Kazuyuki Fujita, Shuichi Sakamoto, Kazuki Takashima, Yoshifumi
Kitamura, Exploring Visual-Auditory Redirected Walking using Auditory Cues in Reality,
IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 2023.
https://doi.org/10.1109/TVCG.2023.3309267[2] Ryota Gomi, Kazuki Takashima, Yuki Onishi, Kazuyuki Fujita, and Yoshifumi Kitamura.
UbiSurface: A Robotic Touch Surface for Supporting Mid-air Planar Interactions in RoomScale VR, Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, Volume 7, Issue ISS,
Article No.: 443, pp. 376–397, 2023
https://doi.org/10.1145/3626479[3] Kinfung Chu, Jiawei Huang, Hidemasa Takana, and Yoshifumi Kitamura. Real-Time
Reconstruction of Fluid Flow under Unknown Disturbance, ACM Transactions on Graphics,
Volume 43, Issue 1, Article No. 4, pp 1–14 https://doi.org/10.1145/3624011[4] Yukai Hoshikawa, Kazuyuki Fujita, Kazuki Takashima, Morten Fjeld, Yoshifumi
Kitamura: RedirectedDoors+: Door-Opening Redirection with Dynamic Haptics in RoomScale VR, IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 2024.
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10466477

562023 Co-creation Research Center
Co-Creation Research Center

Furukawa Electric x Tohoku Univ. Co-Creation Research Center for
Photonics Integration＜Aims＞＞

Our Co-Creation Research Center aims to create innovative new technologies driven
by novel ideas and to develop highly specialized human resources through integrationand collaboration between Furukawa Electric's materials processing capabilities andTohoku University's comprehensive solution capabilities toward challenges in oursociety.
The collaboration is based mainly in the field of photonics, which plays avital role in our future advanced information society infrastructure.
Specifically, weare exploring new research frontiers and promoting joint research toward innovative
new technologies with a diverse impact, such as the integration of mobility, energy,
and information, which will contribute to the realization of a sustainable society where
people can enjoy safe, peaceful and rewarding life.
In addition, through co-creationand collaboration between the two organizations, we will contribute to thedevelopment of human resources with advanced engineering backgrounds and theability to practice integrative and creative thinking with different fields.

＞＜Results in 2023＞

In order to start co-creation in the field of photonics, we held a technical conference
between members of our Co-Creation Research Center and Furukawa Electric.
Through these activities, we were able to have many exchanges in the field and start
three co-creation projects.
Even in fields other than photonics, we were able to make a lot of opportunities for
dialogue between various departments of Tohoku University and Furukawa Electric.
From these opportunities, we were able to start three co-creation projects.
The co-creation projects, which began in 2023, are currently in the process ofcoordinating contracts for joint research or academic guidance. In 2024, we plan toshare goals and move forward with efforts to solve their technological and social
challenges.

＜Member＞＞

Specially Appointed Professor

Michihiro Shimada

Contact to Specially Appointed Professor SHIMADA michihiro : michihiro.shimada.b3@tohoku.ac.jp

572023 Management Office for Safety and HealthManagement 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 and otherindividual sections are highly independent of each other; unlike a general corporate organization, topdown safety management is not suitable and measures appropriate for independent sections need to betaken. 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 andfacilities are used, including chemicals, high-pressure gas, and X-ray devices. Since there is also a clean
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:○ Holding safety and health seminar and high-pressure gas seminar for staff and students at theinstitute○ Inspection of and assistance in improving the safety and health management system and working
environment within the institute○ Holding first aid training course○ Investigation of laws related to safety and health and collection of information regarding safety andhealth management○ 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
58

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

Haruka Takahashi, Clerk

2023 Flexible Information System Center
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
and systems, this center designs and constructs the

FigureRIEC server room

state-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

592023 Flexible Information System Center[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 (-2023 Nov.), Hitoshi Shoji (2024Mar.-)

60

2023 Fundamental Technology Center
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 87 machining products.
About 11% of the requests were from outside the institute.
2. Evaluation Division
23 laboratories and 6 external research institute and company utilized the evaluation andmeasurement apparatuses for shared usage (the utilization time was 2,117 hours). Technical assistanceon the use of liquid helium was provided for 2 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, 381 Electron-beam lithography products, 31 photomasks and 18 commissioned analyzes
such as focused ion beam processing and analysis were supplied.

Operation management andmaintenance were provided for operating the clean rooms of the Laboratory for Nanoelectronics andSpintronics.
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 TSUKIMOTO, Maho
ABE, Takenori TANNO, Hiroyuki YAGYU, Iori MORITA, Rikima ONO,

Michimasa MUSHA, Yuko MARUYAMA, Kenji OHTA
eac-riec@grp.tohoku.ac.jp612023 Ad-hoc research groups
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.

[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
and reliability at the level of vast and diverse information sources (i.e., embedded devices suchas sensor terminals) in a vertically integrated manner by various researchers from theviewpoints of software constitutive theory, system security, hardware security, circuitarchitecture, next-generation microprocessor, and so on. In 2023, we continued discussion
about our goal and research direction with several seminars and meetings.

[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 groupaims 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 physiologicalknowledge. This year, in order 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 organizedand 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. We also organized a special
session in the 2023 International Symposium on Nonlinear Theory and Its Applications.
Furthermore, we actively cooperated with the JST CREST Sato project for proposing the
Yamamoto project of Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas (A). As a result, theproposal was granted.

62

2023 Division for the Establishment of Frontier Sciences
Division for the Establishment of Frontier Sciences
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]
This research includes the integration of spintronics engineering, CMOS semiconductor integrated
circuit engineering, and neuroscience to develop an innovative interdisciplinary field of engineeringthat covers devices, circuits, architecture, and software. The objective is to develop innovative
computing systems that mimic the brain's functionality, enabling advanced information processing
and decision-making while maintaininghighefficiency

and

low

power

consumption. More precisely, the research
use two different approaches to verify the
funcationality of brain-inspired VLSI: von
Neumannandnon-von

Neumannarchitectures. It focuses on enhancing ourunderstandingof

spintronics-CMOS

hybrid devices and developing theories on
circuit and architecture design based on
spintronics-CMOS

integration,

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

brain-

inspired CMOS integrated circuits, and AI computing. This will facilitate the realization of highly
functional and ultra-low-power, non-volatile, brain-inspired object detection systems targeting
applications such as autonomous operation and intelligent robotics.
The project focused on leveraging the error resiliency of neural networks to further reduce the power
consumption of non-volatile devices. Specifically, it involves developing new algorithms suitable forlow-power operation by using the nonlinear relationship between switching current and switchingprobability in non-volatile devices and the fault tolerance of neural networks. This aims to enhanceboth energy and computational efficiency. Additionally, the project focuses on improving thethroughput of ECC modules, which includes optimizing ECC algorithms, strengthening parallel
processing, and enhancing data processing efficiency. The progress of these two researchachievements and the associated research results this year are presented as follows:
1. Integration of deep neural networks with non-volatile memory devices to improve energy
efficiency in edge computing.
We are exploring methods to reduce power consumption by bridging the fault tolerance of neuralnetworks with the non-linear switching properties of non-volatile devices. We theoreticallydeduce the connection between the fault tolerance of DNNs and the switching current of nonvolatile devices, and we experimentally demonstrate its effectiveness in lowering power
consumption without compromising the accuracy of DNNs, by incorporating random errors into
the parameters of low 8-bit DNNs. The experimental results show that flipping a random 20%

63

2023 Division for the Establishment of Frontier Sciencesof the binaries can reduce power consumption by 5.63% and flipping 100% can save 34.84% ofenergy. Also, adding the error map of six real STT-MRAM chips, which have a top error rate of
0.00868, to the low 8-bit settings of DNNs doesn't change their accuracy in a situation where
there are 100% chances of switching (the largest loss is 0.00067). The impact on industrial
applications is negligible, as evidenced by the reductions in top-1 and top-5 accuracy of MobileNet,which are 0.000355, 0.00079, 0.000670, and 0.000310, respectively.
2. Enhanced object recognition using ECC-enabled STT-MRAM.
The code length and correction capabilities of the BCH code are optimized, considering memory
redundancy and computational complexity. The correction performance of the proposed ECC
module is validated based on the actual operating measurements of STT-MRAM chips, and theimplementation results demonstrate a small area of 18.27 𝑘𝑘 𝜇𝜇𝜇𝜇� with 64-bit high throughput

and a 5.76 ns read delay. The experimental results indicate that if the bit error rate of STTMRAM is below 2 � 10�� , it does not affect the recognition accuracy of neural networks. Theseexperimental results show that the ECC module is suitable for most manufactured STT-MRAM
chips and can be integrated into object detection systems, representing a significant milestone
for research aimed at diverse applications of brain-inspired processors in edge computing,potentially bringing innovative possibilities.

[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, anassociate professor in 1997, and a professor in April 2008. Since 2012, he has been a professor at theGraduate School of Engineering and 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 TimeAward (2021), the 14th Prime Minister’s Award for its Contribution to Industry-AcademiaGovernment Collaboration (2017), and National Invention Award (2018). He is an IEEE Fellow(2023).
Tao Li received a Ph.D. in Navigation, Guidance, and Control from the Graduate School ofEngineering, 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, L. Zhang, Y. Ma and T. Endoh, "Bridging Artificial Intelligence and Devices: Power Reduction
Method of Non-volatile Devices with Error-resilient Deep Neural Networks," in IEEE Transactions
on Magnetics, October 4, 2023. Early Access. doi: 10.1109/TMAG.2023.3321878.
[2] L. Zhang, T. Li and T. Endoh, "Small Area and High Throughput Error Correction Module of STTMRAM for Object Recognition Systems," in IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, February
26, 2024. Early Access. doi: 10.1109/TII.2024.3362373.

642023 Center for Science and Innovation in Spintronics (CSIS)
Center for Science and Innovation in Spintronics (CSIS)＜About the Center＞＞
Establishment：January 30, 2018
Organization：Director: Shunske Fukami (Professor of RIEC)
Number of academic members: 59(including 10 full-time, 35 concurrent and 14 guest members)
Research Target：Creation of world-leading research center pioneering in so-called “Spin-Centered
Science” by strategic consolidation of excellent researchers from foreign leading
universities in fundamental and applied fields.
Research Activities：Spin-centered fundamental science, advanced spintronic materials, spintronic devices,
and integration technology of spintronic devices.
＞＜Major Achievements in 2023＞
・Promotion of world-leading research in spintronics
Excellent 6 proposals, which are creative and expected to make outstanding achievements, were adopted tothe 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, 8 persons from foreign countries, were employed as full-time researchers
to promote collaborations with researchers of domestic and foreign institutions. The Core Research Cluster
for Spintronics Award was launched to honor early-career researchers who have produced outstanding
academic achievement and/or industrial applications in Spintronics.
・Promoting international academic exchange
The laboratory for international collaboration with the University of Chicago was operated continuously.
The 7th International Symposium for the Core Research Clusters for Materials Science and Spintronics washeld in November and December, 2023. The following international meetings were also co-sponsored or
supported by CSIS:- 2nd Online RIEC International Workshop on Spintronics (April, 2023)- 2023 Spintronics Workshop on LSI (June, 2023)- Spintronics and Quantum Transformation Workshop (August, 2023)- Tohoku-Warsaw Workshop for Spintronics (November, 2023)- 2nd International Workshop of Spin/Quantum Materials and Devices (November, 2023)

65

2023 Center for Innovative Integrated Electronics Systems (CIES)
Center for Innovative Integrated Electronic Systems (CIES)＜Overview＞＞
Establishment: The CIES was established in October 2012 to enhance industry-academia collaborations andcontribute 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: 77 (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 researchseeds 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 the field of next generation integrated electronics systems by establishing aninternational industry-academia collaboration base. Further, the CIES aims for practical use of thetechnologies in this field 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.
＜Major activities in FY2022＞＞
CIES has managed the “CIES consortium” which consists of industry–academic collaborations, major
national projects (MEXT X-nics, NEDO Post 5G, NEDO AIC, JSPS Core-to-Core, JAXA TansaX, MEXTPower Electronics, CAO SIP 3rd) and regional collaboration projects. We have promoted the development ofcore technologies related integrated electronics from material, equipment, devices and system to include
spintronics, AI hardware, and power electronics 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" by METI in 2020. Here, thesecompanies utilized “a special private-sector investment promotion zone system (for information servicerelated 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 2023, Japan's "Semiconductor/Digital Industrial Strategy" was revised,and "advanced technology development (spintronics technology) at academia-based centers" was positioned
as a goal/strategy. At the G7 Hiroshima Summit, the “the U.S.-Japan University Partnership for Workforce
Advancement and Research & Development in Semiconductors (UPWARDS) for the Future” was concluded.
In response to these policies and agreements, we have been working to strengthen innovative semiconductor
research and development, manufacturing, supply chains, and human resource development throughcollaboration between industry and U.S. and Japanese universities.
66

2023 Center for Innovative Integrated Electronics Systems (CIES)
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, we have succeeded in developing a low power consumption
MRAM technology that has data retention for more than 10 years and rewrite tolerance that reaches 1 trillion
times with the integrated technology of the single digit nanometer generation. We have demonstrated dataretention at 260°C and over 10 million rewrites during manufacturing of cutting-edge microcontrollers using
a new 6-layer interface perpendicular ferromagnetic magnetic tunnel junction device. This achievement opens
the door to higher performance and larger capacity embedded nonvolatile memory for cutting-edge singledigit nm generation microcontrollers. Six new institutions have joined the MEXT Initiative to Establish Nextgeneration Novel Integrated Circuits Centers (X-NICS) "Innovative spintronics X semiconductor researchhub" adopted in 2022. We are promoting the creation of innovative low-power semiconductors and thedevelopment of highly skilled human resources. In power electronics technology, we will advance theadvancement of power electronics circuit technology and power module technology through MEXT INNOPEL(Innovative Power Electronics Technologies), which was adopted in 2021, and will develop compact power
supplies for EV drive inverters and data centers, and contributed to the improvement of performance andperformance. Furthermore, we proceeded with R&D of a next-generation circuit system that takes advantageof the low-loss, high-frequency operation features of GaN on Si power devices, and investigated the optimal
devices and passive components for the circuit system. As a result, we have obtained the prospect of achieving
higher efficiency and higher power density in next-generation circuit systems. Utilizing the three coretechnologies, we aim to develop system beneficial to AI/IoT/DX, which is indispensable for realizing carbon
neutrality and requires ultra-low power consumption. Utilizing the three core technologies, we aim to develop
IoT/AI system, which is indispensable 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 sixth 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. Through our participation in the TOHOKU
Study Group on Design of Semiconductor and Electronics Industry, which was launched in June 2022, wehave been working to strengthen the foundations of semiconductor and other related industries, develop humanresources, and strengthen the supply chain, while collaborating with related organizations such as industry,
universities, technical colleges, and government.
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.

67

2023 Advanced Institute for Yotta Informatics
Advanced Institute for Yotta Informatics＜About the Center＞＞
Establishment：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：Director: Nobuyuki Sakai (Professor, Graduate School of Arts & Letters/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, of International
Cultural Studies, Graduate School 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：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：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.
＞
＜Major Achievements in 2023＞
1. To establish a successor organization of AIYotta, which aiming at the further development of data
science interdisciplinary research with a view to hardware was approved, we requested a budget for thegovernment, and succeeded to have support for the organization, Advanced Instituted of So-Go-Chi(convergence knowledge) Informatics to start in 2024.
2. We supported 4 projects from 19 interdisciplinary projects supported in 2022, which lead the new
information science, which can manage the quality of information as well as the information amount andselect important information appropriately.
3.

We co-organized a RIEC international symposium “Tohoku U - NTU Symposium: When AI Meets
Human Science," International Workshop on Emerging ICT, and HIP Research meeting of IEICE.

68

2023 Graduate Program in Spintronics (GP-Spin)
Graduate Program in Spintronics (GP-Spin)＜Overview＞
Establishment：April 1, 2015
Organization：Graduate Program in Spintronics (GP-Spin) Program Director: Takafumi Sato
(Graduate School of Science, Professor)
Program members: 12 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 Netherlands), Univ. Groningen (The Netherland), University of York (UK), Universityof Leeds (UK), Polish Academy of Sciences (Poland), Tsinghua University (Chaina)
Mission：Education of world-class leaders in spintronics from fundamental to applications
Activities：(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 andlong-term internship, international school/workshop, qualifying examination to guarantee the educational
quality＜Major Achievements in FY2023＞
In FY 2023, the following academic meetings sponsored or co-sponsored by GP-Spin were held.
- The 1st Young Scholars Workshop in Spintronics (July, 2023)- GP-Spin Session, The 32nd Joint-Interlaboratory Workshop on Nano-Magnetics at Korea University(July, 2023)- The 1st Workshop on the Chicago-Tohoku Quantum Alliance (October, 2023)- The 7th Symposium for the Core Research Clusters for Materials Science and Spintronics and the 6th
Symposium on International Joint Graduate Program in Materials Science and Spintronics (NovemberDecember, 2023)- GP-Spin Session, The 34th Joint-Interlaboratory Workshop on Nano-Magnetics in Sendai(February, 2024)- Tohoku-Lorraine Mini Workshop 2024 (February, 2024)

692023 Advanced Graduate Program for AI Electronics
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＜About the Center＞＞
Establishment：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：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：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”.

＞＜Major Achievements in 2023＞
In FY2023, 16 students completed the 5-year integrated education curriculum of the AIEWISE program for AI Electronics. The program received high ratings from on-site visits by
a program officer (PO) and visits by an external evaluation committee. The Project Based
Learning (PBL) courses, which are unique to the AIE-WISE program, were delivered in aface-to-face format in FY2023. After the end of the course, a symposium was held in which
students presentated 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 andabroad gave lectures on a wide range of topics, from basic technologies to applications andissues 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 selectedstudents for the sixth year, and 31 new students (12 new M1 students, 13 new M2 students,and 6 new D1 students) were selected.

70

2023 Nation-wide Cooperative Research Projects
４.

Nation-wide Cooperative Research Projects

The Institute has a long history of fundamental contributions in many fields of engineering andscience that include the fields of semiconductor materials and devices, magnetic recording, opticalcommunication, electromagnetic technology, 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 as wellas 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.

712023 Nation-wide Cooperative Research Projects
Nation-wide Cooperative Research Projects List 2023
G r a nt
N um b e r

72

T it le o f R e se ar c h

P r i nc i p a l I nv e s t i g a t o r

R e se ar c h
C o llabo r at o rof RIEC

R03/A02

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

Y A M A M O T O K e i s uk eFaculty of Engineering Sciences,
Kyushu University

S AKURABA
M asaoR03/A03

Control of spin dynamics in nonmagnetic materials

I S HI HA R A J un
Department of Applied Physics,
Faculty of Science,
Tokyo University of Science

KANAI
S hun

R03/A04

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

K A N E K O T o s hi r o
Graduate School of Engineering,Tohoku University

HI R A N O
A y um i

R03/A06

K I S HI M O T O Y a s uhi r o
OT S UKA
R&D on radiation response of quantum
Research Center for Neutrino Science,
devices
T o m o hi r o
Tohoku University

R03/A07

Development of Quantum Device
based on Atomically Thin Layered
Materials

R03/A09

K A N A Y A Ha r ui c hi
Research of on-chip THz array antenna Graduate School of Information
Science and Electrical Engineering,for ultra-wideband communication
Kyushu University

R03/A10High frequency chaos circuits using
resonant tunneling diodes and theirapplications

M A E ZA W A K o i c hi
Graduate School of Science andEngineering,
University of Toyama

R03/A11

Millimeter-wave large-scale array
antenna for wireless terminal
applicationY O S HI D A S a t o s hi
Research Field in Engineering, Science
SUEMAT SU
and Engineering Area, Research andN o r i ha r u
Education Assembly,
Kagoshima University

R03/A12M A R U Y A M A T am am i
Department of Production Systems
Study on energy harvesting and metaEngineering,
surface applied for 5G / IoT
National Institute of Technology,
Hakodate College

R03/A13

Study of delay-sensitive and seamless
access networks using widely
frequency selectable optoelectronics
integrated devices

K A T O T o s hi a k i
Graduate School of Engineering,Tohoku University

Y O S HI M O T O N ao t oFaculty of Science and Technology,
Chitose Institute of Science andTechnology

OT S UKA
T o m o hi r o

SUEMAT SU
N o r i ha r u

OT S U JI
T a i i c hi

SUEMAT SU
N o r i ha r u

OT S U JI
T a i i c hi

2023 Nation-wide Cooperative Research Projects
R ese ar c h
C o llabo r at o rof RIECG r a nt
N um b e r

T it le o f R e se ar c h

R03/A14Mixed Reality for IoT and Robotics:
Opportunities and Challenges for
Immersive Human-Robot Interaction

S U ZU K I R y o
Department of Computer Science,
University of Calgary

KIT AM URA
Y o s hi fum i

R03/A15

Reconfigurable Head-Mounted
Displays Enabling Real-world
Interactions

K I Y O K A W A K i y o s hi
Graduate School of Science andTechnology,
Nara institute of science andtechnology

KIT AM URA
Y o s hi fum i

R03/A16

An investigation for the spatiotemporal characteristics of auditory
selective attention

T ERAOKA Ry o
Graduate School of Humanities andSocial Sciences,
Kumamoto University

S AKAM OT O
S hui c hi

R03/A17

M O R I K A W A D a i s uk eStudy on sound space perception under Faculty of Engineering,Faculty ofEngineering
limited binaural cue condition
Toyama Prefectural University

R03/A20

Neuromorphic Systems using ThinFilm Memcapacitors

K I M U R A M ut s um i
Faculty of Science and Technology,
Ryukoku University

HO R I O
Y o s hi hi k o

R03/A22

IoT security technologies

O G U M A Hi r o s hi
Department of Electronics andComputer Engineering,
National Institute of Technology,
Toyama College

HO M M A
N a o fum i

R03/A26

Quantum research based on
integration of experimental,
theoretical and data scienceF U K U HA R A T a k e s hi
Center for Quantum Computing,
RIKEN

OT S UKA
T o m o hi r o

R03/A27

Investigation of contactless powertransmission in a long distanceI N A M OR I M am iko
Department of Electrical andElectronic Engineering,
Tokai University

SUEMAT SU
N o r i ha r u

R03/A28

Embodiment of space perception:
anisotropy and individual difference

T E R A M OT O W at ar u
Graduate School of Social and Cultural SAKAMOTO
Sciences,
S hui c hi
Kumamoto University

R03/A30

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

C U I Zhe ng l i eMedia Informatics,
Aichi University of Technology

P r i nc i p a l I nv e s t i g a t o r

S AKAM OT O
S hui c hi

S AKAM OT O
S hui c hi

732023 Nation-wide Cooperative Research Projects
G r a nt
N um b e r

74

T it le o f R e se ar c h

P r i nc i p a l I nv e s t i g a t o r

R e se ar c h
C o llabo r at o rof RIEC

R03/A31

Research on the formation of a gravity
K A S A I K e i s uk eobservation network using optical
RIEC,
communication technologies and the
Tohoku University
monitoring of volcanic activities

KAS AIK e i s uk e

R03/A32

S A T O S hi g e oHardware Technology for Brain
Computing and its Application to Edge RIEC,
Tohoku University
Computing

SATO
S hi g e o

R04/A01

Coplanar waveguide size andmagnetization angle dependence ofmagnetization dynamics in CoFeBMgO magnetic tunnel junction
structure measured by spin
rectification ferromagnetic resonance

F UKAM I
S huns uk e

R04/A04

M I Y A ZA K I S e i i c hi
Study on Silicidation Reaction of Metal
Graduate School of Engineering,
Nanodots with SiH4
Nagoya University

R04/A05

A M I N E E l M o ut a o ua k i lStudy of magnetic, dielectric and
OT S U JI
optical properties of nanomaterials for Department of Electrical Engineering,T a i i c hi
United Arab Emirates University
Terahertz applications

R04/A06

Electron transport through single
colloidal quantum dot coupled tonanogap metal electrodes

R04/A08

K O D A T e t s uno r i
High-frequency response of submicron- Department of Electronic MechanicalEngineering,
sized magnetic materials withasymmetric magnetic vortex structure National Institute of Technology,
Oshima College

I S HI Y A M A
K a z us hi

R04/A09

S HI N JI I s o g am i
Development of efficient
Research Center for Magnetic andmagnetization-switching devices using Spintronic Materials,
National Institute for Materials
transition metal compounds
Science

S HI R A I
M a s a fum i

R04/A10

Japan-USA International
Collaborative Research on the
Theoretical and Experimental
Investigation of Coulomb Drag
Instability of Graphene Dirac
Plasmons and its Application for THz
Laser Transistors

M I T I N V lad im ir
Department of Electrical Engineering,
OT S U JI
School of Engineering and Appl.
Science,T a i i c hi
University at Buffalo, The State
University of New York

R04/A11Development of Diamond HighFrequency High-Power Devices andCircuits for Post-5G Base Stations

K A N E K O J uni c hi
Graduate School Faculty ofEngineering,
Hokkaido University

E l i C hr i s t o p he r I no c e nc i o E no b i o
Department of Physics,
Mindanao State University-Iligan
Institute of Technology

S H I B A T A K e n ji
Department of Electrical andElectronic Engineering,Tohoku Institute of Technology

SATO
S hi g e o

OT S UKA
T o m o hi r o

SUEMAT SU
N o r i ha r u

2023 Nation-wide Cooperative Research Projects
G r a nt
N um b e r

T it le o f R e se ar c h

P r i nc i p a l I nv e s t i g a t o r

R e se ar c h
C o llabo r at o rof RIEC

R04/A12Manipulation of sense of self using
multisensory information

T A N A K A A k i hi r o
Department of Psychology,
Tokyo Woman's Christian University

S AKAM OT O
S hui c hi

R04/A13

Exploring and designing interactions
for VR headsets using smartphoneinterfaces

B OU S T I L A S abah
School of Digital Art,
Manchester Metropolitan University

T A K A S HI M A
K a z uk i

R04/A14

S AKAI Ko
Online-based visual psychophysics and Faculty of Engineering Informationand Systems,
shared modeling environment
Tsukbua University

S HI O I R I
S a t o s hi

R04/A16

S A T O Y o s hi y uk i
Study on application of facial
Advanced Institute for Yotta
expression analysis to remote medical
Informatics,
care
Tohoku University

S HI O I R I
S a t o s hi

R04/A19

Study of Superconducting Nanowire
for Single Photon Detection

M I M A S at o r u
Kobe Frontier Research Center,
Advanced ICT Research Institute,
National Institute of Information andCommunications Technology

R04/A20

Interpersonal coordination of motor,
cognitive and neurophysiologicalprocesses in joint activities

C HE N G M i ao
RIEC,
Tohoku University

C HE N G
M iao

Propagation directivity of wirelessbody area network

A K I M O T O K o he i
Department of Intelligent
Mechatronics, Faculty of Systems
Science and Technology,
Akita Prefectural University

SUEMAT SU
N o r i ha r u

HA Y A S HI M as ak o
An Exploratory Study to Build an
Institute for Excellence in Higher
R04/A22 Environment for Collaborative HyFlex
Education,
Classes" Utilizing XR Technology"
Tohoku University

KIT AM URA
Y o s hi fum i

R04/A21

R05/A01 Study on graphene emitter

N A GA S E M asao
Institute of Post-LED Photonics,
Tokushima University

Development of Fundamental
S A KU R A B A M asao
Technology of Materials and Processes
R05/A02
RIEC,
for New Group-IV Semiconductor
Tohoku University
Nanoelectronics

SATO
S hi g e o

OT S U JI
T a i i c hi

S AKURABA
M asao75

2023 Nation-wide Cooperative Research Projects
G r a nt
N um b e r

76

T it le o f R e se ar c h

P r i nc i p a l I nv e s t i g a t o r

R ese ar c h
C o llabo r at o rof RIEC

R05/A03

Development of a sensitive TiO2
nanotube gas sensor

K I M U R A Y a s uo
School of Engineering,Tokyo University of Technology

HI R A N O
A y um i

R05/A04

Development of intraluminal NMR
probe for high magnetic field MRI

M A T S U N A GA T ad ao
Faculty of Engineering,
Tottori University

SUEMAT SU
N o r i ha r u

R05/A05

Fundamental Survey on Measurement
I S O G A I R y o s uk eof Intraoral Bite Force Using Inverse
R&D Department,
Magnetostrictive and Magneto-Optical
Seiko Future Creation Inc.
Effects

R05/A06

2D van der Waals quantum materials
for efficient charge-spin conversion

S i ng h R a v i P r a k a s h
Department of Physics,
Indian Institute of Science Education
and Research Bhopal

F UKAM I
S huns uk e

R05/A07

Japan-Russia International
collaborative research of new designsof high-power large-area
photoconductive antenna-emitters

D M I T R Y P o no m a r e v
Laboratory of high-power microwave
and mm-wave applications,
Institute of ultra high frequency
semiconductor electronics of Russian
academy of sciences

OT S U JI
T a i i c hi

R05/A08

Investigation of physical structure
model of high-k/Ge interface affectedby process temperatures

O T A N I Y o he i
Department of Mechanical andElectrical Engineering, Faculty ofEngineering,
Suwa University of Science

SATO
S hi g e o

R05/A09U C HI N O T a k a s hi
Department of Electrical andStudy on plasmonic nanodevices based
Electronic Engineering, Faculty ofon two-dimensional materials
Engineering,Tohoku Institute of Technology

R05/A10

Current-induced orbital effects inmagnetic heterostructures

DUT T AGUP T A S AM IK
Condensed Matter Physics Division,
Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics

F UKAM I
S huns uk e

R05/A11survey of over100GHz direct digitaltransceiver technology

S U E M A T S U N o r i ha r u
RIEC,
Tohoku University

SUEMAT SU
N o r i ha r u

R05/A12Study on optimization design of millimeter wave devices and transmission
lines

I T O H K e i i c hi
Department of Electrical and
SUEMAT SU
Information Engineering,
N o r i ha r u
National Institute of Technology, Akita
College

GOT O
T a i c hi

OT S U JI
T a i i c hi

2023 Nation-wide Cooperative Research Projects
R ese ar c h
C o llabo r at o rof RIECG r a nt
N um b e r

T it le o f R e se ar c h

R05/A13

New generation of 2d material based
devices for terahertz technology

R05/A14B e n ja m i n W A T S O N
Collaborative evaluation of non-verbal
Department Computer Science,
communication solutions
North Carolina State University

R05/A15

Practice of experiential on-the-job
training using VR equipment in thefield of occupational health

I R O K A W A T o s hi y a
Graduate School of Medicine,
Tohoku University

KIT AM URA
Y o s hi fum i

R05/A16

Research on dynamic VR/AR
workspaces for inducing physicalmovements

T A K A HA R A R y o
TATAMI inc.

F U JI T A
K a z uy uk i

R05/A17

Auditory influences on saccadic
suppression

Hi u M e i C HO W
Psychology,
St. Thomas University

T SENGC hi a -hue i

R05/A18

Constructive analysis of brain
computing based on multicellular
networks

T A N I I T a k a s hi
Faculty of science and engineering,
Waseda university

Y AM AM OT O
Hi d e ak i

R05/A19

Expansion of nonlinear complex
systems theory to spatiotemporalsystems and its applications

HO R I O Y o s hi hi k o
RIEC,
Tohoku University

HO R I O
Y o s hi hi k o

R05/A20

Characterization of microstructure and SUZUKI Shigeru
Micro System Integration Center,
properties of high-performance soft
Tohoku University
magnetic iron alloys

R05/A21

New development of multicellular
neurobiocomputing

K A M I Y A Ha r uy uk i
Graduate School of Medicine,
Hokkaido University

Y AM AM OT O
Hi d e ak i

R05/A22

Motion Unit: A data-driven study on
bodily emotion expressions

F U JI W A R A Ke n
Department of Psychology,
National Chung-Cheng University

C HE N G
M iao

P r i nc i p a l I nv e s t i g a t o r

M E ZI A N I Y a hy a M o ub a r a k
Dept. Fisica Aplicada,Salamanca University

OT S U JI
T a i i c hi

C HE N G
M iao

I S HI Y A M A
K a z us hi

772023 Nation-wide Cooperative Research Projects

78

R e se ar c h
C o llabo r at o rof RIECG r a nt
N um b e r

T it le o f R e se ar c h

P r i nc i p a l I nv e s t i g a t o r

R05/A23

Research of the fundamental
technologies of edge computing andedge-assisted smart systems for smart
city

S HA O X un
Department of Electrical andElectronic Information Engineering,
Toyohashi University of Technology

HA S E G A W A
Go

R05/A24

Research on Autopoietic Service
Platform Supporting Smart Society

KIT AGAT A Gen
Department of English,
Morioka University

HA S E G A W A
Go

R05/A25

High precision phase locking
technologies for quantum key
distribution

HI R A N O T a k uy a
Department of Physics,
Gakushuin University

Y O S HI D A
M asat o

R05/A26

Investigating the impact of physicalactivity in virtual reality on cognitive
performance

T a g B e n ja m i n
Department of Human-Centred
Computing/Data Visualisation and
Immersive Analytics Lab,
Monash University

KIT AM URA
Y o s hi fum i

R05/A27

ZA B I R S a l a hud d i n M uha m m a d S a l i m
Research on online text analysis using Department of Creative Engineering, HASEGAWA
National Institute of Technology,
machine learning
Go
Tsuruka College

R05/A28

M a t s um ur a T e t s uy a
Deep learning based object detection
College of Engineering,for ultra high resolution image sensing
Nihon University

R03/B03

A method for modeling of intellectual
productivity and computational
intervention for productivity
enhancement

R03/B04

HI R O S E F um i hi k oFunctionalization of oxide surfaces and Graduate School of Science andEngineering,its application to biosensor devices
Yamagata University

HI R A N O
A y um i

R03/B05

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

SATO
S hi g e o

R03/B06

Theory and implementation forcontrol-less wireless power supply
systems

OT S U JI
T a i i c hi

I T O H Y ui c hi
Department of Integrated Information TAKASHIMA
Technology,
K a z uk i
Aoyama Gakuin University

S E K I Y A Hi r o oGraduate School of Engineering,
Chiba University

HO R I O
Y o s hi hi k o2023 Nation-wide Cooperative Research Projects
G r a nt
N um b e r

T it le o f R e se ar c h

P r i nc i p a l I nv e s t i g a t o r

F U J I T A K a z uy uk i
RIEC,
Tohoku University

R e se ar c h
C o llabo r at o rof RIECF U JI T A
K a z uy uk i

R03/B07

A Study on Adaptive Workspaces in
the After-Corona Era

R03/B08

J I N N O K e ny a
A study of the Application of
Department of Intelligent Systems,
Evolutionary Computation to Machine
Faculty of Information Technology,
Learning
Tokyo City University

HO R I O
Y o s hi hi k o

R03/B09

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

S HI O I R I
S a t o s hi

R03/B12I S HI D A S hi g e m i
Empirical Research on dic Ubiquitous School of Systems Information Science, HASEGAWA
Department of Media Architecture,
Computing Systems
Go
Future University Hakodate

R04/B03

Nanomaterial production by usingnovel gas-phase process and its
application to high-performancedevices

R04/B04

Control and exploartion of functions of MATSUNO Jobu
Graduate School of Science,quantum materials towards device
Osaka University
applications

F UKAM I
S huns uk e

R04/B05

Studies on Antenna Technologies andK O N N O K e i s uk eElectromagnetic Analysis Methods for
Graduate School of Engineering,
Developing Core of The Next
Tohoku University
Generation Wireless Systems

SUEMAT SU
N o r i ha r u

R04/B06

Designing the Next Normal of
Academic Conferences

M U R A Y A M A Hi r o m i
Sales & Marketing Division, Sales
Promotion Department,
Pacific Convention Plaza Yokohama

KIT AM URA
Y o s hi fum i

R04/B07

Theory of object recognition in vision
and audition

K U R I K I I c hi r o
Graduate School of Science andEngineering,
Saitama University

S AKAM OT O
S hui c hi

R04/B08

Workgroup on fundamental
technologies and issues of surface
unmanned vehicles for sustainable
society

S UEDA Koh
S E N S E F OI L P T E .L T D.

KIT AM URA
Y o s hi fum i

T S U T S U I K e n-I c hi r o
Graduate School of Life Sciences,
Tohoku University

U C I D A G i i c hi r oFaculty of Science and Technology,
Meijo University

SATO
S hi g e o79

2023 Nation-wide Cooperative Research Projects

80

R e se ar c h
C o llabo r at o rof RIECG r a nt
N um b e r

T it le o f R e se ar c h

R04/B09

Studies on Generative Technology for
Enriched Multimedia

S ON ODA Ko t ar o
School of Information and Data
Sciences,
Nagasaki University

S AKAM OT O
S hui c hi

R04/B10

Application study on microwave andlaser SARK O G I Y ui c hi r o
Department of Engineering,
Fukuoka Institute of Technology

Y AS AKA
Hi r o s hi

R04/B11T S E N G C hi a -hue i
An Inter-personal Dimension of MA:
RIEC,
Behavior, Physiology, and Engineering
Tohoku University

P r i nc i p a l I nv e s t i g a t o r

S AT O Koy a
Artificial Intelligence eXploration
Research Center,
The University of ElectroCommunications

T SENGC hi a -hue i

SUEMAT SU
N o r i ha r u

R05/B01

Design of Borderless Wireless
Networks for Digital Twin Society

R05/B02

K A M E D A S ug ur u
Integrated Design of WirelessCommunication System and Hardware Research Institute for Nanodevices,
Hiroshima University
in the Massive Connect IoT Era

R05/B03

Highly Functional Coherent
Communication and Measurement
Systems Integrating Lightwave andMicrowave

I N O U E T a k a s hi
Platform Photonics Research Center,
National Institute of Advanced
Industrial Science and Technology

HI R O O K A
T o s hi hi k o

R05/B04

Millimeter-wave and Terahertz Wave
Technologies and Applications for 6G
SystemS A N A D A A t s us hi
Graduate School of Engineering
Science,
Osaka University

SUEMAT SU
N o r i ha r u

R05/B05

Amplification and Attenuation Effects NAKAKOJI Kumiyo
Department of Media Architecture,on Actions and Emotions in HumanFuture University Hakodate
Computer Interaction

R05/B06

Physical / Virtual Presentations

M ar io DOU L I S
New Media Department,
Merz Akademie Stuttgart

KIT AM URA
Y o s hi fum i

R05/B07

Integration process of multi-sensory
information in self-motion perception

S A K U R A I K e nz o
Faculty of Liberal Arts,
Tohoku Gakuin University

S AKAM OT O
S hui c hi

SUEMAT SU
N o r i ha r u

KIT AM URA
Y o s hi fum i

2023 Nation-wide Cooperative Research Projects
G r a nt
N um b e r

T it le o f R e se ar c h

P r i nc i p a l I nv e s t i g a t o r

R ese ar c h
C o llabo r at o rof RIEC

R05/B08

Study of methods for guiding a flock of TSUKAHARA Naoki
crows
CrowLab Inc

R05/B09

Development of device modules using
3D printer and its application

R05/B10

Spatial Informatics by Understanding YAMAMOTO Goshiro
Kyoto University Hospital,
Human's Physical and Spatial
Kyoto University
Behaviors

R05/B11Development and control of artificial
T E R O R y ug ocell membrane systems for measuring
Department of Environmental and Life HIRANO
membrane protein functions based on
Sciences,A y um isemiconductor microfabrication
Toyohashi University of Technology
technology and nanomaterial functions

R05/B12

Elucidation of tactics mechanism
between sheep and sheepdog inshepherding phenomenon

T S U N O D A Y us uk e
Graduate School of Engineering,Osaka University

KANO
T a k e s hi

R05/B13

Theoretical studies on memory andlearning in neural networks

I K E G U C HI T o hr u
Faculty of Engineering,Tokyo University of Science

HO R I O
Y o s hi hi k o

R05/B14

Research on direct manipulationinterface for document-based videos

F U J I T A K a z uy uk i
RIEC,
Tohoku University

F U JI T A
K a z uy uk i

R05/B15A R A K A W A Y ut a k a
Research on fundamental technologies
Graduate School of Information
related to human and social sensing
Science and Electrical Engineering,and intervention
Kyushu University

OT S U JI
T a i i c hi

R05/B16F U J I T A K a z uy uk i
Study on applications using head-gaze
RIEC,
tracking technique with a smartphone
Tohoku University

F U JI T A
K a z uy uk i

R05/B17

International Research Collaborationof Brainware-LSI-Oriented Emerging
Circuits/Systems

HA N Y U T a k a hi r o
RIEC,
Tohoku University

HA N Y U
T a k a hi r o

M A N A B E Hi r o y uk i
Department of Computer Science andEngineering,
Shibaura Institute of Technology

KIT AM URA
Y o s hi fum i

T A K A S HI M A
K a z uk i

T A K A S HI M A
K a z uk i812023 Nation-wide Cooperative Research Projects
G r a nt
N um b e r

R05/S01

T it le o f R e se ar c h

P r i nc i p a l I nv e s t i g a t o r

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

R e se ar c h
C o llabo r at o rof RIECY AS AKA
Hi r o s hi

S u-L i ng Y e h
AI and Advanced Robotics Center,
Institute Graduate School National
Taiwan University

S HI O I R I
S a t o s hi

R04/T01E l e c t r o m a g ne t i c -W a v e T r a ns m i s s i o n
T e c hno l o g i e s W o r k s ho p
Electromagnetic- and light-wave
transmission technologies toward
Society 5.0

M A T S U U R A Y u ji
Graduate School of Engineering,Tohoku University

KAS AIK e i s uk e

R04/T02T e c hni c a l c o m m i t t e e fo r a c o us t i ce ng i ne e r i ng
Research presentation on basic andapplication of acoustics, speech,
hearing and multimodal systems

S A K A M O T O S hui c hi
RIEC,
Tohoku University

S AKAM OT O
S hui c hi

R04/T03

K A N E K O T o s hi r o
T o ho k u P l a s m a F o r um
Fundamentals and applications of non- Graduate School of Engineering,equilibrium plasma phenomena
Tohoku University

HI R A N O
A y um i

R04/T04

S p e c i a l I nt e r e s t G r o up o n C o m p ut e r
S c i e nc e
Foundation and Application ofInformation Science around
Theoretical Computer Science

S U M I I E i ji r o
Graduate School of Information
Sciences, Tohoku University

NAKANOK e i s uk e

R04/T05

T e c hni c a l c o m m i t t e e fo r s y s t e m
c o nt r o lResearch presentation on theory andapplications of system control

W A T A N A B E T a k a s hi
Graduate School of Biomedical
Engineering,Tohoku University

I S HI G U R O
Akio

R04/T06

R e s e a r c h p r e s e nt a t i o n o n t he o r y a nd
a p p l i c a t i o ns o f s y s t e m c o nt r o l
Next generation biodevices based on
bio-nanoelectronics

HI R A N O A y um i
RIEC,
Tohoku University

HI R A N O
A y um i

R04/T07

S p i ni c s R e s e a r c h S o c i e t y
Development of Magnetic Materials
and Their Magnetic Applications

Y A B U K A M I S hi n
Graduate School of Biomedical
Engineering,Tohoku University

I S HI Y A M A
K a z us hi

R04/T08

N e w P a r a d i g m C o m p ut i ng R e s e a r c h
G r o upResearch and development of newparadigm computing technologies forthe next generation IoT society

HO M M A N a o fum i
RIEC,
Tohoku University

HO M M A
N a o fum i

R03/SI01 Human sciences with AI technologies

822023 Nation-wide Cooperative Research Projects
G r a nt
N um b e r

T it le o f R e se ar c h

R04/T09

T e c hni c a l c o m m i t t e e fo r ul t r a s o ni ce l e c t r o ni c s
Research presentation on basics andapplications of ultrasoundB r a i n w a r e R e s e a r c h P r o je c t
R04/T10 Toward Life-like Intelligent
Information Processing System

P r i nc i p a l I nv e s t i g a t o r

R e se ar c h
C o llabo r at o rof RIECY O S HI ZA W A S hi n
Graduate School of Engineering,Tohoku University

S AKAM OT O
S hui c hi

I S HI G U R O A k i o
RIEC,
Tohoku University

I S HI G U R O
Akio

R04/T11

B i o c y b e r ne t i c s a nd B i o i nfo r m a t i c s
Analysis and modelling of biologicalsignals

S HI O I R I S a t o s hi
RIEC,
Tohoku University

HA T O R I
Y a s uhi r o

R04/T12

S t ud y G r o up o n N a no e l e c t r o ni c s a nd
S p i nt r o ni c s
Next-generation information andcommunication technology based on
nanoelectronics and spintronics

S A T O S hi g e o
RIEC,
Tohoku University

F UKAM I
S huns uk e83

2023 Symposium Organized by the Institute５.

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（Symposiums held in FY2023）
No

Title

Date

125 The 20th International Workshop on Emerging ICT

Oct. 16-18,2023

126 20th RIEC International Workshop on Spintronics

Nov. 28 - Dec. 1,2023

127
128
129

84

RIEC International Symposium on Enriching Telecommunication
and Nonverbal Information
The 12th RIEC International Symposium on Brain Functions andBrain Computer
The 14th International Workshop on Nanostructures andNanoelectronics

Jan. 26-27,2024
Feb. 27-28,2024
Mar. 5-6,2024

2023 International Activities
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 programs● University of California, Santa Barbara (U.S.A.)● University of California (U.S.A.)● The University of Sydney (Australia)● Purdue University (U.S.A.)● National University of Singapore (Singapore)● National Taiwan University (Taiwan)● Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne (Swiss)● National Chung Cheng University (Taiwan)● The University of York (U.K.)● National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (Taiwan)● The Technische Universität Dresden (Germany)● Berlin Institute of Technology (Germany)● National Tsing Hua University (Taiwan)● Harvard University (U.S.A.)● Technische Universität München (Germany)● The University of Kaiserslautern (Germany)● Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz (Germany)● King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (Thailand)● Chemnitz University of Technology (Germany)● University College London, UCL (U.K.)● The University of Melbourne (Australia)● University of Regensburg (Germany)● Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg (Germany)● University of Lorraine (France)● University of Salamanca (Spain)● St. Petersburg Electrotechnical University (Russia)● Polish Academy of Sciences (Poland)● Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences (Poland)● IHP-Innovations for High Performance Microelectronics (Germany)● The Interdisciplinary Center on Nanoscience of Marseille,
National Center of Scientific Research (France)● Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China)● WINLAB, Rutgers University (U.S.A.)● Research and Educational Center "Photonics and Infrared Technology" and Institute of RadioElectronics and Laser Technology, Bauman Moscow State Technical University(BMSTU)(Russia)● Telecom Paris Tech (France)852023 International Activities● Faculty of Physics, M.V.Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russia)● Center for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Robotics, National Taiwan University(Taiwan)● 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)

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

Scientific Reports
Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (PACMHCI) Editor
Auditory Perception & Cognition
Nonlinear Theory and Its Applications, IEICE
IEICE Electronics Express

Recent international conferences programmed by a staff in RIEC
1

2
3
4

5
6

7
8
9
10
11
12

86

ICOOPMA: International Advisory Committee member, International Conference on
Optical, Optoelectronic and Photonic Materials and Applications; IAC (Int. Advisory
Comm.), 9th in Ghent, Belgium, July 3 - 7, 2022; IAC, 10th, in Pardubice, Czech,
June 23-28, 2024
CIMTEC: International Conferences on Modern Materials & Technologies; International
Advisory Board member; Montecatini Terme (near Florence), Italy, June 19-23, 2020,
June 2021, June 20-29, 2022.(postponed due to covid19)
SPIE Photonics-EU: SPIE International Conference on Photonics Europe, Conference on
Terahertz Photonics; TPC member; Strasbourg, France, Apr. 1-2, 2020, Apr. 2021,
Apr. 3-7, 2022. (postponed due to covid-19)
RPGR: International International Conference on Recent Progress in Graphene andRelated 2D Materials Research; IAB (Int. Advisory Board) Chair, member; IAB Chair,
LOC Co-Chair, in Matsue, Japan, Oct. 6-10, 2019; IAB Chair, in Seoul, Korea (Online),
Oct. 10-15, 2021; IAB member, in Taipei, Taiwan, Nov. 13-16, 2022
2DM: International Congress on Graphene, 2D Materials and Applications; TPC member,Sochi, Russia, Sept. 30-Oct. 4, 2019
IRMMW-THz: International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves;
IOC (International Organizing Committee) member; 2016~; IOC, TPC, 46th in Chengdu,
China, Aug. 29-Sept. 3, 2021; IOC, TPC, 47th in Delft, Netherland, Aug. 29 - Sept. 2,2022;
IOC, TPC, 48th in Montreal, Canada, Sept 17-11, 2023
META 19: The 10th International Conference on Metamaterials, Photonic Crystals andPlasmonics, Lisbon, Portugal, July 22-25, 2019; Special Session Organizer
TWHM: Topical Workshop on Heterostructure Microelectronics; TPC member; 2003~;
TPC, in Toyama, Japan, April 26-29, 2019; TPC, in Hiroshima, Japan, Aug. 29-Sept. 1,
2022
RJUSE: Russia-Japan-USA-Europe Symposium on Fundamental & Applied Problems of
Terahertz Devices & Technologies; ISC (International Steering Committee) Chair, 2017~;
Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, Jul. 8-11, 2019.
CSW/ISCS: Compound Semiconductor Week / International Symposium on Compound
Semiconductors; Program Sub-Committee member, in Matsue, Japan, May 19-23, 2019.
TeraTech: International Symposium on Terahertz-Related Devices and Technologies;
General Chair, and ISC (Int. Steering Comm.) Chair, 10th in Aizuwakamatsu, Japan,
Sept. 4 - 8, 2023
SPIE Optics+Photonics 2022, Conferene on Terahertz Emitters, Receivers, andApplications XIV (OP412); TPC member, SanDiego, CA, USA, Aug. 20-24, 2023.

2023 International Activities
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27

RJUSE 2019: TPC member, Russia-Japan-USA-Europe Symposium on Fundamental &Applied Problems of Terahertz Devices & Technologies, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia,
Jul. 8-11, 2019.
RJUSE 2020: Chair, Russia-Japan-USA-Europe Symposium on Fundamental & Applied
Problems of Terahertz Devices & Technologies, Sendai, Japan, Nov. 2-5, 2020.
TeraTech: International Symposium on Terahertz-Related Devices and Technologies;
LOC (Local Org. Comm.) Co-Chair, 10th in Aizuwakamatsu, Japan, Sept. 4 - 8, 2023
SSDM 2022: International Conference on Solid State Devices and Materials; Area 4
Technical Program Committee member, in Chiba, Japan, Sept. 26 - 29, 2022.
SSDM 2023: International Conference on Solid State Devices and Materials; Area 4
Technical Program Committee member, in Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 5 - 8, 2023.
IEEE Virtual Reality and 3D User Interface 2023, Program committee
ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technology 2022, Program Co-Chair
ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technology, Steering Committee Chair
ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing System, Steering Committee
International Conference on Artificial Reality and Telexistence, Steering Committee
The 2022 International Symposium on Nonlinear Theory and Its Applications, General
Co-chairThe 2020 International Symposium on Nonlinear Theory and Its Applications, General
Vice-Chair
13th International WorkShop on New Group IV Semiconductor Nanoelectronics, RIEC,
Sendai, Japan, Jan. 23-24, 2023
13th International Workshop on Nanostructures & Nanoelectronics, RIEC, Sendai,
Japan, Mar. 7-8, 2023
2022 IEEE 11th Global Conference on Consumer Electronics, Organized Session Co-Chair872023 Periodicals Published by the Institute
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 around1920. Minutes of the meetings had been distributed to researchers outside of the University via
various routes and therefore some of them had been referred to as `Records of Tuesday ElectricalEngineering Conversazione Tohoku University´ with the result that they came to be treated as official
publications. Though the meeting was once interrupted by World War Two, it was restarted in 1947.
In 1952, the publication of the records was succeeded by the Institute and the records have been
published as periodicals, 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 isreleased and an electronic version of every issue published so far can be downloaded by following thelink 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.
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882023 Staff, Budget

8. Staff, Budget
1. Faculty & Staff
as of May 1, 2023
Professors

21

Associate Professors

19

Assistant Professors

16

Specially Appointed Professors

3

Specially Appointed Associate Professors

1

Specially Appointed Assistant Professors

5

Specially Appointed Research Fellows

3

Research Fellows

5

Administrative Staff（Including Limited Regular Employees）

28

Technical Staff（Including Limited Regular Employees）

14

Total

115

2. Researchers (FY2023)
Foreign Researchers

Visiting Professors

1

Visiting Associate Professors

6

Cooperative Researchers of Private Company etc

15

JSPS Research Fellowship for Young Scientists

8

JSPS Postdoctral Fellowship for Overseas Researchers

2

Invitation Fellowship for Research in Japan

1

Contract Researchers

2

Contract Trainees

1

Total

36

3. Students
as of May 1, 2023
School ofEngineering

Graduate School ofGraduate School ofInformation Science Biomedical Engineering

RIEC

Total

Undergraduate Students

59 (2)

59 (2)

Master Course Students

89 (3)

47 (9)

4

140 (12)Doctor Course Students

25 (14)9 (6)741 (20)Institute Reserch Students
Total

173 (9)56 (15)

11

0

0

0

240 (34)892023 Staff, Budget
4. Budget
Budget Shiftmillion yen
4,500
4,000
346

3,500
3,000

138

2,500

172

2

2,000

7
2,073

990

1,213

1,484

1,309

1,369

1,316

1,254

1,399

FY2019FY2020

FY2021

FY2022

FY2023

892

1,500
1,000
500
0

Operation Grants

External Funds

Expenses for Facilities Improvement etc.

■Budget Summary

thousand yen
Categories

FY2020

FY2021

FY2022

FY2023

Personnel Expenses

742,128

801,695

744,591

699,851

771,183

Non-Personnel Expenses

566,533

567,249

571,737

553,851

628,159

Operation Grants Total

1,308,661

1,368,944

1,316,328

1,253,702

1,399,342

Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

363,325

293,404

282,400

276,146

346,119

Funds for Commissioned Research

486,053

669,454873,456

1,178,325

1,689,946

Donations

42,43627,20057,422

29,60436,742

Indirect Expenses

155,852

172,874

234,487

315,346

455,413External Funds Total

891,814990,058

1,213,278

1,484,075

2,072,807

1,936

172,477

6,732

20,472

32,956

Expenses for Relocation

0

0

0

0

0

Expenses for Facilities Improvement

0

0

0

117,997313,203

1,936

172,477

6,732

138,469

346,159

2,202,411

2,531,479

2,536,338

2,876,246

3,818,308

Operation Grants

External Funds

Expenses for Reconstruction

Expenses for Facilities Improvement etc. Total
Total

90

FY20192023 Staff, Budget
External Funds
million yen
1,800

1,690

1,600
1,400
1,178

1,200
1,000

873

800

669

600
400

486
363

293

282

200
42

0

FY2019

346

276

57

27

FY2020

FY2021

Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

37

30

FY2022

FY2023Funds for Commissioned ResearchDonations■External Funds

thousand yen
Categories

FY2019FY2020

FY2021

FY2022

FY2023Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

363,325

293,404

282,400

276,146

346,119

Funds for Commissioned Research

486,053

669,454873,456

1,178,325

1,689,946

Donations

42,43627,20057,422

29,60436,742891,814990,058

1,213,278

1,484,075

2,072,807

Total

91

Annual Report 2023
Research Institute of Electrical Communication
Tohoku University
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Tel. +81-(0)22-217-5422 Fax. +81-(0)22-217-5426
https://www.riec.tohoku.ac.jp/en/