Volume 12

WPI-ADVANCED INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS RESEARCH NEWS

Kinesin dimer structure
Head
Neck

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Tail

April 28, 2011

2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577
Japan
Phone: +81-22-217-5922
FAX: +81-22-217-5129

April 28, 2011

Volume 12

World Premier International Research Center
Advanced Institute for Materials Research
Tohoku University

WPI-AIMR NEWSWorld Premier International Research Center
Advanced Institute for Materials Research
Tohoku University

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Volume 12

WPI-AIMR NEWS

April 28, 2011

Kinesin dimer structure
Head
Neck

Stalk

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World Premier International Research Center
Advanced Institute for Materials Research
Tohoku University

Cover: Kinesin is a motor protein in the eukaryotic cell, hauling biological cargo as it steps along its
associated ﬁlament (microtubules). Powered by Adenosine-triphosphate (ATP), kinesin can function as aself-assembled, highly efﬁcient, synthetic nano-transporter. This makes it very attractive for the developmentof novel Nanoelectromechanical Systems (NEMS).
(Winfried Teizer, WPI-AIMR)

E-mail：aimr@wpi-amr.tohoku.ac.jp

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Volume 12

WPI-AIMR NEWS
April 28, 2011

World Premier International Research Center
Advanced Institute for Materials Research
Tohoku University

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Produced by the WPI-AIMR Communication OfficeDirector: Yoshinori Yamamoto
Editor-in-chief: Masaru Tsukada
Executive Editor: Wataru Iwamoto
Associate Editor: Mingwei Chen
Associate Editor: Susumu Ikeda
Associate Editor: Toshio Nishi
Associate Editor: Terunobu Miyazaki
Associate Editor: Keiichi Hashimoto
Associate Editor: Hiroshi Oikawa
Associate Editor: Sayaka Unoura
We welcome your comments, questions and involvement.
e-mail to: aimr@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp, or
tsukada@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

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Contents
Preface ......................................................................................................................................................... 1
Interviews
Sumio IIJIMA (Adjunct Professor, WPI-AIMR & Professor, Meijo University& Award of 2009 Order of Culture) ............................................................................... 5
Alexander SHLUGER (PI, WPI-AIMR) .............................................................................................. 29
Thomas GESSNER (PI, WPI-AIMR) .................................................................................................. 42
News Update
Great East Japan Earthquake and WPI-AIMR ....................................................................................... 51
The 2011 WPI-AIMR Annual Workshop Report ................................................................................... 53
The WPI-AIMR Young Researchers Mini-Workshop ............................................................................ 55
WPI-AIMR Outreach Plan in 2011 ...................................................................................................... 56
Australian Colloid and Interface Symposium and AIMR ...................................................................... 57
Zhongchang Wang (Reproduction of Applied Physics Letters Volume 98, Issue 10, 2011) ................ 58
WPI-AIMR in “Physics Today” ........................................................................................................ 60
Nanoporous metal/oxide hybrid electrodes for electrochemical supercapacitors
by Xingyou Lang ................................................................................................................................ 61
Long-lived Ultrafast Spin Precession Observed in Manganese Alloys Films
with a Large Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy by Shigemi Mizukami ............................................. 63
Professor Ikuhara (PI) received Humboldt Research Award .................................................................. 65
Award Information ................................................................................................................................. 66

The Third Series of WPI-AIMR Joint Seminars FY 2010 ................................................................. 67
Research Prospect
Winfried TEIZER ................................................................................................................................... 79
Hongkai WU .......................................................................................................................................... 85

Newly Appointed Principal Investigator ......................................................................................... 91
Newly Appointed Research Staff ............................................................................................................. 95
Newly Appointed Adjunct Professors ................................................................................................... 105
Global Intellectual Incubation and Integration Lab (GI3 lab) ..........................................................113
Announcement
Junior Faculty/Post-Doctoral Positions ................................................................................................ 125
Graduate Student Scholarship in Materials Science/Engineering ........................................................ 126
WPI-AIMR Workshop Guideline ......................................................................................................... 127
Appendix
Snapshots.............................................................................................................................................. X-1
WPI-AIMR Staff List ........................................................................................................................... X-9

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The 2011 WPI-AIMR Annual Workshop and the Terrible Disaster on
March 11
Yoshinori Yamamoto
Director, WPI-AIMR, Tohoku University
From February 22 to 24, the 2011 WPI-AIMR Workshop was held at Sendai
International Center, and we had 216 participants from 9 countries. The symposium
started with opening remarks from the President of Tohoku University, Professor
Akihisa Inoue, and the congratulatory address by Professor Toshio Kuroki, the Program
Director of six WPI centers (including AIMR) of JSPS. Then, the special session
followed, in which Dr. J. G. Bednorz (1987 Nobel Laureate in Physics on hightemperature superconductivity), Prof. P. A. Grünberg (2007 Nobel Laureate in Physics
on giant magnetic resistance), and Prof S. Iijima (2009 Order of Culture, discoverer ofthe carbon nano-tube) gave lectures. After a short coffee break, the morning plenary
session started with a plenary lecture by Alan Lindsay Greer who is a foreign PI of
AIMR. During the two and half day symposium, 20 lectures by domestic and foreign
PIs and by young researchers of AIMR were given together with 21 lectures by invited
speakers. 83 posters were presented during lunch time of the first day. Active, fruitful,and positive discussions were made during the symposium. Dr. Heinrich Rohrer, who is
the Chair of the International Advisory Board, listened to almost all of the lectures andgave constructive comments. I appreciate Heini’s attendance and his constructive
comments. I believe the symposium proceeded smoothly and we were able to hold asuccessful symposium. In fact, I have heard that of the four workshops so far, the 2011
annual workshop was the best one yet. After the workshop was over, we held theInternational Advisory Board meeting in the afternoon of February 24. The board
members, Dr. Heinrich Rohrer, Dr. Georg Bednorz, Prof. Herbert Gleiter, and President
Akihisa Inoue, attended this board meeting. We discussed past achievements, theseveral challenges ahead of us, and the future prospects of AIMR. We have concluded
that the points raised by the program committee have to be solved pertinently andquickly, and improvement of AIMR structures is an urgent task for us.
The symposium was over successfully, and we were enthusiastic about the further
improvement of the structure of AIMR and preparing the materials for the interim
evaluation of AIMR. However, as you know, a huge earthquake of magnitude 9.0 struck
us on March 11. At that time, I was in a lecture room at Aobayama campus listening to
the presentations of young researchers to evaluate their achievements. At the very
beginning of the earthquake, myself, the speaker, and the audience felt that we were1

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once again experiencing an ordinary earthquake, that it would be a typical one, and that
it would soon be over, because in the preceding few weeks we had had ordinary
earthquakes very frequently. However, within a short while, everybody in the room feltthat this earthquake was exceptionally strong, and some escaped from the building. I did
not have time to escape, so I took shelter under the table. The length of the earthquake
was exceptionally long; I thought it continued for perhaps a few minutes. As you know,
a huge tsunami hit the coastal areas of the north east district of Japan, and many people
were killed. This is a truly terrible disaster. I would like to extend my most sincere
sympathies to those individuals and families that have been affected by the terrible
tsunami. Fortunately, none of the AIMR researchers and staff members were affected by
the tsunami and we are all safe, although we have had many problems and difficulties ineveryday life. For example, infrastructure (including electricity, city water, and gas) has
collapsed, and we have encountered shortages of food and petroleum due to the collapseof the transportation system.
Immediately after the onslaught of this terrible earthquake and tsunami, I received
a number of E-mails from domestic and foreign friends/colleagues/students who felt
strong concern for the safety of AIMR researchers. Some friends also kindly offered tohelp with disaster relief. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for such offers.
Now, two weeks and a few days have passed after this terrible disaster, and mostinfrastructure has been restored. The problems of food and petroleum shortages arebeing solved, day by day. I believe all of these problems will have been solved by thetime this AIMR NEWS is delivered to you. Fortunately, the buildings of AIMR were notaffected, but equipment and valuable instruments in laboratories were significantly
damaged. The precise amount of these damages is now being figured out, but I estimatethat total damages may exceed twenty million USD. The researchers and students of
AIMR have begun to resume lab activity and research work. Their spirits are very highin spite of the damage to laboratories and the inconveniences they face in everyday life,
which still remain at this time in Sendai. I believe the activity of AIMR must recoversoon and even be enhanced in comparison with that before this terrible disaster. I would
like to ask all of you for your continued strong support for AIMR.
(Written on 28 March)

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Interviews

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Interview with Professor Sumio Iijima,
Adjunct Professor, WPI-AIMR
Professor, Meijo University
Award of 2009 Order of Culture“What is behind the Carbon Nanotube”
Administrative Director Iwamoto: Professor Iijima is renowned worldwide as the scientist
who discovered the carbon nanotube. Thank you, Professor, for accepting our interview sosoon after your special lecture at the AIMR Annual Workshop today.
Professor Sumio Iijima: Thank you.
Iwamoto: After graduating from the University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo, youentered graduate school at Tohoku University, and became a research assistant at the
Research Institute for Scientific Measurements, which is one of the parent organizations of
the current Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials.
Iijima: I was an assistant for a little more than two years.
Iwamoto: What memories do you have of your years in Tohoku University?
Iijima: Well, I did not study much in my undergraduate years and was involved in a variety
of club activities, so I did not even imagine that I would enter this field and be where I amnow. I could not decide whether to start working after four years of undergraduate studies, orto move on to graduate school. When the fourth year ended, I made up my mind to enter
graduate school. That was one of the many crossroads in my life. After that, I happened tojoin the Research Institute for Scientific Measurements; or rather, I was taken in. Again, I
happened to be delegated work on the electron microscope. I never really took any active
action arising from a volition or desire to do something; I was extremely passive. However,
the electron microscope suited me perfectly, and I finally found something that I wanted topursue.
Iwamoto: That is to say, your undergraduate days were spent largely on enjoying yourstudent life.
Iijima: That is right. I had a good time.
Iwamoto: After you left Tohoku University, you went to Arizona State University in 1970,
and you discovered the carbon nanotube in 1991.
Iijima: That is right. Since I had gone to the United States in 1970, the span between the two
events was 20 years. In the very beginning, you said something to the effect that “Dr. Iijima
is synonymous with the carbon nanotube.” That always annoys me, and I will say, “Hold on a5

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9:32:10minute.” The fact that I discovered the carbon nanotube in 1991 means that I had had a 20year research career before the discovery; that is a rarely known fact, but what am I to doabout it? Therefore, the discovery of the carbon nanotube had not been a sudden event. I
think it is important to realize that I had had 20 years, and 26 years if I include my graduate
studies, that is, a quarter of a century of preparation time. Without that time, I would not havemade the discovery. Everyone is influenced by what has been done by the precursor in thepast; that cultivates wisdom or builds up experience, and it moves people forward to the nextstage of development. I think that was precisely what happened to me.
Iwamoto: Could you be a little more specific?
Iijima: Carbon nanotube was discovered on a certain day, suddenly. That is how it isperceived. If you look at the event carefully, you would find that it had been a chance
discovery. “Serendipity” is a frequently used word these days. How did I discover the carbon
nanotube? If we are to trace the events—as the carbon nanotube is extremely small, of
nanometer size, the only instrument through which it can be seen is the electron microscope.
Since I had begun working with the electron microscope in graduate school, I have had morethan 20 years of training. Therefore, I had first picked up skills pertaining to the electron
microscope before moving on to investigating various objects. One of those objects happened
to be the carbon nanotube.
Iwamoto: I see.
Iijima: That is why I say that the accumulation of such experiences had led to the chance
discovery. To me, I had made the discovery because it needed to be discovered. It was aninevitable discovery.
Iwamoto: I understand that the story behind the word “serendipity” says that the third princeof Sri Lanka, formerly known as Serendip, had found an interesting stone, which then turned
out to be a precious stone.
As you said, serendipity is the ability to focus on something at a certain point in time andsay, “This is it!” At the same time, as you mentioned earlier, there would have been morethan 20 years of cumulative experience before that is achieved.
Iijima: Yes, that is what I believe.
Iwamoto: What was the background to your discovery of the carbon nanotube?
Iijima: First, what had triggered me and given me the will to pursue this? The background of
our community and the research on properties at the time of the discovery are of great
importance. There were several interesting and significant events pertaining to our researchon materials and properties in the latter half of 1980. One of those had been the discovery of
Fullerene, C60 molecules.
Iwamoto: The discovery by Kroto and Smalley.
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Iijima: That was in 1985. Then, in 1990, mass synthesis method was discovered.
Iwamoto: Yes.
Iijima: With that, a method to create large quantities was discovered; at the same time, there
was a new discovery that linked that to superconductivity. Prior to that, in 1986, hightemperature superconducting oxides were discovered, which also generated much interest
worldwide; the world buzzed like bees around a hive. That is to say, there were many suchdiscoveries,

including

the

new

discoveryofsuperconductivity

andFullerenesuperconductivity. Before that, I had been involved in the first project conducted by the
Research Development Corporation of Japan, the predecessor of the Japan Science andTechnology Agency (JST) today, which had commenced in 1982. In order to participate inthat research project on ultrafine particles, I had concluded my 12-year stay in the UnitedStates and came home, and worked on that project for five years.
Iwamoto: I see.
Iijima: The research base for that project was Meijo University in Nagoya, where I am
located now. With that connection, I moved to NEC after the project ended. That was in 1987.
There, I had actually first worked on diamond thin films and Fullerene. I had started out with
the intention of studying the growth mechanism of Fullerene. However, in order to carry out
research on Fullerene, I was also looking at various types of carbon materials in a randommanner. One of those materials was something that resembled embers left behind from theprocess of Fullerene generation by one of the professors at Meijo University. I happened toget on my hands on it, and when I studied it through the electron microscope, I found thecarbon nanotube. There is some complicated background involved, but this was the basic
catalyst leading to the discovery of the carbon nanotube.
Iwamoto: Although I am sure that part of it had been a result of your inquiring mind andnatural sense of curiosity, the discovery was ultimately a culmination of an environment
combining factors such as superconductivity and the birth of Fullerene.
Iijima: That is right, and, Fullerene is carbon. In the 20 years leading up to the discovery, we
had been studying various carbon materials similar to it, using the high-resolution electron
microscope we had developed. In that sense, because of the rather substantial build-up in
experience and knowledge up to that point, the research papers that I had published had
already talked about something similar to Fullerene.
Iwamoto: I had not been aware of that.
Iijima: Although Fullerene was discovered in 1985, about five years prior to that, Fullerene
was captured in a photograph I had taken by the electron microscope.
Iwamoto: That is wonderful.
Iijima: That is why Kroto and Smalley came all the way to look for me. When Smalley and- 2 7

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Kroto published their paper on Fullerene in 1985, people all over the world did not really
believe them. That is to say, their first paper had been speculative, and had not contained any
logical scientific data.
Iwamoto: I see.
Iijima: Specifically, it had been a mass spectrometry experiment. In mass spectrometry, it
would be possible to tell, from the number of atoms, how many carbon atoms there are. In
other words, the peak corresponding to a cluster of 60 has a certain number.
Iwamoto: Yes.
Iijima: What shape does the cluster of 60 take? We are completely unable to tell. There arepeople who say that they are linked in a chain, and some say they are curled up together.
There was also talk of the cluster being shaped like a soccer ball—that had been Kroto’s andSmalley’s amazing speculation. Based on just “60,” that is, the number of carbon atoms, they
concluded that this atom had to be shaped like a soccer ball. However, as they had noevidence, their argument lacked persuasion. Because of that, they found themselves in a
tough situation for five consecutive years. My work then made an appearance, and among thephotographs I had taken five years back, one showed the round structure of carbon. Kroto andSmalley had found that photograph somewhere, and it became the only evidence proving
their speculation correct. That was how this electron micrograph became extremely famous atthat time. So when people called their research a speculation, they were able to say, “There isa photograph here. This is what it is like.”
Iwamoto: In a sense, that was what they were looking for, wasn’t it?
Iijima: Yes, although they had been searching for evidence through various different ways.
Therefore, a long time before they became famous, the two of them had come all the way
here while I was working at NEC in Tsukuba. It had been very important to them. While they
were struggling, I had written to them, saying, “I have this photograph that serves as proof foryour model, so let us write this paper together.” However, they replied, telling me to write it
alone. That is how I came to author a paper by myself, proving their hypothesis right.
Iwamoto: I see.
Iijima: However, that came to an end soon. What I mean is this: in 1985, the discovery of
C60 was announced, and five years later in 1990, the superconductivity and mass synthesisthat I mentioned earlier came onto the scene. Through the mass synthesis of Fullerene, it
became highly possible to carry out crystal structure analysis. Next, the soccer ball structure
hypothesis was firmly proven using X-ray diffraction. With that, the proof I had offered met
its end.
Iwamoto: That is a pity.
Iijima: However, what is interesting is that it did not end there. The soccer-ball structure of- 3 8

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carbon atoms is extremely rare, but the reasons behind that structure and the growthmechanism were still unknown then. Even now, we do not really have a clear idea.
Iwamoto: Is that so?
Iijima: Although various things are possible, the question is, why do carbon atoms cluster
together in the same way as a soccer-ball structure?
Iwamoto: That is true. It really forms a perfect soccer ball shape.
Iijima: I wanted to understand that. That is why I took photographs of not just a single soccer
ball, but of a multilayer structural—or a nested structural—spherical graphite ball. I thoughtthat with my skills, I would be able to investigate and understand how the nested structure
was formed. That is what I thought I would do.
Iwamoto: That is great.
Iijima: With that, I started looking at various carbon materials, and one of them turned out tobe something resembling a nanotube. However, such a nanotube had not been seen in theworld thus far. With my previous experience in various forms of research, the sudden
appearance of something long and narrow piqued my interest. I think that would be what wecall “serendipity.”
Iwamoto: That was all the more so because of the twenty odd years of experience andknowledge you had accumulated.
Iijima: Among material structures, there are extremely few that are long and narrow. Perhaps
this should also be called “serendipity.” While I was pursuing my master in Tohoku
University, I had carried out research on such elongated crystals. As part of my master anddoctoral work, I had already learnt, during my master course, how to conduct crystal analysis
for these elongated fiber-like structures using an electron microscope. During that time, I had
studied fine whisker crystals of about 1 micron; these were elongated silver crystals. In a way,
I had only replaced elongated silver filaments with the nanotube.
Iwamoto: That is to say, the carbon took the place of silver.
Iijima: That is right. Thanks to my skills in electron beam crystallography, I was soon able tounderstand how carbon atoms were linked.
Iwamoto: So this is all linked to a technique you had already picked up during your years as
a master student.
Iijima: The most important point is thatthey were all linked, because furthermore,
there was anothermaterial with anelongated structure, and that was asbestos.
Asbestos is a natural mineral with a longand narrow structure. Assistant Professor- 4 9

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9:32:12Yada at the Research Institute for Scientific Measurements where I was based then had been
undertaking research on the crystal structure of asbestos using the electron microscope. My
supervisor was Professor Tadatoshi Hibi, who headed the research institute for long years.
Assistant Professor Yada, who later also became head of the Institute, had been working on a
joint research project with the University of Oxford. As a student, I had observed his workfrom the sidelines. He had carried out structural analysis by studying the electron diffraction
patterns of asbestos under the electron microscope. Silver filament is exactly the same in that
it is also cylindrical and elongated, so the methods used were the same.
Iwamoto: So in terms of methods, they were the same.
Iijima: The research methods were the same, and in addition, there were various other factors.
That is why, 20 years henceforth, when I suddenly came face to face with the nanotube, all
my previous knowledge resurfaced immediately. I was deeply interested in that long, narrowthing, and picked it up for further study. That would be the substance of “serendipity” in mycase.
Iwamoto: That is exactly what they mean when they say, “Rome was not built in a day.”
Could you give us a simple explanation of the impact of carbon nanotube discovery?
Iijima: Yes. I think there were two significant results.
The first was in basic science. The impact on condensed matter physics was huge. There arealso various linkages and connections as to why this was so. Although material science
researchers like myself used to focus on the study of large structures, we shifted to the studyof extremely small things under JST’s research project starting from 1982, such as theultrafine particle research mentioned earlier.
Iwamoto: Would that be what we call “nanomaterial” today?
Iijima: That would be what we call “nanocrystal” today. At the time, the word “nanocrystal”
did not exist, so we called it ultrafine particles. That research had started with the study ofultrafine particles. That is because there are various theories that hypothesize on the changes
in physical properties that arise simply from the act of shrinking something large, such as
gold. Therefore, it was also hypothesized that by shrinking a nanotube, we would be able toobserve various interesting phenomena that we do not see while it is in a larger state.
Iwamoto: That is true. In the nanomaterial world, even when things are made from the sameelement, they display surprising properties when they are shrunk.
Iijima: Copper wires are typically used to transmit electricity to homes. Although that is nota nanomaterial, the way the electricity flows changes when the size of the wire is reduced to asignificant extent. In our lingo, that would be the discovery of quantum size effects. That
work started at the beginning of the 1980s, both theoretically and experimentally. For
instance, we make various small silicon devices, don’t we? With such techniques, we would- 5 10

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be able to develop technology for making small things, new structures, and materials, andthen using that technology, we would in turn be able to make interesting mesoscopic
structures. That was why we began experimenting. The research would enable us to discovervarious new physical properties.
Iwamoto: The discovery of quantum size effects is really one of the key points when we talkabout pure science, isn’t it?
Iijima: However, because the nanotube was discovered, we were able to gain a more detailed
and precise understanding of the things that happen in that tiny world, that nanometer world.
For instance, there is quite a lot of research that involves predicting physical properties basedon theoretical calculations, using a computer. In the case where silicon structures are thesubjects of such research, we do not know precisely what happens when they are madenarrower; we do not know what happens to the thickness, or what happens to the tip. We areunable to predict the details. However, in the case of the nanotube, we are able to obtain all
the atomic coordinates, and are able to predict everything using computers. That is why
computational science researchers whose research focuses on theoretical calculations jumped
on this material and used it to test their own theories. The emergence of the nanotube
benefitted everyone.
Iwamoto: It has enabled simulations and other such research.
Iijima: That is where it coincides with our experimentation. The interplay between these
theories and experimentation had already made fair progress, and overall, as I mentioned
earlier, the material science research that involves the observation of quantum effects alsobegan to advance rapidly. That was how the discovery contributed to pure science, to basic
science.
Iwamoto: In a sense, while we had a tendency of focusing only on the practical aspects of the
discovery, it had in fact made a truly significant contribution to the development of science.
Iijima: As a result of that, for example, theorists predicted that if we made something thinner,
it should become a metal or a semiconductor. While silicon is a semiconductor, there is no
way that carbon materials could become semiconductors. However, it was predicted that it
would be possible to turn them into semiconductors by making them into narrow tubes.
Therefore, we could make transistors; it had been predicted. Then, we were told to make thin,single-layer carbon nanotubes, so we started making them. That took as long as two years.
Using this single layer tube, an American researcher produced an actual transistor in the
United States. Indeed, when we measured the electrical properties, it proved to be a greattransistor.
Iwamoto: That is wonderful.
Iijima: Once a transistor that could surpass silicon ones emerged, related experiments also
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came onto the scene, and applied research progressed. Based on the principle that if it werepossible to produce a transistor, it would also be possible to produce computers; suchapplications would be possible. As such, various forms of applied research commenced at thesame time. This is the second impact.
Iwamoto: I see.
Iijima: Although applied research started a little later, both pure science and applied sciencesaw significant advancements as a result of the discovery of this material.
Iwamoto: The electron microscope may be a basic tool to you, but you do not simply use anorder-made equipment. Rather, you have to put in special effort to manipulate the equipment,is that right?
Iijima: Yes. High-resolution electron microscopy has a long history. The electron
microscope we have today was invented in 1932 by Ernst Ruska, an engineer in Siemens,
Germany. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for the invention. I had entered this field in 1963
when I came to Tohoku University, 30 years after the invention of the electron microscope.
During that 30-year period, a form of “Romanticism” existed among scientists—how small
could the things we could observe be? This was because we could already see a limit to what
we could observe using an optical microscope, and a microscope that made use of electrons
was the only thing that could surpass that limitation. Although Ruska then invented theelectron microscope, the resolution was initially worse than that of an optical microscope. It
was improved year by year, and in 1970, electron microscope technology improved to theextent that we thought it may actually be possible to see atoms.
Iwamoto: Was that what those times were like?
Iijima: The development of that technology took place mostly in Germany and Europe.
Although electron microscope manufacturers in Japan did their best, their products performed
really badly. When I entered this field, I used a commercial microscope, but could not
produce any results with it.
Iwamoto: I see.
Iijima: Then, I used my own ideas and made various attempts to take high-resolution
photographs. That went well. That is how I picked up the skills in Tohoku University, got to
the United States, bought Japanese devices, and began high-resolution research.
Iwamoto: Indeed.
Iijima: Incidentally, at the time, although Siemens had been the world leader in this field, I
began to produce images that were clearly better than those produced by Siemens equipment,using my Japanese microscope. That was part of the reason—specifically, resolution kept
improving, and we became able to see atoms. The timing of my entrance into this field had
matched the technological progress of such equipment perfectly. We could also call that a- 7 12

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coincidence; that had also been “serendipitous.”
Iwamoto: That is true.
Iijima: That is why timing is of great importance in research. We cannot
encounter this kind of chance if we are earlier or later.
Iwamoto: However, this had not all been a coincidence. The knowhowthat you had accumulated throughout your studies and career had also been key to bringing
you here today.
Iijima: Yes, that is true.
Iwamoto: How wonderful. In that sense, the carbon nanotube really did originate from Japan,
and can truly be termed the “original Japanese science.”
Iijima: That is right. In that sense I was very lucky. However, it was not the case that one justall of a sudden appeared. After releasing my findings, I was told that others had already been
doing the same thing. Actually, similar research can be found at various times throughout
history. Going back to the very beginning in 1952, a researcher from then the Soviet Union
presented a thesis on something similar to nanotubes in Russian.
Iwamoto: 1952?
Iijima: The reason I know that is because that a carbon society in the United States did afeature on the subject and created a thorough document about who discovered carbon
nanotubes. The document includes that information. But what is important is that, as
scientists, when writing papers we write logically about what new thing that we were able toachieve using some certain structure. As I explained earlier about C60, we must present thisinformation based on logic.
Iwamoto: It must be based on logic and must include evidence. Is that right?
Iijima: This means that, if you know the result, you can use an electron microscope to take apicture of a nanotube and then use that to claim that you have discovered nanotubes.
However, in order to assert that what you have found are actually nanotubes, a single picture
is not enough. There exists a certain ambiguity concerning the authenticity of the discovery,
and in science there is no place for ambiguity.
Iwamoto: You are exactly right.
Iijima: One must present supporting evidence. So, in the case of nanotubes one would needmore than a single picture. I used an electron diffraction pattern and investigated it
thoroughly. I found that under the electron microscope it appeared long and thin. This was
actually the structure of graphite, and can better explain the thickness and how the carbon
atoms line up. So, nanotubes were named after collecting that type of data and I was the first
person to call them that. Before that people did not use such labels very often. Today, if you
took this data and examined it within the context of a single picture you may be able to argue- 8 13

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9:32:14the existence of nanotubes, but at the time we did not have such data so it was not possible tosafely state it in that way.
Iwamoto: Because it would still be considered speculation, or the evidence would beinsufficient, right?
Iijima: That is right. So, I always tell younger people that, when discovering something new,it is important to record solid data so as to eliminate any ambiguity, make your findings solid,
and then present it. Otherwise your findings will be flawed. There are cases where, even if
you did a good job, you cannot assert your findings to others.
Iwamoto: I see. A finding is important in and of itself, but unless you ensure that yourfindings are strong enough not to be refuted by anyone, your discovery will be invalid. You
just mentioned younger researchers. I apologize, as this is just a general question, but somepeople point out that recently younger researchers are not traveling abroad. What are yourthoughts on young researchers?
Iijima: I do not think that is a general question. While this is not to speak of the majority ofpeople, some people that become scientists will always be that way. That is why I think it isimportant to specifically develop an environment that sparks such interests. I mean to say that
we should not just sit back and tell younger researchers to go abroad, rather, we need toprovide education that generates interest in going overseas.
Iwamoto: I totally agree. There is no meaning in simply requiring them to go. It is importantthat they possess a certain interest and want to do something specific.
Iijima: Exactly. It is best to encourage them to try to focus on a single topic.
Iwamoto: At AIMR we encourage researchers to work hard on their own research while also
working together with researchers in other fields to conduct joint research. That brand ofcross-field exchange is really important.
Iijima: I agree, but it may depend on the field. I do not want to blow my own horn, but I
studied electron microscope technology at Tohoku University and earned my PhD using
certain research that I was working on. If you can use new technologies there is a lot you canapply it to. For instance, I did a lot in the field of mineralogy.
Iwamoto: Really?
Iijima: Conventional mineral experts do not possess the technology of high-resolution
electron microscopy. That is why I wrote many papers with mineral experts. At the time there
was no field that used electron microscopes to look at the minuscule parts of minerals andevaluate them. That field actually advanced rather far due to this technology. In addition,
while my major is physics, I am now working in the fields of mineralogy and chemistry.
Recently, I am also working really hard in the field of biology.
Iwamoto: I see.
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Iijima: I am working a lot on the application of biotechnologies that use medicines and othercarbon materials. With this mixture of areas I am left confused about how to describe my own
field. Field-mixing, or interdisciplinary research, is advancing throughout the world.
Iwamoto: I believe so, too.
Iijima: So, in that sense, it is important to be involved in other fields as well. I believe that if
you were to go to a university in the United States you would rarely find a single teacher foreach subject. Physics, chemistry, and other fields—everyone is involved in many at the sametime. That is the norm these days. There are not many people that specialize in a single field,
such as physics or something else, even though it would be okay if there were.
Iwamoto: I see what you mean. I think that you have highlighted something important—it isgood to maintain interest in various different things.
In your case, as you mentioned earlier, you reached various turning points at different
times. I believe that your resume speaks for itself, showing that you went to Arizona, JST,
NEC, and today you work for Meijo University and National Institute of Advanced Industrial
Science and Technology (AIST).
Iijima: I experienced completely different types of educational systems through elementary
school, junior high school, high school, university, graduate school, and even during my stint
as a post-doc. I also attended a public university, private university, universities in the UnitedStates and United Kingdom, participated in research projects funded by the national
government, and even worked with private enterprises. So to put things more boldly, wescientists are proactive, always searching for new encounters and chances. Rather than
waiting in the same place for something to happen to ourselves, we take initiative and pushforward. It is not that I like doing that; it is just the outcome of the situation.
Iwamoto: Scientific policy in Japan has finally started to emphasize mobility over the past 20
years. As you say, it is really important to experience many things and meet a diverse rangeof people.
Iijima: I think that is ideal for a scientist. However, my opinion is not the most importantfactor. The social environment of Japan also plays a part. For instance, perhaps people do not
move around very much in the United States nowadays. Nevertheless, they possess the spiritof exploration—gaining motivation when they do move somewhere new, resetting at zero,and then starting off on a new challenge all over again. In Japan, this form of activity causes
one to lose out in the end.
Iwamoto: I agree.
Iijima: So, to put it differently, the best thing to do is to stay where you are and continue
things out to the end.
Iwamoto: You are right. I have heard that some young men that have been negatively- 10 15

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9:32:16evaluated because on their recruitment exams it was discovered that they moved around a lot.
I think it would be good if society as a whole would better tolerate the notion that these guys,
conversely speaking, have a vaster range experiences.
Iijima: Right. When I moved, my family accompanied. After going abroad for a long time
and then returning to Japan, my children were considered “returnees.” As a result, when theywent to an ordinary school in Japan they were subject to bullying. The rest of the group
excluded them. Japanese society still possesses negative areas such as this. When thinking
about that it makes me think that staying in one place may not be so bad.
Iwamoto: I went to France three times for a total of 13 years—I know exactly what you aretalking about. As a scientist we need a diverse range of encounters, but there are still various
social structure and other problems involved as well, especially when it comes to family.
Iijima: If you move your retirement allowance resets to zero. Japanese systems likeretirement allowances, for example, can rarely be applied. Today, however, things havechanged greatly, so that would probably not be a strong inhibiting factor anymore.
Iwamoto: Lastly, tell me about your hobbies.
Iijima: I have been into mountain climbing since high school. In fact, I climbed so much that
I had no time to study at all. During my first year in college, I spent 100 days out of the year
climbing mountains somewhere. In high school, I was the founder of our school’s mountainclimbing club, and in college I joined the mountain climbing club and the orchestra as well. I
play the flute and I began learning in college. There are a lot of things I want to do.
Iwamoto: I see. You are good at culture and sports.
Iijima: That is right. We only live once so I think it is important to involve yourself in anarray of activities. When I was young, in my 20s, I got to climb mountains. But now that I am
older I cannot do that anymore, but there are many things that I want to do each year.
Iwamoto: Do you still play the flute?
Iijima: I sure do. I do not have enough time to really practice, though. Now, I enjoy riding
my bicycle.
Iwamoto: Your bicycle?
Iijima: Yes, I have a road bike.
Iwamoto: Then you must be a very serious rider.
Iijima: I am. In August of last year I fell over and fractured my femur. I had to stay in thehospital for two weeks, but I finally got better. It is important to take things in a reasonable
way, because if you rush things too much you may end up running into a wall and hurting
yourself.
Iwamoto: I know exactly what you mean. It may depend on the person, but there have been
people that have run into a wall and as a result not been able to do what they like anymore. So,- 11 16

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it is important to maintain many interests….
Iijima: Right. Professor Grünberg played the guitar very well at yesterday’s reception. I feellike I meet a lot of people that are interested in music.
Iwamoto: Oh, really? I see. I cannot do….
Iijima: That is everything about me. I do not like to impose myself on others, but that is mystory.
Iwamoto: Thank you very much for your time.

Interviewer: Administrative Director, W. Iwamoto
At Sendai Kokusai Hotel
February 23rd, 2011- 12 17

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9:32:17WPI-AIMR 飯島澄男連携教授（名城大学教授、2009 年度文化勲章受章者）に聞く(Interview with Professor Sumio Iijima－Japanese version)

カーボンナノチューブの背景
岩本：飯島先生といえばカーボンナノチューブの発見者ということで、世界的に有名でいらっ
しゃって、今回はAIMRのアニュアルワークショップで特別講演をしていただいた直後にインタビューに応じていただきましてありがとうございます。
飯島：ありがとうございます。
岩本：先生は、電気通信大学を卒業された後、大学院は東北大学に進まれ、今の多元物質科学研究所の母体の一つの科学計測研究所で助手になられましたね。
飯島：助手で２年尐しいました。
岩本：東北大学時代のことでの思い出は何でしょう。
飯島：そうですね。私は、学部のときにはあまり勉強しないで、いろいろクラブ活動をやっていたので、実際に今の世界に入るなんていうことは想像していませんでした。大学４年になって就職するか、大学院に行くかと迷って、結局大学院に行く決心をした。私の人生にはいろいろ分岐点があるのですがその一つです。それで、たまたま科学計測研究所に入った、というか入れられた。そこでたまたま電子顕微鏡をやることになったと。自分でこれがやりたいからというので積極的に動いているということはあまりなくて、非常に消極的です。しかし、電子顕微鏡は私にピッタリ合って、ようやくやりたいことに巡り合えたというわけです。
岩本：では、学部時代は、どちらかというと学生生活をエンジョイしていたわけですか。
飯島：そうです。エンジョイしていました。
岩本：東北大学を終えられてから１９７０年にアリゾナ州立大学に行かれましたが、カーボン
ナノチューブの発見は９１年ですね。
飯島：そうです。ですから、私が行ったのは７０年ですから発見まで２０年あるのですね。一
番初めに、「飯島さんといえばカーボンナノチューブですね」と言われたのですが、私はいつもへそ曲げて、「ちょっと待ってください」と言うことにしています。９１年が発見ですと、私の研究歴がそれまで２０年あるわけです、それについてはだれもあまり知らないので、これをどうしてくれるんだよと。ですから、突然カーボンナノチューブが現れたというのではなくて、その２０年、大学を含めると２６年、４分の１世紀の準備期間があったということが重要だと私は思っているのですけどね。それをなくして発見はなかったわけですから。みんないろいろ前人の仕事に影響されつつ、そういうのが知恵となり、あるいは経験、体験が重なって次に進んでいくという、まさにそのパターンだと思います。
岩本：具体的にはどういうことでしょう。
飯島：カーボンナノチューブというのは、ある日突然発見されました。そういうことになるわ

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けですね。これは偶然の発見です。セレンディピティなんて言葉が最近使われていますけれども。
それを発見したのはなぜかと、どんどん突き詰めていくと、カーボンナノチューブとは非常にナノメートルサイズの小さいものなので、それを見ることのできるたった一つの道具が電子顕微鏡
なんですね。私が電子顕微鏡を始めたのは大学院のときからなので、そのトレーニングが二十何年間あったんですね。まず電子顕微鏡の技術を習得して、そしていろいろなものを調べる。その一つが、たまたまカーボンナノチューブだったのですね。
岩本：そうですね。
飯島：ですから、そういう経験が重なってきて偶然見つかったということ。私からすると、発見されるべくして見つかったということです。必然の発見というわけです。
岩本：セレンディピティというのは、スリランカの旧称セレンディップで第３王子が面白い石を見つけたらそれが宝石だったとか、そういう話から来ているそうですね。
先生がおっしゃるように、セレンディピティというのは、何かその瞬間にこれだといって着目する能力であると同時に、それができたのも、先ほどおっしゃった二十何年の蓄積があったからなのでしょうね。
飯島：そうだと思います。
岩本：そのカーボンナノチューブ発見の背景とは何なのでしょう。
飯島：まず、どうして私の意志がそこに行ったかというそのきっかけですけれども、発見当時の我々の物性研究の背景が非常に重要です。物質材料の研究というのは、１９８０年の後半に幾つかおもしろい大イベントがあったんですね。そのひとつがフラーレン、Ｃ６０分子が見つかったこと。
岩本：クロトー、スモーリーの発見ですね。
飯島：それが１９８５年。そして、１９９０年に大量合成法が見つかったんですね。
岩本：はい。
飯島：それは大量に作れる方法が見つかったんですけど、それと同時に、それが超伝導になるという新しい発見がありました。その前の１９８６年には、高温超伝導酸化物の発見があったので、それもまた世界がハチの巣をつつくような大騒ぎになったんです。ですから、新しい超伝導の発見、そしてまたフラーレンの超伝導の発見と、そういうのがたくさんあったのです。その発見の尐し前に、今のＪＳＴの前身である新技術開発事業団が１９８２年に始まり、その第１号のプロジェクトに私は参加しました。その超微粒子の研究プロジェクトに参加するために、私は１２年のアメリカ生活を終えて戻ってきました。それで５年間続きました。
岩本：なるほど。
飯島：その研究の場所は、今私のいる名古屋の名城大学なんです。それが終わってからＮＥＣに移ったのです。それは１９８７年です。そこでまずダイヤモンド薄膜とフラーレンをやったのです、実際は。フラーレンの成長機構を調べてやろうとして始めたのですが、いろいろなカーボ
ン材料を手当たり次第見ている間に一つだけ、名城大の先生がフラーレンを作った残りの燃えさ
しみたいなものをたまたま入手して、それを電子顕微鏡で調べたらそこにカーボンナノチューブ- 1 19

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があったというわけです。いろいろ複雑な背景があるのですけれど、それがきっかけなんです。
岩本：結局、もちろん先生のふだんからの探求心というものもあったんでしょうけれども、一方では、フラーレンの誕生といい、高温超伝導といい世界的なそういう環境が組み合わさって出てきたということですね。
飯島：そうです。フラーレンというのはカーボンですね。それと同じようなものを私はそれまでの２０年の間に、我々が開発した高分解能電子顕微鏡でいろいろな炭素材料を見ていたんですね。このように、それまでに随分経験、知識の蓄積があったので、私の発表した研究論文の中にフラーレンと同じようなものがすでにあったのです。
岩本：それは知りませんでした。
飯島：１９８５年にフラーレンが見つかりましたけど、その５年ぐらい前に。私の撮った電子
顕微鏡写真にフラーレンが写っているのですね。
岩本：すばらしいですね。
飯島：そのため、クロトーとかスモーリーは、私のところにわざわざ来たこともあるのです。
８５年にスモーリー、クロトーがフラーレンの論文を出したときに、世界中の人はあまり信用しなかったんです。というのは、彼らの最初の論文は、スペキュレーションで、科学的にロジカルなデータが並んではいなかったのですね。
岩本：わかります。
飯島：具体的に言うと、質量分析の実験なのですけれども、質量分析というのは炭素原子が何個あるかという、そういう原子の数は分かるんです。つまり６０個集まったクラスターに相当す
るピークは、なるほどあるのですね。
岩本：はい。
飯島：その６０個はどういう形をしているか。それは全くわからないのです。何か鎖状につながっているものでもいいし、丸まっていてもいい。サッカーボール状になると言いますけれども、そこが彼らのすばらしいスペキュレーションなのですね。それで、６０個という炭素原子の数だ
けから、この分子はサッカーボール状の構造であるに違いないと、そういうふうに結論したのですね。だが、それはエビデンスがないので、全然説得力がないのです。それで彼らは５年間ずっとピンチだったのです。それで私の仕事が出てくるのですが、私の５年も前に撮った写真の中に、丸い構造のカーボンの写真があるのですね。それを彼らはどこからか見つけて、その写真が唯一
彼らのスペキュレーションを証明するエビデンスだったのです。そんなことで当時はこの電子顕微鏡写真は非常に有名だったのですよ。だから、みんながスペキュレーションというと、ここに写真があるじゃないかと、こういうものがそうだと言えた訳です。
岩本：ある意味で、彼らはそれを求めていたのですね。
飯島：そうです。もういろいろな方法で探していたのですが。なので、彼らが有名になるずっと前から、二人ともわざわざ私がＮＥＣの筑波にいたときに来ましたからね。結構重要視されていた訳です。彼らが苦戦しているときに、「私の写真があるから、これはあなた方のモデルの証明になるから一緒に論文を書こう」といって彼らに手紙を出しましたら、「これはおまえだけで- 2 20

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書け」と言われました。それで、私の単独のものとして、彼らの仮説を証明する、そういう形の論文を書いたのです。
岩本：ほう。
飯島：ですけれども、それは間もなく終わるのです。というのは、１９８５年にＣ ６０の発表をして、その５年後の９０年に先ほどの超伝導、大量合成があって、フラーレンの大量合成によって結晶構造解析ができるようになったのですね。それで今度はＸ線回折法で、しっかり仮説と同じようにサッカーボール構造があると証明されたのですね。それで私の以前の証明は、それで終わりだったんですね。
岩本：それは残念でした。
飯島：しかし、そこで終わらないのが面白いところです。炭素原子がきれいなサッカーボール状に並んだというのは全く珍しい構造で、しかしそれがどうしてできるかということ、その成長の機構というのは分かっていないのです。今でもまだはっきり分かっていませんけれど。
岩本：そうですか。
飯島：いろんなものができるのですけれど、カーボン原子が飛んできてどうしてサッカーボー
ル構造と同じ集まり方をしたのかという疑問です。
岩本：そうですね。本当にきれいなサッカーボール状ですものね。
飯島：それを理解しようと思ったんですね。それで、私は孤立したサッカーボールの写真だけ
ではなくて、多層構造というか入れ子構造の球状グラファイトボールを写真に撮っていたわけです。入れ子構造のでき方は私の技術で調べればわかるだろうと、それを調べてやろうと思ったんですね。
岩本：すばらしいですね。
飯島：それでいろいろなカーボン材料を片端から見始めた中の一つがナノチューブみたいなものだった。しかし、そういうナノチューブなど世の中にまだなかったが、そこは前にやったいろ
いろな経験から、何か突然細長いのが出てきたので、それに興味を持った。ですから、そこが、セレンディピティということだと思うんですね。
岩本：それこそ二十何年の蓄積がおありになったからですね。
飯島：物質構造の中で、細長い構造を持つものは割合尐ないのですね。次の発見もセレンディ
ピティと言えるのでしょうが、私が東北大のマスターのときに、そういう長い結晶の研究をしていたのですね。マスター、ドクターの論文の仕事の一つに、銀の結晶の細長いもの、細くて１ミ
クロンぐらいのウィスカー結晶というのですけれど、そういう細長い繊維状構造を電子顕微鏡で結晶解析をするという技術を、既にマスターのときに習得していました。いわば、細長い銀のフィラメントをナノチューブに置きかえただけですから。
岩本：銀が炭素になったということですね。
飯島：そうです。その電子線結晶構造という技術があったので、どういうふうにカーボン原子がつながっているかというのはすぐわかったのです。
岩本：それはもうマスター時代のそういうテクニックが結びついたということですね。
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9:32:19飯島：さらに、みんな連結しているというのが一番重要なところなのですが、細長いのはもう一つありまして、それは石綿です。石綿は、細長い、そして天然に存在する鉱物の一種ですね。
その結晶構造の研究を電子顕微鏡でしていたのが、私がいた科学計測研究所の矢田助教授だったのです。私の先生は日比忠俊教授という同研究所長を長くやられていた先生ですけれども、矢田先生も後で所長になりますけれども、その矢田先生がオックスフォード大と共同研究をしていました。私はそれを横で学生として見ていたのです。先生は石綿の電子線回析像を電子顕微鏡で調べて構造解析をしていたのです。それも全く同じような、円筒で長いということでは同じなので、手法は同じです。
岩本：手法という意味では同じですね。
飯島：研究の手法は同じなので、そういうこととかその他にもいろいろなことがあって。
それで２０年後にナノチューブに突然めぐり会ったときに、すぐにぱぱっといろいろな前の知識が蘇ってきて、その細長いものに非常に興味を持って拾い上げたとうことです。セレンディピティって何か実体はそんなところなのですよ。私の場合は。
岩本：でもそれは、ローマは一日にして成らずと言いますが、まさにそのとおりですね。
ところで、カーボンナノチューブ発見のインパクトを分かりやすく説明いただけますか。
飯島：そうですね。２つほど大きなインパクトがあると私は思っています。
一つは、基礎科学ですね。物性物理へのインパクトというのは、非常に大きかったですね。なぜかというと、これもいろいろつながりがあって、我々物質研究者は、いろいろ大きな構造体を研究対象にしてきましたが、１９８０年ごろから、非常に小さくしたもの、先程お話ししたように超微粒子の研究というのが、ＪＳＴのプロジェクトで始まりました。
岩本：今でいうナノ材料ですか。
飯島：今のナノ結晶です。あのころナノ結晶という言葉がなかったので、超微粒子です。超微粒子なのですけれども、その研究を始めたんですね。なぜかというと、大きなものは単に小さくすると、金でも小さくすると物性が変わることが理論的にもいろいろ予測されるわけです。ですから、ナノチューブも小さくすると、大きなときには観測できないおもしろいことがいろいろ起こるということは、予測されたわけです。
岩本：そうですね。同じ元素からできていても、サイズが小さくなるととんでもない性質を出すというのがナノマテリアルの世界ですね。
飯島：銅線、普通は家庭に来る電気の配線ですね。それをナノメートルまでいかなくても、とても小さくすると電気の流れ方が違う。我々の言葉で言うと量子サイズ効果が発現します。それで１９８０年代に入ってから理論的にも実験的にも行われて始めていたのです。例えばいろいろ
シリコンの小さなデバイスをつくりますね。そういうシリコン加工技術で小さなもの、新しい構
造、材料を作るという技術が発達すると、それを使っておもしろいメゾスコピック構造が作れるようになって、それで実験し始めていたわけです。それによりいろいろ新しい物理が見えてきたのです。
岩本：本当に純粋科学という意味では、量子サイズ効果の発現というのは、キーポイントなわ- 4 22

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9:32:20

けですね。
飯島：ですけれども、ナノチューブが出てきたので、まさにその小さな世界で起こる、ナノメ
ートルの世界で起こることが、より確実に精確にわかるようになったんですね。例えばコンピューターの理論計算で物性を予測するという研究が随分ありますが、その研究対象とする構造が、シリコンだと細くしただけで、太さがどうの、端がどうのとか、細かいことは分からないから、あまり細かいことは予想できない。ところがナノチューブの場合には、すべての原子座標が全部分かってしまっているので、コンピューターで完全に予測ができるようになってきたのです。なので、理論計算を中心にした計算科学の研究者がこの材料に飛びついていろいろ自分の理論をテストできるというので、ナノチューブの出現でみなさん潤ったわけです。
岩本：シミュレーションとか、そういうことができるわけですね。
飯島：それで我々の実験と突き合わせる。そういう理論と実験のキャッチボールがもう随分進んで、全体的には先ほど言った量子効果を観測するといった物性研究がぐっと進んだのです。それが、ピュアサイエンス、基礎科学への貢献です。
岩本：ともすると我々は実用の方にばかり目が行きがちですけど、そういった本当にサイエンスとしての発展に非常な貢献がされているわけですね。
飯島：それでその結果として、例えば細くすると、これは金属になったり、半導体になったりするはずだと理論家が予測したのです。シリコンは半導体ですが、カーボンの材料で半導体はないですね。けれども、細くしてチューブ状にしたことによって半導体になるということが予測された。ですからもうトランジスタができる。それでは細い“単層”カーボンナノチューブを作れというので、それを作り始めた。これには２年かかりました。この単層をつかって実際にトランジスタをアメリカの研究者が作った。なるほど電気特性を測るとすばらしいトランジスタになる。
岩本：すばらしい。
飯島：シリコンを凌駕するトランジスタができると。それで応用研究が進みました。ですから、
トランジスタができるから原理的にはコンピューターもできるだろうと、そういう応用があるだ
ろうということでいろいろな応用の研究も同時に始まったんですね。これが２つめのインパクトです。
岩本：そういうことですね。
飯島：応用研究は発見から数年後れて始まりましたが、ピュアサイエンスと応用とが、この材料が出たことによって随分といろいろ進んでいるはずです。
岩本：電子顕微鏡が先生にとって基本的なツールになるわけですけれども、別にオーダーメイ
ドをそのまま使うわけではなくて、そこに先生がやはりいろいろ工夫される訳ですね。
飯島：そうです。高分解能電子顕微鏡にも長い歴史がありまして、１９３２年にドイツのシー
メンスのエンジニアであるルスカ先生が今の電子顕微鏡を発明し、ノーベル賞をもらいましたけ
れどね。それで、私がこの世界に入ったのは、東北大に来た１９６３年ですから、発明から３０
年もたっているのですけれども、その間どこまで細かいものが見えるかという科学者のロマンがあったわけですね。なぜかというと、光学顕微鏡ではもう見える限界がありましたから、それを- 5 23

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9:32:20超えるのには、電子を使った顕微鏡以外になかったのですね。それで、ルスカが電子顕微鏡を発
明したけれども、分解能は、初めは光学顕微鏡より悪かったのです。それから、毎年々々改良が進んで、１９７０年ごろに、ひょっとすると原子が見えるかもしれないというところまで電子顕微鏡のテクノロジーが改良してきたのです。
岩本：そういう時代ですか。
飯島：その技術開発はドイツとかヨーロッパが中心でした。日本の電子顕微鏡のメーカーも頑張っていたんですけれど性能が全然だめだったんです。それで私がこの世界に飛び込んだときに、市販の顕微鏡を使いましたけれど、それだけではなかなか性能が出ない。
岩本：そうでしょうね。
飯島：それで、私はいろいろ自分なりの工夫をして、高分解能の写真が撮れるようにいろいろやったのですよ。それがうまいこといったのですね。私は東北大で技術を習得して、アメリカに乗り込んで、日本の装置を買って、それで高分解能の研究を始めたんですね。
岩本：なるほど。
飯島：当時はシーメンスが世界を席巻していたのですけれども、私は日本の顕微鏡を使ってシーメンスよりはるかにいい像を出し始めたんですね。具体的には分解能がどんどん上がってきた
ので原子が見えたのですね。そういう装置の技術開発が進んできた、私が飛び込んだ時期がちょうど時間的にぴったり合ったんです。これもやっぱり偶然というか。それもセレンディピティなのですよ。
岩本：そうですね。
飯島：だから研究は、タイミングが非常に重要ですね。早くても遅くてもそういうチャンスにはめぐり合えないということです。
岩本：でも、そういう偶然だけではなくて、ここでも先生がずっとこうやって蓄積されてきた
そういうノウハウがあったからそこまでいったんですね。
飯島：そうですね。
岩本：すばらしいです。そうすると、本当にカーボンナノチューブというのは、日本から発信された、まさに日本発の科学ということになりますね。
飯島：そうですね。そういう意味では非常にラッキーなのですけれども、でもこれも結構いろ
いろありまして、単独に一つだけぱっと突然現れたのではなくて、われわれが発表すると、他にもおれがこれもうやっていたよという、そういうのが続々出てくるのですよ。一番さかのぼると
１９５２年、当時のソ連の研究者がカーボンナノチューブもどきの論文をロシア語で発表しているんです。
岩本：１９５２年。
飯島：なぜそれが分かったかというと、アメリカの炭素学会が、だれがカーボンナノチューブを見つけたかという、特集を組んで、しっかりしたドキュメントを作りましたが、そこでそう書かれているのです。しかし、何が重要かというと、我々はサイエンティストなので、論文に書く
ときに、先ほどのＣ ６０ではないけれども、論理的にこういう構造でこういう新しいものができ- 6 24

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9:32:21たと。それを論理的にプレゼンテーションしなくてはなりませんね。
岩本：論理的でなくてはいけないし、エビデンスも必要という訳ですね。
飯島：なので、そうするとカーボンナノチューブの電子顕微鏡の写真を１枚撮って、これがナノチューブですと、結果を知っていればそう言えるのですが、事前にこれがナノチューブですと言うためには、写真１枚では不十分で、これはそうかもしれないけれども違うかもしれないというあいまいさがありますね。サイエンスには、そういうあいまいさがあってはいけないのです。
岩本：おっしゃるとおりです。
飯島：それをサポートするエビデンスを示さなくてはいけない。ナノチューブの場合にも１枚の写真だけではなくて、電子回折像をつけて、それをよく調べると、電子顕微鏡的には細長くなるけれども、これは実際にグラファイトの構造であって、太さがどうで、炭素原子がどう並んでいるかといったことまでもっと詳しく説明できるのです。ですから、そういうデータをそろえてカーボンナノチューブと言っているので、それを言ったのは私が初めてなのです。それ以前のものは、そういうことはあまり言っていなくて、写真１枚で、このデータを見れば今ではそうかもしれないけれども、当時は何もないので、そこまで言い切ってないのですね。
岩本：どうしてもスペキュレーションの域を脱しないとか、あるいは証拠が不十分だったりとか、そういうことになるわけですね。
飯島：ですから、何か新しいものを見つけたときには、あいまいなところを残さないようにしっかりデータをとって、完璧にして発表しろと若い人に言っています。そうでないと、不備なところがある。いい仕事をしてもそれを主張できない場合がある。
岩本：そうですね。結局、発見は発見で大事なのかもしれないけれども、それをだれからも論破されないようにしないことには、結局真理の発見ということにはならないわけですね。
ちょうど今若い人のお話が出ましたので、一般論になって恐縮ですが、今の若い人は、外国に行かないとか言われるのですけれど、先生は若手研究者についてどうお考えですか。
飯島：これは一般論ではないと思います。科学者になる人は、いつの世にも多数派ではないけ
れどもいるはずですよね。なので、そういう興味を持つような環境を具体的に整えてあげるということだと思います。ですから、ただ海外に行けばいいというものではなくて、そういう興味を持つような教育が必要なのかなと思います。
岩本：そうですね。おっしゃるとおりです。ただ行ってこいだけでは意味がないのでしょうね。
何かインタレストがあって、こういうことがやりたいということが重要でしょう。
飯島：そうですね、割と一つのことに集中できるような、そういうふうに仕向けるというか、それがいいのではないかなと思います。
岩本：私どもAIMRでは、研究者に、自分の研究も一生懸命やり、かつ異分野の研究者と共同して、融合研究をやってほしいと奨励しているのですけれど、そういった異分野との交流というのもやはり重要ですよね。
飯島：そうですね。分野にもよるかもしれませんが、手前味噌ですけれども私の場合には、東北大で電子顕微鏡の技術を習得して、ある材料でドクターを取りました。新しい技術ができると- 7 25

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いろいろ応用できます。私は鉱物学も随分やりました。
岩本：ええ。そうですか。
飯島：高分解能電子顕微鏡技術は従来の鉱物屋さんは持ってないわけです。だから、私は随分
鉱物屋さんと論文を書きました。当時、電子顕微鏡で細かいところを見て鉱物を評価するという分野は全くなかったのですね。この技術ができたために、そちらのほうも随分発達したんですよ。
また、私はもともと物理出なのですけれども、今やっていることはミネラロジーであり、ケミス
トリーであり、最近はバイオロジーも一生懸命やっています。
岩本：そうでございますか。
飯島：薬とか、カーボン材料を使ったバイオテクノロジーの応用というのを随分やっています。
そうすると、自分が何だか分からなくなってしまいますが。融合領域というかインターディシプ
リナリーの研究というのが世界中で今進んでいますね。
岩本：そうですね。
飯島：、そういう意味では、おっしゃるとおりに他分野とのかかわりというのは重要です。多分アメリカの大学では、一人の先生が物理一つだけというのは本当に尐ないです。物理であり、化学であり、みんなかけもちでまたがっています。そういうのが普通になってきました。ですから、あまり一つのところにといて、私は物理屋だとそういうつもりでいると……、そういう人もいてもいいのですけれど。
岩本：それはそれであるのかもしれないですけれど、やはりいろいろなことに興味を持ってですね。それはいいお話を伺いました。先生の場合、先ほど冒頭でもおっしゃいましたけれど、いろいろなところで転機があった と。確かに略歴を拝見しても、アリゾナに行かれ、それから科学技術振興事業団、それからＮＥＣと。また今では名城大学とＡＩＳＴに勤務されています。
飯島：小学校、中学校、高等学校、大学学部、大学院、ポスドク、とにかくすべて違います。、
更に国立大学、私立大学、米国と英国の大学、国の研究プロジェクト、民間企業にも行っているんです。ですから、よく言うと、我々科学者は、出会いを求めて、チャンスを求めてみずから動く。同じところにじっとしてチャンスを待つのではなくて私はむしろ自分で動いて、背水の陣で真剣勝負をしてくるという、そういうのが好きというわけではないけど、結果としてそうなっています。
岩本：日本の科学政策でも、ようやくここ２０年くらい流動性を強調するようになりましたけ
ど、やはりいろいろなところで経験をする、いろいろな人に出会うというのは、重要でしょうね。
飯島：科学者としては理想的だと思うのです。しかし、これは私だけではなくて、日本の社会環境が関わってくるので、要するに、今アメリカでもあまり人が動かなくなっていますが、動くことによってモチベーションを持って、リセットして、新たに挑戦するという、そういう開拓精神がありました。日本の場合は、動くと損をする世界。
岩本：おっしゃるとおりです。
飯島：なので、じっとしてずっと最後までいくのが損せず一番得をするんですよ。
岩本：そうですね。ともすると採用試験などでこの子は随分いろいろなところを転々としてい- 8 26

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るなというと、マイナスに評価するということもかつては聞きました。そうではなく、むしろい
ろいろなところでいろいろな経験をしているということを社会全体が許容するようなものがあればと思いますね。
飯島：そうですね。そういう意味で私は、自分が動くのはいいけど家族も動きますから。外国に長いこと行って帰国子女で帰ってくると、普通の学校へ行くといじめに遭いましたからね。排除ですよね。そういうマイナスな面が日本の社会にはまだ残っているので、そこを考えると、じっとしていてもいいのかなと思うこともあります。
岩本：私もフランスに３回、通算１３年いたことになるので、よく分かります。科学者としていろいろな出会いが必要ですが、その一方で、ご家族を初め、また社会制度とかそういう問題も絡んできますね。
飯島：移ると、退職金はリセットしてしまう。例えば退職金みたいな日本の制度はなかなか当てはまらないのですけれど。今はだんだん変わってきたので、きっとあまり強い阻害要因にはならないかもしれないですね。
岩本：最後に、先生のご趣味を教えてください。
飯島：趣味は、私はとにかく高等学校から山岳部なんですよ。山登りをやっていて、それで全然勉強する暇がなかったのです。大学の学部の１年のときは、通算１００日どこかの山に行っていました。高校では山岳部を作りました。大学に入ってからは山岳部とオーケストラ（フルート）。フルートは大学から始めたのですが。やりたいことがいっぱいあるんです。
岩本：文武両道ではないけれども、そうですか。登山とフルート。
飯島：そうなんです。人生１回だとすると、やはりいろんなことをやらなくてはいけないと思っているのです。ですから、２０代の若いときには、岩登りもしなくてはいけないし。年がいったらそんなことはできないので、その年、年に、そうしたいろいろやることがあると思っています。
岩本：フルートは今でも演奏されますか。
飯島：やっていますよ。時間がないので尐しだけ。今は自転車ですね。
岩本：自転車?
飯島：はい。ロードバイクの。
岩本：ではかなり本格的ですね。
飯島：本格的です。それで、去年の８月にひっくり返って、大腿骨を骨折しました。２週間病院にいて、ようやく今治ったところです。良い加減にやるのがいいのですよ。あまり詰めて、壁にぶつかると困ってしまうので。
岩本：ええ、その意味はわかります。どうしても、これも人によるんでしょうけれども、壁にぶつかってそこでだめになっていくという人たちもいますけれども、やはりいろいろなことに関心を持って……
飯島：そうですね。昨日のレセプションでグルンベルク先生、ギターをよく演奏されましたよね。結構音楽の趣味の人とはいろいろ出会いますね。
- 9 27

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岩本：そうですか。なるほど。では、私はちょっと……
飯島：いやいや、それは私はこうだけれども、それは皆さん違うので、私は自分のことは全然人に押しつけませんけれども、私はこうやってきましたということです。
岩本：先生、本日は貴重なお話をいただきまして、ありがとうございました。

２０１１年２月２３日
仙台国際ホテルにて
岩本 渉- 10 28

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Interview with Professor Alexander Shluger, Principal Investigator,
WPI-AIMR“Deep understanding helps to design things”
Administrative Director Iwamoto (I): On reading your CV, I noticed that until you werestudent at university, you were in Latvia since your birth.
Professor Alexander Shluger (S): Yes.
I: At that time it was before the independence.
S: Of course, very much before.
I: That’s right. The independence of Latvia was in 1991, wasn’t it?
S: In August 1991.
I: In Latvia there are many excellent personalities, artists, scientists and in the area ofpolitical science near to my specialization, I remember Isaiah Berlin was also yourcompatriot, and needless to say a legendary film director, Eisenstein.
S: Eisenstein was in fact born in Riga, capital of Latvia. At that time this was a part ofRussia.
I: Exactly.
S: Then, after the revolution, Latvia, for about twenty years was independent, between 1919
and 1939. Then, in 1940 it was again occupied on the basis of the Molotov-Ribbentrop
treaty, which divided the Europe and became a part of the Soviet Union as a republic. After
the War it stayed there for about fifty years, before becoming independent and then joining
the European Union.
I: When you were a student in the Latvia State University, science education and researchwere influenced by the Soviet Union’s style?
S: Well, I think Riga was a very important scientific center for many years both in Russia
and in the Soviet Union, because it is one of the most western cities. For many centuries it
was basically a German city and then a Swedish city. And then Peter the Great conquered
Riga in the eighteenth century and it became a part of Russia. And at the same time, SaintPetersburg was founded on the Baltic Sea. It is not very far. Latvia is on the Baltic Sea, thento the north there is Estonia, Tallinn and then there is Saint Petersburg.
I: It’s sometimes difficult for Japanese to understand the European geography and history.
S: Latvia and Riga used to be a huge industrial center. Some of the first airplanes, first cars,and many other industrial developments happened in Riga at the beginning of the 20th
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where these big aircrafts were built and serviced. Riga became a very big scientific center
also during the Soviet period.
The foundation of a big scientific center at Riga was only possible, because it was part ofthis huge state, and that it was funded by the Soviet government. When Latvia became
independent, its scientific research shrank very significantly. Because it should be
proportionate, somehow, to the budget. This is a country with a population of about two andhalf million.
I: Two and half million? Almost the double of the population of the city of Sendai…
S: Maybe. So we cannot have a huge budget. But in the Soviet times, it was the part of thehuge country; therefore it was possible to have a scientific center in Riga with a large
number of academic, scientific and research institutions.
I: Very interesting. That means Riga has a long tradition of innovation and industrialization.
S: We also had one of the great chemists, who also got the Nobel Prize in 1919.
I: What is his name?
S: Wilhelm Ostwald. He is one of the famous chemists many people know. He used to workat Riga University of Technology and at Leipzig University.
I: By the way, was your interest in science born at your childhood?
S: At the time when I was going to school, many important things were happening. For
example, Sputnik was launched in 1957, and the first cosmonaut was in 1961. And also a lotof nuclear developments were going on, such as nuclear power stations and many
discoveries in particle physics. So science was very romantic. And also there were a lot ofvery important scientists at that time, for example, Landau, Kapitza, Ginsburg and others.
So this was a very exciting and interesting time.
I: I see.
S: I went to some special physics and mathematics school. Science certainly had romantic
appeal at that time.
I: Indeed.
S: So many people wanted to become a scientist. I mean the same thing happened in Japanand in many other countries at that time, around the beginning of ’70s.
I: In Japan, as you know, the laureates of the Nobel Prize for Physics, like Yukawa or
Tomonaga, were very famous when I was a child. So many talented pupils were interested
in learning science and technology.
S: That’s right.
I: So you were interested at young age?
S: I graduated from a school which was specialized in physics and mathematics. So we hada very good physics teacher. He infused me with doing physics. I was very interested in that-130

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and decided that this is what I would like to go for my qualification at Latvia State
University. So I wanted to study physics.
I: So you got a bachelor at Latvia State University, and then you went to Moscow.
S: No, I did not, actually. I lived in Riga all the time. But the system in the Soviet Union
was such that you could not get a PhD degree from the same university, usually. So this is avery different system from the British or American systems. You needed to go somewhere
and have a public defense. This was a quite complicated process. One needed to present athesis to some special committee and go to several seminars. Then the thesis was publishedand the abstract of the thesis distributed for a month to general academic community in the
country, and then there was a public defense. So all this was handled by a number ofapproved committees. I just got my degrees from a particular committee, which happened to
be in Moscow. The reason for that was that I graduated as a theoretical physicist, but I used
to work in the Chemistry Department for many years. I wanted to have a degree, which
would combine physics and chemistry.
I: So, you have a double background of physics and chemistry.
S: In the Soviet system, you do not get just a PhD, you get a PhD in something. So it can bechemical physics or physical chemistry or inorganic chemistry or physics and mathematics,
things like that.
I: I see.
S: I mean it is quite narrow. I was awarded a PhD degree in chemical physics.
I: That is right.
S: Therefore I needed to go to some special place, and this was in Moscow, at that time, theonly place where I could obtain this degree by defending my thesis.
I: Was your PhD focused on rather chemical aspects?
S: I used to work in a Chemistry Department in a group, which was mainly dealing withradiation chemistry. This was a very important topic at that time. How radiation affects
water and other materials. My group was mainly composed of experimentalists who werestudying effects of radiation on different solid materials. And they wanted that somebody
gave them theoretical ideas and models of how things work. So I was developing theories of
how radiation interacts with different types of materials. Incidentally, this was a very
common topic in Japan. There were many famous scientists in Japan. Professor Toyozawa
was one of them, who worked in this field at the time. Then later I collaborated with a very
famous person in this field, Professor Noriaki Itoh, who used to work in Nagoya. Many
people in that period were interested in nuclear energy or nuclear power stations in the
United Kingdom, America, Japan and Russia. They were studying the effects of radiation
on materials, to improve the safety of nuclear power stations.
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I: Yes.
S: There are still very famous people working in this area in Latvia and Estonia, who madesignificant contributions to our understanding how radiation interacts with different
materials.
I: Is your interest rather how to explain this mechanism of radiation?
S: My PhD thesis was on how to explain the effect of radiation on some particular materials
using computational methods. That is called quantum chemistry.
I: And then you moved to UCL in 1995.
S: No, before that, in 1988, I got my second degree, Doctor of Science, which is the highest
degree in the Soviet Union, and it is like habilitation in Germany. After that I could start
traveling, so I went to Japan.
I: So was this your first visit to Japan?
S: Yes. First, I myself invited Professor Itoh, whom I mentioned above, to Riga.
I: Did he belong to the University of Nagoya?
S: Yes. Then he invited me to come to Nagoya. I first came to Nagoya in 1989 and spent
two or three months with him there. He is retired now but still active. I had a very goodcollaboration with his group.
I: Excellent.
S: After that, I have been invited to go to the UK, also by the colleagues who wereinterested in radiation damage. One of them is Professor Marshall Stoneham. He is a very
famous person in the field of radiation defects. He used to work at the Harwell Laboratory,
which was a radiation center in the United Kingdom. Another one is Professor Richard
Catlow, another theoretician, who worked at the Royal Institution. They invited me to cometo the UK for a Royal Society fellowship. This was in 1991. I started to work with Richard
Catlow at the Royal Institution of Great Britain. This is a very famous institution, where
many famous scientists, such as Faraday and Bragg, used to work. I worked there for five
years.
At the beginning of my work there, I have received a prestigious fellowship from theCanon Foundation in Europe. In celebrating its fiftieth anniversary, Canon has established aFoundation to promote exchange of researchers between Europe and Japan. It is still a very
active Foundation and they give fellowships every year. I was one of the first people who
received a fellowship from them. The condition for that fellowship was that you aresupposed to spend half a year in Japan and half a year in Europe, and basically carry out
some joint research between Japanese and European institutions.
I: It was a very excellent opportunity, wasn’t it?
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S: Yes. Since I had this very good relation with Nagoya University, they awarded me thisfellowship. I spent several months in Nagoya, and then I was coming to Nagoya tocollaborate with Professor Itoh for many years. But I used to work at the Royal Institution
until 1995. And in 1995, I have been appointed at the University College London.
I: Was it you who chose UCL?
S: No. Marshall Stoneham has been appointed as a professor at UCL to organize a theory
group. And he invited me to join him at UCL as a Senior Research Fellow.
I: You began your work in a chemical field. Then, at the time – 1990-1995, you were atheoretician. In general, what decides a scientist to be an experimentalist or to be atheoretician?
S: I became a theoretician in about 1975. But I started actually as an experimentalist.
During my studies at university, I found a radiation chemistry group and started to do someresearch work with them. Initially they suggested that I do some experimental work. Thenthey wanted me to try to do some theory. And there were some other theoreticians around,so they helped me to do that. So this is how it happened with a theoretical research. But I
could as well do some experimental research.
I: Nevertheless, even as a theoretician, your research is also related to a very finemicroscope like AFM. And it is needless to say that the computer is very essential for yourwork.
S: AFM is an experimental machine, so I do not use it. But I can model it theoretically.
I can produce a model of what is going on in an AFM using a computer.
I: I understand.
S: When I started to do theoretical modeling around 1975, computers were very slow. But
now, with the development of nanotechnology, computers are getting very powerful.
I: Yes, and very quick.
S: So we can model the full behavior of very complicated processes computationally, with avery good accuracy – Tsukada’s group is a very good example of how it is done.
I: OK. Now I’ll move to topics of your current research. Are you still interested in themechanisms of defect processes?
S: Yes.
I: What does it mean more concretely?
S: Some simple theories, which you can find inmany textbooks, are always based on idealized
models. A simplified model of a solid is anperfect periodic lattice of atoms. This is a very
useful model, but it explains only part of the-433

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picture. Now, if you take some of the atoms out, or put some impurities in, this changes theproperties of a material, and can make it more useful for applications. (Looking around theroom,) In this camera there is a processor which is made from silicon. The silicon would notwork if it would not be doped with some impurities, which are defects with respect to theideal lattice. So it is always with respect to perfect or ideal that we identify a defect.
Actually when material is defective, it may be an ideal material for performing somefunction. All materials, which are used in real life for making, anything are often
specifically made defective in order to make them to acquire some function or performbetter: lasers, transistors, catalysts.
I: I see. When you say “defect”, it doesn’t have bad meaning at all.
S: No. It may have a very positive meaning.
I: Positive meaning, I understand.
S: Of course initially it started from a kind of negative meaning - damage. So when you talkabout radiation, it is producing defects in materials - it knocks out some atoms, etc. Whenpeople think about a nuclear power station, they want the materials of the walls of thestation and the reactor to perform their function. If they become defective by radiation, thiscan be bad. But radiation and many other processes can also be used to modify materials
structure in order to make them to perform more useful functions.
I: It changes properties of this material itself, naturally.
S: Yes. In particular, materials used for solid-state lasers always include some impurities,
which perform some laser function. Or, if you look at this fluorescent lamp, it also contains
some material, which contains defects, which in turn allow this lamp to work.
I: It’s very interesting.
S: Science about how to make defects to perform some positive functions is a very
important science. Kawasaki sensei and Ikuhara sensei actually study these functions
experimentally using different techniques.
I: That’s right.
S: But if you look at what they do, in many cases they actually study defects inside theirmaterials.
I: Very interesting.
S: This area has been around for a long time. But accuracy with which we can makepredictions about properties of materials with some particular defects or impurities in themhas been increasing. And theory plays a very important role in achieving that by calculatingthese properties and building up models. Experiment itself cannot produce an image how adefect looks like because individual defects often have atomic dimensions.
I: Yes. You will make a model…
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S: Yes. We need to make a model, which explains or predicts experimental data. Producing
such models may take a very long time.
I: Of course. For example, in WPI- AIMR there are no so many theoreticians while
Tsukada sensei is here, and Tokuyama sensei is in BMG. Do you think that we should
reinforce the theoretical groups, in AIMR?
S: In principle, any experimental research can benefits from collaboration with theoreticians.
But this should be done in a kind of targeted manner.
I: Perhaps we should proceed, as you said, in a targeted manner, not only by increasing thenumber of theoretician.
S: Of course not only the number of theoreticians is important, but one needs to do it in akind of proportionate way targeting some specific areas, which require or can benefit fromtheoretical research. It is not very easy to start new collaboration between theory andexperiment, because it requires putting right questions, which both theory and experiment
could address. Experimentation is initially very empirical.
I: Of course.
S: So people are just trying to uncover new properties and discover new things. Then it
requires some understanding for further improvement. This is one side of this process. At
that point, theoreticians are very important to provide such an understanding
I: That’s right.
S: But on the other hand, theoreticians also predict some new properties and phenomena,
which can then be discovered or proved by experimentalists. In many cases they can play aleading role in facilitating discoveries.
I: You are right.
S: However, culture of collaboration between theory and experiment takes some time todevelop. For example, in the group of Ikuhara sensei, there is a very good culture ofcollaboration between theory and experiment, because most of the experimentalists actually
are also doing theoretical research. So there is no gap between them. But some otherexperimental groups, working in more empirical and technological areas may feel no needfor theoretical research. So collaborating with them may be very difficult.
I: But they may need it.
S: I mean that deeper understanding helps to design things. So when you want to movefrom empirical research to designing your experiment and achieving deeper understanding,
you certainly can benefit from collaboration with theory. But this collaboration may beinitially more about discussions, more about new ideas, which can be checked
experimentally, actually helping an experimental group to move forward.
I: You are right.
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S: In London, where I am working, this culture is quite well developed. There are seminars,
there are specific discussions, where theoreticians and experimentalists can interact and tohelp each other in finding new directions in research.
I: I agree with you. When I was working in the Japanese Ministry of Education, Science
and Culture, I was responsible for promotion of high energy physics. In Japan, two great
theoreticians, Kobayashi and Masukawa predicted the existence of more than six quarks
which would explain the CP Violation, but we needed experimentation. So we converted
the existing accelerator called TRISTAN into B Factory and we succeeded throughexperimentation to prove their theory. So this kind of interaction between prediction andexperimentation and then, once again, perhaps the next formalization or modeling.
S: Yes, exactly.
I: This is very important. And as you said, at UCL, there is a kind of this culture of
discussions.
S: This culture usually takes some time to develop because there should be some mutualinterest and incubation period for theory and experiment to achieve mutual understanding.
Actually Tsukada sensei was one of the pioneers of this approach in Japan.
I: That’s right.
S: He has initiated many collaborations between theory and experiment in material science.
He used to work with many experimental groups. I always admire his approach to thesethings because I have known him for about twenty years. He was one of the first in Japan toactually achieve that.
I: As you know, AIMR itself is making an effort to organize “a joint seminar” or “tea time.”
Do you think AIMR should encourage these efforts?
S: Of course fusion cannot be achieved very easily, just over night. In my case, I have four
big projects going on in Japan. I am collaborating with AIMR, but also I have a very big
collaboration with the Osaka University, the Kanazawa University, and the Tokyo Instituteof Technology, and all of them are with experimental groups. They took years to develop.
I: Yes, right.
S: This collaboration is like a marriage - people should be interested in working together.
So many things should come together for developing a kind of fruitful fusion between
different groups. It cannot be arranged just out of necessity or by persuasion.
I: Yes, it’s not like top down.
S: People should find some common ground. When I visit AIMR, one of the main things I
am doing is talking to many people, trying to find this common ground and see what can bedone between theory and experiment, how we can achieve our goals to do better science.
This is a main reason why I need to be here - to find these collaborations. So far we have-736

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been quite successful in finding these different links. Developing themfurther and going from starting collaboration, to papers and then to very
high profile publications may take a long time.
I: Very good. Really, as you said, fusion is like a marriage. We must findit. If there is a discovery of charming points of each other, there will becollaboration or fusion.
S: You cannot marry somebody just after meeting for one day. So this requires meeting
many times, talking to people, learning what they are doing, finding out some particular
problems. Scientists can help each other to achieve some synergy. This applies, of course,
also to starting collaborations between experimentalists and between theorists.
I: Really like a marriage.
S: And if you have found a joint problem, this requires a big effort actually to perform thework and to perform it to very a high quality. In particular, we have now very nicecollaboration with the group of Dr. Louzguine on bulk metallic glasses. But before I cameto Tohoku, I knew nothing about bulk metallic glasses; I didn’t know they existed, actually.
But when I learned about their research, and talked many times with Louzguine sensei andChen sensei and others, I started to understand that there are very interesting problems. And
so we started to do some research together. Now we have already two papers published.
And this is a very fruitful direction. The same with the group Adschiri sensei.
I: I see.
S: I heard his talk and read his interview, and then I realized that he has very interestingideas. So we met several times, discussed, and I am meeting him tomorrow again. We aretalking each time I am visiting AIMR and our collaboration is rapidly developing. On theother hand, I also send my colleagues here to facilitate these collaborations.
I: You are right. Now, in our institute, there are two assistant professors, Dr. Thomas
Trevethan and Dr. Keith McKenna.
S: Yes.
I: Your lab is one of the most active foreign PI’s lab, I think. What do you expect yourcolleagues like Dr. Trevethan and Dr. McKenna to learn from Japanese university or
Japanese context?
S: Science is very international, as you know better than me. Therefore there is no kind of
specific Japanese science. This AIMR provides a very good opportunity for these young
guys to grow and become independent researchers and find their collaborations. So my role
is to encourage them to talk to many people here, to find some interesting ideas, anddevelop these ideas together with the colleagues here. Some of these colleagues haveabsolutely fantastic capabilities. For example, Dr. Iwaya used to work at UCL in London.
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Then he came here and developed a unique Scanning Tunneling Microscope. And we wantto collaborate with him because he has this unique machine to develop new science. And I
think that this synergy between theory and high quality experiment and independence are
the main things these young researchers can achieve at AIMR. Doing good science is themain goal.
I: You mentioned a very important point, the importance of independence of young
researchers. Of course, traditionally in the Japanese university system, from professor toassistant, post-doc, there is a kind of hierarchy. There was some kind of very rigid system.
Young researchers, normally, they had no so much independence in Japan. But here we try
to encourage the young researchers to be independent.
S: The British system is very different. AIMR is also an interesting place where different
cultures of scientific research come together, which may cause some misunderstanding or
may cause some kind of anxiety on the part of foreign researchers because they do not
expect certain things to happen.
In Britain, the system is rather horizontal. These two young people, Tom Trevethan andKeith McKenna, are very excellent researchers, actually some of the best we had at UCL,
with a very good track record of publications, etc. They, in Britain, would be expected to be
fully independent. So they would be expected to have their own funding, to build their owngroup, like Dr. Peter Sushko, who used to work at AIMR and is now back at UCL.
Incidentally, he has arrived yesterday to visit AIMR again and he is giving a talk at aseminar tomorrow. He actually was one of the first associate professors, who started here at
AIMR three years ago.
I: You are right.
S: Then, as a result of his excellent research, he has been awarded a very prestigious
fellowship of the Royal Society in Britain and became a staff member at UCL. Now he has
his own group of four researchers and students working with him. This is the way how the
British system works. Basically if you are appointed to an Assistant Professor position, youwill have the same rights and duties as a big professor. There are no professors working
under other professors - all professors are equal.
I: Great.
S: You develop your independent carrier. So this is why, I think, for my colleagues Keith
McKenna and Tom Trevethan, this is an excellent opportunity because here they are in afree fly, and they can talk to everybody and develop their own independent research, findsome interesting ideas, and then develop them further with Japanese colleagues in their
future life.
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I hope that they can work here and make a good contribution to AIMR. But eventually they
will find some permanent job somewhere and will carry on collaborating with AIMR, likePeter Susko. Peter is now a Lecturer in Britain, but he comes to AIMR, because hecollaborates with Kawasaki’s group and also Hitosugi’s group. So this is a good place forhim to come.
I: I am very impressed to hear that. I think AIMR is not an institution that only receives
foreign researchers and where they stay quasi-eternally here. But rather we expect that these
foreign young researchers grow up in their stay in Sendai and they will get another new job
in foreign countries or their own countries, and continue to work with us.
S: But I think this should happen naturally, not by saying: you can be here for only two
years and then you need to go. I think this should be done on the basis of mutual benefit,
because this requires quite a long time for a young researcher, who starts from zero, toachieve some results. So sometimes two years may not be even enough. Researchers should
be given time to develop their ideas, and then of course they will go, because at the end of
the day, they need to get a permanent job.
I: Surely.
S: This will happen naturally anyway, but developing strong links and ties with theexperimental and theoretical groups here at AIMR may take two, three or four years. Thenit will pay back when they will return back to Europe, China or America. They willcontinue this collaboration. Peter Sushko is an extremely good example of that.
I: You are right. By the way, do you enjoy the life in Sendai?
S: Yes. I like to come here. We have excellent facilities and I have lots of friends.
Atmosphere in Tsukada’s group is very good. I enjoy collaborating with colleagues here.
And I usually have a very fruitful time when I come here because I can do a lot of things.
I: Generally speaking, the city of Sendai or the department of Miyagi makes an effort tomake familiar foreigners to the life here. Do you think it is sufficient? Or even AIMR’s
support for foreign researchers, it goes well? What do you think?
S: When I come here, I usually work. I receive a lot of hospitality and help from Tsukada
sensei and his group as well as from Sakurai sensei. The staff of the AIMR office have beenvery kind at helping us at the beginning of our work in AIMR, especially with furnishing
the flat and with the office supplies. I know that my colleagues from UCL, who visited
AIMR in the last two years, received a lot of support from the AIMR office in their daily
activities. I have already spent in Japan altogether more than three years of my life, so I
know some things about Japan quite a bit. I can find my own way if I want to go somewhere.
I usually do not need great help. I must say that I do very much enjoy hospitality at AIMR
and the secretaries and the administration staff is always extremely kind and helpful.
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I: Thank you very much.
S: Otherwise I would not be coming here so often. I do enjoy working and being here.
I: What is your hobby? You work very hard, I know, but for the hobby.
S: I like reading and hiking. I usually go with my wife, one or two times per year to someplaces where we can hike. Also, here, I enjoy hiking in the mountains and hills. This is oneof the things which cheer me up.
I: I see. There are a lot of places you can enjoy in Sendai.
S: Yes. I usually walk a lot around here and enjoy this very green city. It is very nice. So
every day I usually spend a couple of hours walking around, because the weather is now
quite nice.
I: That’s right.
S: Concerning the daily life of foreign researchers at WPI-AIMR, it would be helpful tohave a different system of a guest house, especially for AIMR.
I: What is a problem?
S: The guest house here can accommodate guests only for five days. So if I come for two
weeks, or three weeks, I cannot stay in this guest house for the whole period. We also havea flat, which has been generously given to us by AIMR. It is a good flat, very spacious etc.,
but it is not very comfortable during winter when it is cold. Because we are not living here
permanently, that flat does not have permanent heating or air conditioning. We have only
small electric heaters, so it is not very comfortable to stay in the flat when there is snow
outside, although my young colleagues, Tom and Keith, usually stay even during winter.
It would be useful if there would be some different system of a guest house. I used towork at Nagoya University for many years. They had an excellent guest house for foreign
visitors, which had small flats with a kitchen etc., where people could stay for long time. It
was not very expensive and was very useful. So basically you could come there and havecomfortable stay anytime of the year. In Tohoku this is particularly important because
winters can be quite severe.
I: I see.
S: AIMR is an international center, where many people are supposed to come. If you comefor a short time, you can stay in a hotel. But if you come for a long time, like several weeks
or months, you need to have some accommodation which could be either a rented flat or aguest house or something else, which would allow you to live comfortably.
I: We are now constructing a new international residence at Katahira campus where acertain number of rooms will be reserved for AIMR researchers. With this, I think I cansolve this problem.
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S: That will be very helpful because I send several of my researchers here for a long time.
Two of my young researchers have spent one month each or more here in AIMR only thisyear.
I: This is a very precious lesson for us. I really appreciate your taking time for thisinterview. Thank you very much.

Interviewer: Administrative Director, W. Iwamoto
At WPI-AIMR Annex Building
December 9th, 2010- 12 41

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Interview with Professor Thomas Gessner, Principal Investigator,
WPI-AIMR“From MEMS to Smart Systems Integration”
Administrative Director Iwamoto (I): Thank you, Professor Gessner, for accepting thisinterview. Of course, you are PI of WPI-AIMR since its creation three-and-a-half years ago.
What is the purpose of your visit this time?
Professor Thomas Gessner (G): The purpose of my visit this time is that we organize theFraunhofer Symposium here at Sendai for the sixth time. I have to give a lecture during thisFraunhofer Symposium and furthermore, there is a micro-integration workshop organized
by Professor Esashi and the Japanese community. I will give a talk, too. And then, of course,
I take this opportunity to discuss with our colleagues working at WPI-AIMR.
I: Very good. How many times have you been to Sendai?
G: I do not know exactly but I guess over 15 times.
I: Over 15 times? It is marvelous. Did your first contact with Tohoku University happen along time ago?
G: The first contact with Tohoku University took place a long time ago with Professor
Esashi, over ten years ago. Since then, I have met Professor Esashi in different kinds ofinternational conferences and sometimes we were Chairmen of different kinds ofconferences, but in the middle of 2005 or 2006, we had some closer relationships with
Sendai and Professor Esashi.
I: Can you explain to me more in detail what is Fraunhofer?
G: In Germany We have different kinds of research organizations, outside of the university.
We have Max Planck Society, Helmholtz Association, Leibniz Association, and Fraunhofer
Gesellschaft. Max Planck, Helmholtz, and Leibniz are more focused on basic research
together with PhD education, but also some kind of application of course. But Fraunhofer isan organization which has the mission to bring innovation to the industry.
I: Is it a big umbrella research institution? For example, Max Planck Society covers various
fields of basic science, and as you said, Fraunhofer is mainly linked with the application.
G: And it should bring innovation in the industry in many different fields, and therefore, inGermany a total number of 60 Fraunhofer Institutes exists, and by the way, Fraunhofer
ENAS is the 60th.
I: I see. I checked the Fraunhofer homepage in Japanese version. Fraunhofer has German
acronym for each Institute such as EMB, Einrichtung für Marine Biologie which means
Marine Biotechnology, and in your case it is ENAS.

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G: It is Elektronische Nanosysteme which means Electronic Nano Systems.
I: You belong to Fraunhofer, but you are also Professor of Chemnitz University ofTechnology. Is ENAS itself now in Chemnitz?
G: We have what we call the Smart Systems Campus in Chemnitz. This is an innovative
network with expertise in micro and nano technologies as well as in Smart Systems
Integration. The partners of the Smart Systems Campus Chemnitz are Chemnitz Universityof Technology with Institute for Physics, Center for Microtechnologies (ZfM) and Center
for Integrative Lightweight Technology (ZIL), Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano
Systems (ENAS), and Start-Up Building for new enterprises.
I: At first, concerning your research, when did you personally get interested in science andtechnology?
G: As a young man, just before final secondary school examinations, I read a lot of books
dealing with science and technique. So, I studied physics and got my PhD in physics too.
However, I was especially interested in applications, for that reason I started to work inindustrial research right after PhD at ZMD center for micro electronics Dresden.
I: You got your PhD at the University of Technology of Dresden, and what was the main
theme of your PhD?
G: My PhD topic was the development of nuclear radiation detectors by using Neutron
Transmutation Doped (NTD) silicon. It is a silicon radiation detector and I developed thismaterial and the detectors. This was my PhD’s thesis.
I: I guess your interest is always how to apply it.
G: Yes, how we can apply this for different things.
I: That means from your childhood you were very interested in something like machines?
G: No, I was not. I guess I like to understand the basic thing like Physics but I would like toapply these in devices. If you look at my main material which I developed in my life, this issilicon - silicon for electronics, silicon for radiation detector, and silicon for Micro
Electronic Mechanical System (MEMS).
I: So were you always very interested in this application of silicon and the tool for MEMS?
Does it mean even now your research interest concerns how to develop MEMS for various
fields?
G: I think we had in the past a big progress worldwide in development of components. We
have electronics, chips, the MEMS components all very well-developed, but now it is time
to make a new kind of systems and we call this the Smart System Integration. Smartsystems go beyond MEMS/NEMS for physical, biological or chemical parametermeasurements combined with signal processing and actuating functions. Smart Systems
Integration addresses the demand for miniaturised multifunctional devices and specialised,-143

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connected and interacting solutions. Multidisciplinary approaches featuring devices forcomplex solutions and making use of shared and, increasingly, self-organising resources areamong the most ambitious challenges.
I: What are examples?
G: Perhaps sensor electronics, wireless communication, and also the battery. You know thebattery is a very interesting thing because this system can be autonomous. It does not needexternal energy supply. We have developed special printed batteries in our Institute. In fact,
it is possible to do energy harvesting with a MEMS device.
In a device we can create a so-called seismic mass of silicon. If there is a movement, thenyou have kinetic energy, and you can transfer this energy – kinetic mechanical energy - into
electric energy. This is a big topic in the field of energy harvesting and this is an example
for an integrated system. This is our recent research topic.
I: I see. So it means that you want to create a kind of system that will prevent energy
consumption. I remember in Professor Esashi’s Laboratory they are working very hard withbulk metallic glasses to make a kind of sensor.
G: Yes, this is our topic in AIMR here and then of course, we would like to develop also
component for systems. This is the goal here in AIMR because there is a big experience in
Sendai regarding metallic glass. We are looking forward to applying the metallic glass forour systems.
One development of special MEMS actuator with metallic glass is micro-mirrors ofmetallic glass – it is completely new. We will investigate what are the benefits or the
disadvantages of this material in comparison to silicon. This is the basic research, really.
The second point is that we would like to stack different kinds of wafers. This is calledwafer bonding and we would like to use metallic glass for wafer bonding.
I: How do you use this?
G: We need lower temperature than current state of the art for wafer bonding. Metallic
glasses have fundamentally glassy structure and exhibit a Newtonian viscous flow in the
supercooled liquid region which is between the glass transition temperature (Tg) andcrystallization temperature (Tx). The
atomicconfigurationcaneasilyrearrange in the supercooled liquidstate resulting in nice interdiffusion.
The plastic fluidity performs superior
wettability which improves interfacialintegrity and achieves homogeneous
bonding

results.

The

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region and therefore the temperature range in which the material exhibits its soft status, canbe tailor made by designing the composition of the metallic glasses. In addition to theseapplications, we are looking for another one which is the use of piezoelectric materials togenerate electrical energy and the energy harvesting effect.
I: It will rather create the energy.
G: We call PZT a piezoelectric material composed of lead, zirconium, and titanium. If you
have mechanical movement, then you can change this into an electrical voltage. This iscalled piezoelectric effect.
I: So all these, for example, micro mirror, wafer bonding, and the energy harvesting by PZT
can be industrialized?
G: It can be in the future but the goal now is that within AIMR, we investigate the basics, toknow the effects and if it is possible, we can do this in cooperation for example with
Fraunhofer and Helmholtz.
Here we get the basic results by using small samples and if it is successful, we canproceed to the wafer level integration then in Chemnitz. Of course, at this Fraunhofer
Symposium here tomorrow, we will speak with the Japanese industry. If the Japaneseindustry has interest in this research, we can help to industrialize the results.
I: AIMR insists on the importance of fusion of various fields and it will not only be at thelevel of basic research, but also at the level of industrialization.
G: This is also Professor Esashi’s philosophy. We fit very well together.
I: As you know, Professor Esashi is a pioneer in Japan even in the scheme of universityindustrial cooperation.
G: It is good.
I: When you obtained the PhD in Dresden, it was the time of what we call “Eastern
Germany.” Now your country is, of course, Germany. Has the situation changed very
dramatically compared to 20 years ago?
G: Regarding the technical development and the universities in the former German
Democratic Republic, the level was also very high on the technical side. I was especiallyinvolved in the microelectronics industry during that time and I was a project scientist to
develop the interconnect system for the one-megabyte memory device. This was the state of
the art of technology at the time, and I developed special metallization systems. The
application of the devices and technology standard was fine, but the problem was thepolitical system.
There was no open connection between the scientists. I was not allowed to go tointernational conferences. It was a closed shop. This was the problem of the system. Afterthe German unification, all my dear friends in Dresden regarding this microelectronics, with-345

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whom I worked together, have a wonderful career now in the new system.
They have careers as scientist or entrepreneur. I am very happy that I can
now cooperate worldwide.
I: I see. So that means even before 1989, of course, Dresden, Chemnitz,
Leipzig, these are what we call “industrial zone,” isn’t it? So there wasalready tradition of technology but what you say is after the breakdown of
the Berlin Wall, there is a spirit of entrepreneurship and openness to the world?
G: Yes, this is the case.
I: And it is important. So you have sent excellent young researchers like Dr. Yu-Ching Lin.
G: She stayed for one year in Chemnitz and learned about our work and then she moved tothis laboratory and we have now around five scientists meanwhile in her group.
Another researcher will be coming in March to stay for seven months. So we will
improve the cooperation.
I: Very good. In Chemnitz University of Technology, you have your own laboratory
consisting of young researchers. What is the situation of researchers in your laboratories?
G: I have this university laboratory as well as Fraunhofer, so I have two systems. We areabout 200 people within Chemnitz and our philosophy is the following:

As we cooperatewith the industry, we need also some senior scientists who have the experience and havegained the experience over the years.
So we have different kinds of people as the seniors, and then we have the young scientists
including PhD students who are very innovative. We have a lot of PhD students here. These
young guys create the ideas and the supervisors are these senior scientists; I cannot besupervisor for 200 people. So we have departments and we have a mix of PhDs and theseexperts. We also have post-doc, as like here. So there are post-docs, PhDs, young scientists
and the seniors.
I: Are they from various countries?
G: We are mainly Germans. Of course, we have PhD students from all over the world, from
Europe, outside of Europe, especially we see interest from Russian people to come to us,
and then we have Chinese and Indians. We also have some students from Brazil in SouthAmerica.
I: It is very international. Even in your laboratory in Chemnitz, do you have a kind ofinternational atmosphere?
G: We have the internationally-oriented Graduate School and they speak English in thisschool and the lectures that are given by the professors and senior scientists are in English,
but of course, they like to learn German. They are living in Germany but when we havescientific discussions, it is done in English.
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I: I see. As for your personal background, where were you born?
G: I was born in a small city in Erzgebirge which means the Ore Mountains in English. It is
not far from where I am living now, Chemnitz. It is in Saxony.
I: So is it in the Eastern side of Germany?
G: Yes, in the Eastern side. It is also in Saxony not so far from my place where I am
working now. I studied in Dresden and worked the first time in Dresden, after that in
Chemnitz.
I: I went to Dresden once and it is such a beautiful city with a big river and a splendid castle
and I visited the Opera House. Dresden Staatsoper is very famous even in Japan. By theway, what is your hobby?
G: It is dancing.
I: Dancing?
G: Ballroom dancing. I go to exercises every week. We have one exercise time on Sunday
afternoon and during that time I am usually in my city, but yesterday I was not in my city
because I was in Sendai. However, usually I go with my wife to have exercise by dancing
each week for two hours.
I: But what kind of dancing?
G: All kinds, Salsa, Samba, Waltz…It is good because it is good for health and fitness,moreover, it is a special thing that I can do with my wife together. It is a common
experience.
I: This would be very good for me because even administrators like us are always enclosed
in the office.
G: I was formerly a football player but I am not able to do this anymore, however, I likewatching football sometimes.
I: Generally speaking, a hobby like dancing sometimes changes your mind or scientific andinspires something new?
G: No, it is only fun.
I: Still good. Finally, I want to ask you about what you expect more from WPI-AIMR?
G: In AIMR I have the opportunity to make this basic research, together with my colleagues,
to investigate new principles, and new materials. It is a big chance for us. We do not havethese kinds of materials now. We have had no experiences until now in our laboratory. The
environment of the science labs with special homemade equipment gives us a chance to do
this. And then there are, of course, relationships between different groups. That is also good.
Dr. Lin is discussing with many groups, for example, about metallic glass, and so this is abeautiful thing.
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I: The purpose of AIMR is, of course, that we must be world top level and also as I said, thefusion of the fields is very important.
In this sense, as you said, the collaboration between BMG and MEMS is very precious
for us and the exchange of young researchers is highly crucial. You send many talented
researchers, who are very helpful for us and we would like to send young researchers toyour institution. This kind of collaboration is very important.
G: Yes, we can also think about more collaboration in the future after maybe another year,
then perhaps we will have even better materials with good parameter and then we can apply
this perhaps in our laboratories in Germany too.
I: Yes, today I am very glad to know that your research field will certainly contribute towhat we call “Green Materials” or “Green Innovation.” Nowadays, University is notconsidered like Ivory Tower. Today I can understand in depth that the collaboration withthe external world is very important. Thank you very much for this nice talk.

Interviewer: Administrative Director, W. Iwamoto
At Administrative Office, WPI-AIMR
December 6th, 2010

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News Update

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Great East Japan Earthquake and WPI-AIMR
Wataru Iwamoto
The Great East Japan Earthquake, with a 9.0 magnitude, occurred at 14:46 JST on
Friday, 11 March. The epicenter was approximately 130km east-south-east of the
Oshika Peninsula of the Tohoku region, with the hypocenter at an underwater depth ofapproximately 24km. The National Police Agency confirmed more than 27,000 persons
dead or missing.
I would like to extend our deepest condolences to the victims and sufferers of thedevastating earthquake and the following catastrophic tsunami.
Fortunately, the safety of all the staff of WPI-AIMR was confirmed by 14 March. The
electricity was cut immediately at the AIMR buildings, but then put into service in one
week. Although the AIMR related buildings are intact, there has been damage toequipment and we hope that the governmental supplementary budget covers the cost of
their restoration. The front page of our homepage has been converted to an “emergency
version” since 15 March publishing the Director’s messages and sharing the measurestaken by the Institute. From 18 March staff have been able to resume work as normal,
but there are still some buildings where research cannot be undertaken.
There have been a significant number of emails of encouragement sent to the Director,
researchers and the Administrative Office by Foreign PIs, Members of the International
Advisory Board, Adjunct professors and invited speakers of the past symposia. Some ofthem kindly offered generous donations to AIMR and those who are affected. We highly
appreciate this warm encouragement and these generous offers.
Now, the situation of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plants cannot be foreseen, but as far
as Tohoku University is concerned, the radiation monitoring of accidents at the
Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant measured at the Cyclotron and Radioisotope Centerat Aobayama campus shows figures which have been interpreted as posing “No healthrisk.” As for lifelines, the main roads in Miyagi Prefecture, including Tohoku
Expressway which leads to Tokyo, are now open and functioning normally. Sendai
airport began its service on 12 April, and the JR Shinkansen which connects Tokyo and
Aomori will resume running between Tokyo and Sendai on 25 April. Almost all of ourstaff have come back to Sendai and they are making great efforts to restoring their51

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research environments. It will still take time. However, I am convinced that the humanties built through scientific collaboration cannot be cut by a natural disaster. We willraise the level of our research activity more than ever with the hope that “Good comesout of evil”.
(Written on 19 April)
Tohoku University is accepting Earthquake Disaster Relief Donations. Please see formore details;
http://www.tohoku.ac.jp/english/contributions.html
or contact
Office of Tohoku University Earthquake Disaster Relief Donations,
Tohoku University
TEL: +81-22-217-5578 / FAX: +81-22-217-4846
E-mail： sinsai@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp

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The 2011 WPI-AIMR Annual Workshop Report
The 2011 WPI-AIMR Annual Workshop was held on February 22 through February
24, 2011 at Sendai International Center in Sendai following a reception on February 21
at Sendai Kokusai Hotel. The main aims of the workshop were to stimulate current andfuture fusion research among WPI-AIMR researchers and between WPI-AIMR andworld-leading researchers, and to make major progress in realizing the three major goals
of WPI-AIMR, (1) invent and develop new and innovative functional materials, (2)establish a system befitting a World Premier Research Center, and (3) strengtheninternational cooperation and construct a world-recognized research center. Furthermore,
the lectures focused on the theme of “Cutting-Edge Functional Materials for Green
Innovation” which was set this year, in view of reflecting AIMR’s contribution insociety. The Program Committee set up the special session, plenary sessions, parallelsessions and a poster session. The Organizing Committee and all the members of the
Administrative Office contributed to successfully running the workshop.
The number of registered participants of the workshop was 216. Among the 184
participants registered from Japan, 74 researchers are those who are from abroad andworking at WPI-AIMR and other research institutions in Japan. By contrast, 32
registered researchers were from abroad; 9 from China, 8 from USA, 7 from Germany,
2 from Switzerland and the UK, and 1 each from Australia, Denmark, France, and Israel.
As a whole, about 50% of participants were foreign researchers.
[Participants by country of origin of institutions]
China USA Germany
4% 4%
3%

Japan
(Foreigner)
34%

Other Countries
4%
Japan(Japanese)51%

The total number of talks at the workshop was 123, which included 3 invited lecturesin the special session, 7 invited talks and 12 talks by WPI-AIMR researchers (including

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foreign PIs) in the plenary sessions, 10 invited talks and 8 talks by WPI-AIMR
researchers (including foreign PIs) in the parallel sessions, and 83 poster presentations.
In the special session, lectures were given by Dr. J. Georg Bednorz (1987 Physics
Nobel laureate) of IBM Zurich Research Laboratory, a member of WPI-AIMR
International Advisory Board, Dr. Peter Grünberg (2007 Physics Nobel laureate) of
Research Center Jülich, and Dr. Sumio Iijima (a recipient of the Order of Culture ofJapan in 2009) of Meijo University, Adjunct Professor at WPI-AIMR. For the plenary
sessions and the parallel sessions, the world’s leading scientists in the fields of AIMR
research were invited. In the parallel sessions, current
and forthcoming fusion research was highlighted, andsessions on (1) Bulk Metallic Glasses, (2) Material
Physics, and (3) Soft Materials were arranged. A
poster session was also organized for encouraging
younger researchers and further discussing the Fusion
Research. At the end of each session, fruitful discussions were held. In particular, Dr.
Heinrich Rohrer (1986 Physics Nobel laureate), chair of WPI-AIMR International
Advisory Board, followed all sessions and shared constructive comments.
We would again like to express our warmest appreciation to all the participants of theworkshop. The 2012 WPI-AIMR Annual Workshop will be held in the last week ofFebruary, 2012.
For the complete program and the abstract booklet of the 2011 Annual Workshop,
please visit our workshop website: http://www.wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp/workshop/

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The WPI-AIMR Young Researchers Mini-Workshop
Kazunori Ueno
The WPI-AIMR Young Researchers Mini-Workshop was held at Tohoku
University on February 21, one day before the WPI-AIMR Annual Workshop. Dr.
Bednorz, the Nobel Laureate, was invited to this Mini Workshop. At the Annual
Workshop, few young researchers gave oral presentations due to the limitation of thetime frame. The aim of the Mini Workshop is to give opportunity for young researchers
to have oral presentations and discussions with Dr. Bednorz. Six presenters wereselected who work on oxide and superconducting materials. More than 40 young
researchers attended on the Mini Workshop and had fruitful discussions.
The first presenter, Dr. K. Iwaya reported on scanning tunneling microscopy(STM) on surface of SrTiO3. He showed STM images with atomic resolution for TiO2
and SrO terminated surfaces, and discussed on surface reconstruction and superstructureof the topmost surface. Dr. K. Ueno reported on a high electron mobility transistor on
SrTiO3 single crystal, which works at low temperature. Dr. D. Hojo reported on Al2O3
thin films grown on woven cotton by low-temperature atomic layer deposition method.
Dr. Y. Tanabe reported on magnetoresistance on iron pnictides doped with Ru, anddiscussed on Dirac cone state and electronic phase diagram. Dr. Z. C. Wang reported ontransmission electron microscopy of SrTiO3 related Ruddlesden-Popper Series. He
discussed on insulator to metal transition and microstructure of the material doped with
La. Dr. D. Maryenko reported on
fractional quantum Hall states in
MgZnO/ZnO heterointerface, andshowed very high electron mobility
in this system. Finally, Dr. Bednorz
gave valuable comments to all thepresentations. He appreciated all
studies presented in the workshop,and encouraged young researchers
in WPI-AIMR.

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9:32:51WPI-AIMR Outreach Plan in 2011
As reported in WPI-AIMR News vol.10, we have reinforced outreach activities from
April, 2010 in order to facilitate communication and mutual understanding between
WPI-AIMR and the public. It is needless to say that the research activities of WPI-AIMR
have to meet accountability standards for the public.
In this year, we are programming the outreach events shown in the following list. Threevolumes of outreach magazine Tohoku WPI Tsu-Shin will be issued
keeping the same schedule of 2010. The mascot character
introduces our researches in the magazine. We are planning to open
the booth in some events for the public. After completion of our
new building in Katahira Campus, we would like to start AIMR
Science Cafe Series as one of the new challenges of our outreachactivities.

Mascot character of
WPI-AIMR

Plan of Outreach Activities in FY2011
June
June 11

Publication of TOHOKU WPI Tsu-Shin vol.4
Public lecture on materials science at Satellite Campus 2011, the Academic
Consortium of Sendai (by Outreach Manager)*

July 10The City of Academia “Sendai-Miyagi” Science Day 2011

July 27-28

Tohoku University Open Campus 2011

October

Publication of TOHOKU WPI Tsu-Shin vol.5

October 8-9

Katahira Festival 2011*

October

Tohoku University Innovation Fair 2011*

November 18-20

Science Agora 2011

February

Publication of TOHOKU WPI Tsu-Shin vol.6

OthersStarting AIMR Science Cafe Series in the new building of WPI-AIMR
Joint Symposium by all WPI Centers at Kyushu University** The events marked with an asterisk are undecided at the moment, and there is a possibility that they may be changed.

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Australian Colloid and Interface Symposium and AIMR
The Fifth Biennial Australian Colloid and Interface Symposium (ACIS) was held at
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia from January 30th to February 3rd, 2011. The number ofregistered participants of the Symposium was 205, coming from Australia, Europe,
America, and Japan.
On this occasion, Professor Kazue Kurihara, PI of WPI-AIMR was honored with the“A.E. Alexander Lecture Award.” The A.E. Alexander Lecture Award was established in1978 as a result of an appeal by the University of Sydney and the RACI Division of
Colloid and Surface Chemistry to commemorate Professor Albert „Alex‟ Alexander
FAA FRACI, who was Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Sydney
from 1957 to 1970. The Alexander Lecturer is an eminent scientist who has
demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of Colloid and Surface Science. The
award lecture was ACIS and at The University of Sydney.
The ACIS-WPI Workshop was also held as a side event of ACIS on February 1st.
Three WPI research centers, Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR),
International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), Institute for Integrated
Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) attended the Workshop. The purpose of the Workshop
was to discuss new global research institutes in Japan and potential Australianinvolvement. This is the first joint initiative taken by plural WPIs to promote the WPI
program abroad.
Administrative Director Wataru Iwamoto gave a presentation about the WPI
program and AIMR, followed by an introduction of MANA by Professor Ariga, andthen iCeMS by Professor Harada and Associate Professor Furukawa. Many participants
were strongly interested in the presentation and they asked the speakers how to promote
the relationship between WPIs and themselves.
Joint research between
Japan and Australia has beenenhanced at the level ofindividual researchers for along time, however, there is
still room for development at
the institutional level.
In this sense, the workshop was a success and opened the door for the constructionof our relationship with new partners.

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Articles published week of 7 MARCH 2011

Volume 98 Number 10

APPLI E D
PHYS ICSLETTERS58

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Articles published week of 7 MARCH 2011

Volume 98 Number 10

APPLI E D
PHYS ICSLETTERS59

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9:32:54WPI-AIMR in "Physics Today"

WPI Program and AIMR were presented in "Physics Today" in February.

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“Nanoporous metal/oxide hybrid electrodes for electrochemicalsupercapacitors”
X. Y. Lang, A. Hirata, T. Fujita and M. W. ChenWPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University

Since being used in commercial devices as power-saving units in electronics in 1971,
electrochemical capacitors, also called supercapacitors, have attracted considerable
attention because of their unique combination of high power and long lifetime, as wellas their wide-range applications from portable electronics to hybrid electric vehicles [1].
Although supercapacitors are naturally of high power delivery with an exceptional cycle
life, their energy density is far below those of conventional batteries and therequirements of many important applications. For example, the stored energy density of
conventional supercapacitors is only ~100 F/cm3 (or 150 F/g) in specific capacitance.
Pseudocapacitive metal oxides, such as manganese dioxide (MnO2), could be used tomake electrodes in such supercapacitors, offering higher levels of specific capacitanceand energy storage via Faradic
surface redox reactions, andcircumventing the key limitationof conventional electrochemical
double-layer capacitors with low
energy density. However, thepoor conductivity of MnO2 (10-5 10-6 S cm-1) limits the
charge/discharge rate for highpower applications along with thelimited cycle life and low power
density, as the compromise ofincreasedenergydensity,
intrinsically
restricttheapplications of pseudocapacitors
in practical devices [2].
In this research project wedeveloped a novel nanoporous
metal/oxide (Au/MnO2) hybrid

Figure 1 (a) Bright-field TEM micrograph ofand the nanoporous gold/MnO2 hybrid with the
MnO2 plating time of 20 minutes. (b) Highangle annular dark-field STEM image takenfrom a gold/MnO2 interface region. (c)Illustration

of

the

supercapacitor

deviceconstructed with the nanoporous gold/MnO2
films as the electrodes.

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electrode material for high-performance supercapacitor applications [3,4]. This hybridmaterial was fabricated by electroless plating nanocrystalline MnO2 into free-standing
and three-dimensional nanoporous gold films at gas/electrolyte interface, and theloading mass of MnO2 was controlled by plating time. Fig. 1(a) shows typical TEM
image of nanoporous Au/MnO2 hybrid film, legibly revealing that the nanocrystalline
MnO2 is uniformly plated into nanopores. Scanning TEM image of the Au/MnO2
interface (Fig. 1b) demonstrates that the nanocrystalline MnO2 epitaxially grows ongold ligament surfaces, forming a chemically bonded metal/oxide interface. The
excellent contact between the nanocrystalline MnO2 and gold ligaments candramatically improve the electrical conductivity of the hybrid materials.
Electrochemical measurement based on a two-electrode supercapacitor device (Fig. 1c)reveals that this hybrid electrode material possesses the highest energy density of ~1160
F/cm3 (or 601 F/g) along with the outstanding power and energy densities as well as
cycling stability by making use of nonFaradic surface ion adsorption (double-layer
capacitance) coupled with Faradic surface redox reactions (pseudocapacitance). The
high specific capacitances and charge/discharge rates offered by the hybrid structures
make them promising candidates for the electrodes in supercapacitors that combine highenergy storage densities with high levels of power delivery.
Pseudocapacitive MnO2 can be used to make the electrodes in the supercapacitors
because they are theoretically predicted to have a high capacity for storing electricalcharge, while also being inexpensive and not harmful to the environment. In this project,
we have achieved the exciting finding that the high conductivity and mechanicalstability of nanoporous gold can great improve the performance of MnO2 in the energy
storage and delivery. Because gold is a very expensive noble metal, in our next plan weare going to reduce the amount of Au in nanoporous Au/MnO2 hybrid materials, or
replace nanoporous gold with much cheaper metals such as nanoporous Cu as skeleton
to support nanocrystalline MnO2 for electrochemical supercapacitors with both highenergy storage densities with high levels of power delivery.
References[1] B. E. Conway, Electrochemical Supercapacitors: Scientific Fundamentals andTechnological Applications (Kluwer, 1999).
[2] J. K Chang and W. T. Tsai, J. Electrochem. Soc. 150, A1333 (2003).
[3] X. Y. Lang, A. Hirata, T. Fujita and M. W. Chen, Nature Nanotech.,doi:10.1038/nnano.2011.13.
[4] X. Y. Lang, H. T. Yuan, Y. Iwasa and M. W. Chen, Scripta Mater. 64, 923 (2011).

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“Long-lived Ultrafast Spin Precession Observed in Manganese Alloys
Films with a Large Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy”
S. Mizukami1, F. Wu1, A. Sakuma2, J. Walowski3, D. Watanabe1, T. Kubota1, X. Zhang1, H.
Naganuma2, M. Oogane2, Y. Ando2, and T. Miyazaki1
1

2

WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University
Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University
3
I. Physikalisches Institut, Universittaet Goettingen

Spintronics utilizes a quantum mechanical object "spin" as well as "charge" of anelectron. Nowadays, the most demanding spintronics application is a Gbit classmagnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) using spin-transfer-torque (STT)
magnetization switching, and it is also regarded as one of the Green Technologies inthis century. However, there is still a lack of a key material for a memory layer inmagnetoresistive tunneling devices, which should have a high perpendicular magnetic
anisotropy with magnetic easy-axis parallel to a film normal and a low magnetic friction
as well as a large spin polarization. Especially, the low magnetic friction is very crucial
for the STT-MRAM application.
The magnetic friction is a magnetic analogue of a mechanical friction that we usuallyexperience in daily life. Magnetization (macroscopic spins) moves against the magnetic
friction, that consumes electric power driving a rotation of magnetization. It is quite
similar to a power consumption by a mechanical friction in an automobile or a motor.
Several experimental and theoretical works indicated a correlation between magnetic
friction and magnetic anisotropy, namely materials with large magnetic anisotropy tend
to show large magnetic friction. Therefore, it is a challenging task to explore the key
material and/or a new concept designing materials for STT-MRAM.
A Mn-Ga binary alloy has a tetragonal crystal structure [Fig. 1(a)] that is similar tothat for a FePt alloy; the famous magnetic alloy for a permanent magnet. Most of alloys
with high magnetic anisotropy have noble or rare earth metal elements but Mn-Ga
alloys contain no heavy elements. Furthermore, a Curie temperature for Mn-Ga alloys ismuch higher than room temperature, and the large spin polarization has been predicted,
nevertheless those contain no magnetic elements, i.e., Fe, Co, and Ni [1]. We havesucceeded to grow the good epitaxial films of Mn-Ga alloy exhibiting the large
perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and to fabricate the magnetoresistive tunneling

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devices using ultra-high vacuum magnetron sputtering technique, and we also showed
the high magnetoresistance ratio from ab initio calculations, so far [2].
In this letter, we demonstrated further the very low magnetic friction in this alloy
films using the time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect (TRMOKE) [3]. Figure 1(b)shows the typical TRMOKE signals for the films. Sinusoidal oscillations correspond tomagnetization (spins) precessions about an externally applied magnetic field. Spinprecessions show ultrafast frequencies up to 280 GHz with no remarkable decays, thathave never been observed in metallic ferromagnets. Gilbert damping constants (namely,
magnetic friction coefficient) extracted from the data are smaller by a factor of ten than
known materials with high magnetic anisotropy over ten Merg/cm3. First-principles

(a)

Mn

Ga

(b)

0

signal (arb.
unit) unit）
Kerr Kerrsignal（arb.

calculation also qualitatively supported the result. This finding contributes not only todevelop STT-MRAM further but also to form the new concept for designing Green
Spintronics Materials with no heavy elements [4].

-10-20H = 10.4 kOe
H = 80 deg.

-30

Pump laser
fluence-400.12 (mJ/cm2)
0.28

1.5 mW
3.5 mW
6.5 mW
10.5 mW

0.43

-50

0.83

-60

0

20

40

60

80

Delay
time (ps)
Delay
time
(ps)

Mn

Fig. 1 (a) Schematics of crystal structure for Mn-Ga alloys and (b) typical TRMOKE signals.

References[1] B. Balke et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 90, 152504 (2007).
[2] F. Wu et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 94, 122503 (2009); Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 042505(2010); IEEE Trans. Magn. 46, 1863 (2010); T. Kubota et al., Appl. Phys. Express
4, 043002 (2011).
[3] S. Mizukami et al., Appl. Phys. Express 1, 121301 (2008); Appl. Phys. Lett. 96,
152502 (2010); Appl. Phys. Express 3, 123001 (2010); Appl. Phys. Express 4,013005 (2011); Appl. Phys. Lett. 98, 052501 (2011); E. P. Sajitha et al. IEEE
Trans. Magn. 46, 2056 (2010).
[4] S. Mizukami et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 117201 (2011).

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Professor Ikuhara (PI) received Humboldt Research Award

The award certificate was given by Prof. Dr. Helmut Schwarz, President of
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (March 25, 2011).
Prof. Ikuhara, PI of WPI-AIMR, won Humboldt Research Awards, bestowed by theAlexander von Humboldt Foundation in Germany, an organization that promotes
academic co-operation between excellent scientists and scholars from abroad and from
Germany.

The award is granted in recognition of a researcher's entire achievements todate to academics whose fundamental discoveries, new theories, or insights that have
had a significant impact on their own discipline and who are expected to continue
producing cutting-edge achievements in the future. Prof. Ikuhara is well known andinternationally recognized scientist in the field of interface science and grain boundary
engineering in materials. His studies concerning grain boundary related phenomena
took a world-leading role in this field of research. Prof. Ikuhara is the 3rd Japanesewinner in the field of materials science.
th

The award ceremony was held at Bamberg inthGermany from 24 to 27 on March, 2011.

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66

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Assistant Prof.

Assistant Prof.
PI

Junior PI
PI

Zhongchang Wang*

Daisuke Ishii*

Kazue Kurihara

Ali Khademhosseini

Yuichi Ikuhara

Sloan Research fellowship

Materials Physics Humboldt Research Award

Device/System

Mar 25

Feb 15

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

Jan 31A. E. Alexander Lecture

Soft Materials

Jan 20Jan 20Date of
Award

Royal Australian Chemical Institute

The Materials Research Society of Japan

Award for Encouragement of Research ofMaterials Science

Materials Physics
Device/System

Awarding
Organization
The Materials Research Society of Japan

Name of Award
Award for Encouragement of Research ofMaterials Science

ThrustDr. Wang* Assistant Prof. Ishii and Assistant Prof. Wang also received “The 3rd WPI-AIMR Award” on April 21.
WPI-AIMR Award is given to the researchers working in WPI-AIMR at Sendai excluding PIs immediately when they won the prize from foreign and domestic researchorganizations, academic societies, academic journals, or administrative organizations, and Institute Director evaluates their work is worth awarding.

Position

NameAward Information

The Third Series of WPI-AIMR Joint Seminars FY2010
The third series of the WPI-AIMR Joint Seminars started from April, 2010. The aimof this seminar series was to enhance mutual scientific communications among researchstaffs in WPI-AIMR to promote further fusion researches and the seminars wereorganized and managed by younger research staffs in WPI-AIMR. The sessions were
not constituted only by one way talks based on established research results, but also
lively discussions and exchange of ideas.
Lineup of the third series of WPI-AIMR Joint Seminars (13th to 19th)
13th Seminar, Dec. 17, 2010
Tanigaki Group
Organizer: R. Nouchi, Moderator: S. Souma
R. Nouchi "Overview of “Nanomaterials toward Green Innovation”"
J. Xu "Guest Atom Motions in Type I Clathrate (Ba, Sr)8Ga16Ge30: Promising
Thermoelectric Materials"
Y. Tanabe "Single Crystal Diffraction and Structural Analysis of the Guest Atom Motion
in Type-1 Clathrate X8Ga16Ge30"
Y. Tanabe "Dirac-Fermion-Dominated Electronic Transport in Iron Pnictide Ba(FeAs)2 :Application for a Highly Mobile Carrier"
R. Nouchi "Characterization and Tuning of Metal Contacts to Dirac-Cone Systems andOrganic Semiconductors"
14th Seminar, Jan. 14, 2011
Tokuyama Group
Organizer: L. Xu, Moderator: T. Sato
L. Xu "Theoretical and Simulation Study of Structure and Dynamics in Glass-forming
Liquids"
Y. Cho "Charge Interaction in Nano-scale Soft Matter"
M. Tokuyama "Universality in Self-diffusion among Distinctly Different Glass-forming
Liquids"
15th Seminar, Jan. 28, 2011
Tsukada Group
Organizer: K. Akagi, Moderator: T. Hitosugi
K. Akagi "Introduction : A Guide for Collaboration with Us"
I. Hamada "Ab Initio sStudy of eElectrochemical Reactions at a Solid/Liquid Interface"A. Masago "Simulation for Scanning Probe Microscopy"
M. Araidai "Transport in nNano-scale sSystems"

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16th Seminar, Feb. 4, 2011
Miyazaki Group
Organizer: S. Mizukami, Moderator: S. Tsukimoto
S. Mizukami "Introduction to Spintronics in Miyazaki Group"“Exploration of Magnetic Materials for Magnetic Random Access Memory - magnetic
Properties and Spin Dynamics”
T. Kubota "Magnetoresistance Efect in Tunnel Junctions with Ordered MnGa
Perpendicular Magnet Thin Film Electrode"
X. Zhang "Spin Transport in Organic-inorganic Hybrid Junction"
17th Seminar, Feb. 18, 2011
Yamada Group Organizer: T. Sato, Moderator: L. Xu
T. Sato "Overview of Material Science Studied by Neutron Scattering"
K. Horigane "Magnetic Structure of Mn2.5Ga Thin Film from Polarized Neutron
Analysis"
S. Ji "Neutron Scattering Study on Geometrically Frustrated Magnetism in a
Fe-oxychalcogenide"
T. Sato "Hydrogen in Materials Studied by Neutron Scattering"
18th Seminar, Feb. 25, 2011
Shimomura Group
Organizer: D. Ishii, Moderator: K. Nakajima
D. Ishii "Overview of Self-Organized Materials for Functional Surfaces and Particles""High Adhesive Superhydrophobic Surface based on Self-Organization"
T. Higuchi "Structural Analysis of Phase Separation Structures of Block Copolymer
Nanoparticles"
T. Kawano "Control of Stem Cell Functions by Physical Interaction with theExtracellular Matrix"
19th Seminar, Mar. 4, 2011
Yamaguchi Group
Organizer: Z. An, Moderator: D. Ishii
Z. An "Introduction on the Development of Green Materials Based on Helicene
Chemistry by Yamaguchi Group"
W. Ichinose "Synthesis and Aggregation of Amido-ethyl-amidohelicene Triblock
Oligomers"
N. Saito "Synthesis and Hetero-double-helix Formation of Ethynylhelicene Oligomers"
K. Yamamoto "Stable Double-helix Formation of Ethynylhelicene Oligomer on Gold
Surface"
S. Nakano (Kurihara Lab) "Effect of Electric Field on Confined Liquid Crystal"
Z. An "Aggregation/Deaggregation of Chiral Nanoparticles Induced by Aromatic
Solvents"
H. Aikawa "Studies on the Relation Between Gel Properties and Their Components"
M. Shigeno "Enantiospecific Reversible sSwitching of Charge Injection Barriers"68

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The 13th Seminar (Tanigaki Group)
Nanomaterials toward Green Innovation
Organizer: R. Nouchi (Electronic Materials Lab., Materials Physics)
Materials whose characteristic size is on the nanometer scale show various kinds ofnovel physical properties which originate from the quantum mechanical behaviors of thenanostructures. To contribute to the target of AIMR “Materials for Green Innovation”,
Tanigaki group is pursuing thermoelectric materials for energy generation,
superconductors for energy conservation, and organic semiconductors for environmental
friendliness. In this seminar, we introduced three topics from our activities:(1) Clathrate as a promising thermoelectric material
Good thermoelectric materials should exhibit high electrical conductivity and low
thermal conductivity, but these two properties do not coexist in the majority ofcompounds. Type I clathrate is a very promising thermoelectric material under aphonon-glass-electron-crystal concept due to its unique host-guest structure, whereanharmonic motions of the guest atoms suppress the phonon thermal transport while thehost crystal structure ensures high electrical conductivity. Dr. Xu and Dr. Tanabe
discussed guest atom motions in type I clathrate by means of x-ray photoemission
spectroscopy, specific heat measurements, and single crystal diffraction.
(2) Dirac-cone systems with high-speed charge carriers
Dirac-cone states are very intriguing electronic states with an ideally massless fermion
character, which ensures high charge carrier mobilities. This state was found ingraphene, a single atomic sheet of graphite, and was recently shown to exist in the parent
compound of FeAs superconductors. Dr. Tanabe introduced our recent observation of alinear magnetic-field dependence of the magnetoresistance of the FeAs superconductors,
which indicates that the electronic transport is indeed governed by the Dirac-cone state.
Dr. Nouchi discussed metal-contact effects on Dirac-cone systems, which is unavoidable
when we fabricate electronic devices to exploit the high-speed charge carriers.
(3) Organic semiconductors toward flexible electronics
Organic semiconductors are expected to play indispensable roles in the future
electronics because of their applicability for flexible, light-weight devices. It is wellknown that charge-carrier injection from a metal to an organic semiconductor determines
the operation of organic electronic devices. Dr. Nouchi showed that helical molecules
synthesized by Yamaguchi group, which can make a self-assembled monolayer on metal
surfaces, impart switchable charge-injection properties to the metal-organic contacts.

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The 14th Seminar (Tokuyama Group)
Theoretical and Simulation Study ofStructure and Dynamics in Glass-forming Liquids
Organizer: L. Xu (Theory Lab., Bulk Metallic Glasses)
Glass has a histroy of thousand of years and is an essential element in everyday life,
such as window glass. However, the origin and mechanism of the steep increase ofslowing down in dynamics from supercooled liquid to glass remains unclear. In thecase of bulk metallic glasses, the phase behavior of substances rapidly becomes more
complicated as the number of components involved increases, which makes thetheoretical study and the prediction for practical applications more difficult. Thus, thedevelopment and investigation of simply system and the search for universalities areimportant for the understanding of the basic questions in supercooled liquids andmaterial science. Our computer simulation results based on the studies of thethermodynamic, dynamic, and structural properties of a model system have shown thata new stable glass can be produced from systems with two different local structures insupercooled liquids, which is consistent with the experimental observations water andpartially in metallic glass such as Ge and Ce-based alloys, thus provide a possible wayfor experiment to search for stable glasses via polyamorphism (glass-to-glasstransition)[1]. Further, our theoretical studies based on mean-field theory shows that
there exist two types of universalities in dynamic properties (e.g. self-diffusion) among
distinctly different glass-forming liquids, such as BMG and window glass. One
universality is that the dynamics of any atoms in different systems obeys a single masterfunction of time if their self-diffusion coefficients have the same value [2]. The otheruniversality is that the self-diffusion coefficients of any atoms obey a single masterfunction of temperature [3]. Hence this fact enables one to predict a whole selfdiffusion process of an atom contained even in a complex system if one can observe its
only one self-diffusion data.
References[1] L. Xu, N. Giovambattista, S. V. Buldyrev, P. D. Debenedetti, and H. E. Stanley, J.
Chem. Phys. (in press).
[2] M. Tokuyama, Phys. Rev. E 80, 031503 (2009).
[3] M. Tokuyama, Phys. Rev. E 82, 041501 (2010).

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The 15th Seminar (Tsukada Group)
Ab initio Surface/Interface Science
Aiming for Next Generation Devices and Measurement Techniques
Organizer: K. Akagi (Theory Lab., Materials Physics)
This seminer was planed to introduce our current researches and much more promote
the interaction with experimantal reseachers. We made sure that each talk contains“what we are doing in our group”, “short review of the frontier in our research field”,“introduction of our own research(es) ” and “what we can do with the audience”.
After the introductory talk by Dr. Akagi, Dr. Hamada introduced his recent works onelectrochemical reactions at solid/liquid interfaces based on ab initio calculations. How
to model and simulate such complex catalytic reactions was shown for few examples
and the difficult points of this kind theoretical approach were discussed.
Dr. Masago presented the simulation methods for scanning tunneling microscopy(STM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Kelvin probe force microscopy (KFM), andsome applications using them. He also announced that these methods are being
implemented as a part of “advanced simulator for the Scanning Probe Microscopy(SPM)” [ https://www.aas-ri.co.jp/spm/en/spm_eng.html ], which will be released in the
middle of this year.
The talk by Dr. Araidai was on theoretical treatments of electron transport in nanoscale systems and related phenomena in open systems using so-called Non-Equilibrium
Green's Function (NEGF) method. Preliminary result on spin transport property
through a “metal/oxide/metal” multi-junction system was introduced as collaboration
with Miyazaki group.
Dr. Tamura reported his recent studies on photovoltaic systems and moleculardevices focusing on exciton dynamics in molecular aggregates, charge transfer at donoracceptor hetero-junctions and polaron transports in organic thin films. Especially, hediscussed how these complex systems can be modeled and treated using ab initio
calculations and quantum dynamics calculations.
Finally, Dr. Akagi gave a talk on his approach for microscopic understanding of"water (or aqueous solution)/solid" interfaces based on the combination of firstprinciples calculation and classical molecular dynamics simulation. Some suggestive
information derived from the analysis of structure and dynamics of hydrogen-bondnetwork at the interfacial region were presented as a clue to understand the physical andchemical phenomena such as friction, lubrication and electrochemical reactions.

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The 16th Seminar (Miyazaki Group)
Spintoronics Materials
Organizer: S. Mizukami (Spintronics Materials Lab., Device/System Construction)
Spintronics is a boundary research region that is new and wide in which both amagnetic technology and the semiconductor technology are the base. Therefore, it is
impossible to deal only in an existing technological special region. In AIMR, Miyazakigroup began to research on new magnetic materials for Gbit magnetic random accessmemory (MRAM) and also on inorganic-organic hybrid magnetoresistive junction foradvanced flexible-spintronic devices, partially in collaboration with other groups in
AIMR and a company.
Dr. Mizukami talked about his investigations of spin dynamics damping effect invarious known magnetic alloys and multilayers. He reported that damping effect was
too large in conventional magnetic materials with large magnetic anisotropy althoughdamping determined most of power consumptions in MRAM. He claimed that it was
crucial to develop new and special materials for MRAM application, and introduced
such new materials, Mn-Ga alloys, investigated by Dr. Wu, who has succeeded to growthe Mn2.5Ga alloy epitaxial films using physical vapor deposition (i.e., magnetron
sputtering) method. The Mn2.5Ga alloy films exhibited tetragonal structures, very small
magnetization, and very large magnetic anisotropy, being advantageous for application
although spin dynamics damping effect in the alloys were under investigation.
Tunnel magnetoresistance exhibited by magnetic tunnel junctions is one of the mostimportant issues for MRAM application. Dr. Kubota talked about his experimental
investigation of TMR effect in some series of Mn-Ga and MgO-barrier based magnetic
tunnel junctions, especially focusing on the composition dependence of TMR. By
considering band-dispersion curves obtained by first-principles calculations done by thetheory group in AIMR, he discussed the potential of Mn-Ga alloys for MRAM
application.
Dr. Zhang talked about his experimental investigation on magnetoresistive junctions
using π-conjugated organic semiconductors (OSEs) as spacer. He reported therelatively larger and positive magneto-resistance (MR) ratio at low temperature wasobserved in his hybrid junction although spin transport mechanism is unclear yet.
Finally, he claimed importance of fusion research in this topic, and several researchers
gave him valuable comments.

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The 17th Seminar (Yamada Group)
Structures and Dynamics of Spins and Hydrogen in Novel Materials
Organizer: T. Sato
(Advanced Spectroscopy for Materials Physics Lab., Materials Physics)
Atomic arrangements (structure) and dynamics (e.g. phonons etc.) strongly correlatewith material properties, which lead to find those implications. Therefore, those studies
are indispensable on material science. In order to study for them, neutron and x-ray
scatterings are often employed. Particularly, neutron scattering is as a unique tool tostudy structures and dynamics of spins and hydrogen in novel materials. In this seminar,
three different research topics studied by neutron scatterings were presented.
The first was about “Magnetic Structure of Mn2.5Ga Thin Film from Polarized
Neutron Analysis presented by Dr. K. Horigane”. It is of special importance todetermine the magnetic structure of Mn2.5Ga thin film because of application for
spintronics device. In this seminar, he determined the microscopic magnetic structureof Mn2.5Ga thin film by using polarized neutron analysis. From this analysis, magnetic
structure of thin film is as same as that of bulk, however magnetic moment is smaller.
This result is consistent with macroscopic measurement such as SQUID measurement.
The second was about “Neutron Scattering Study on Geometrically Frustrated
Magnetism in a Fe-oxychalcogenide" presented by Dr. S. Ji. First, a basic concept ofgeometrically frustrated magnetism was introduced for general audiences of WPI
members to help them to understand a fascinating field of solid state physic studying aground state of glassy spins by neutron scattering techniques. Then, he presented his
recent study on an Fe-oxychalcogenide which has attracted many attention regarding its
interesting Mott-insulating behaviors and abnormal spin fluctuation of localized electon
on a geometrically frustrated lattice. In this seminar, it was demonstrated how neutron
scattering technique could investigate static and dynamic properties of spins in thecompounds.
The final was about “Hydrogen in Materials Studied by Neutron Scattering presented
by Dr. T. Sato”. Identification of hydrogen in materials is highly required becausehydrogen in materials leads a lot of interesting material properties. For the study,
neutron scattering can provide precise determination of hydrogen site. In the seminar,
he showed two different hydrides that were structural and dynamics investigations on akind of hydrogen storage material CaAlH5 studied by neutron diffraction and inelastic
neutron scattering, and strucutral investigations a glassy alloy (Ni36Nb24Zr40)1-xDx (x = 0,0.15) studied by neutron total scattering.

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The 18th Seminar (Shimomura Group)
Self-Organized Materials for Functional Surfaces and Particles
Organizer: D. Ishii (Bio Device Lab., Device/System Construction)
Functional surfaces and particles were prepared by self-organization process emergedin evaporating dual-solvent systems. In the case of immiscible system of dual-solvents
such as chloroform and water, honeycomb patterned structure was fabricated onpolymer surfaces templated by self-organization of condensed water droplet arrays [1].
On the other hand, in the case of miscible system of dual-solvents such as THF andwater, nano-structured polymer particles were obtained by self-organization [2].
We could prepare various microstructures [3] made from the honeycomb-patterned
polymer films, such as anisotropic-deformed porous films, honeycomb and particle
hybrid, microling array, microdot array, microlens array, and the other structured films.
We have tried not only to make precise surface structures by self-organization but also
to fabricate functional surfaces made from the honeycomb-patterned polymer films.
And also, we try to use the honeycomb film as extracellular matrix. Cell adhesion
behavior is very important for cell culturing. By using the various honeycomb
structured surface, we can control of cell adhesion and cell differentiation.
Another material is functional nanoparticle. Firstly, polymers are dissolved in a good
solvent. And then, water as a poor solvent is added into the solution. After mixing thesolution, good solvent is gradually evaporated. After evaporation, the polymer
nanoparticles are obtained in the water solution. By choosing suitable solvent for theblock copolymers, functional block copolymer nanoparticles having inner structures canbe prepared by self-organization [4].
References[1] O. Karthaus, et al., Langmuir, 16, 6071 (2000).
[2] H.Yabu, et al., Chaos, 15(4), 047505 (2005).
[3] (a) H. Yabu, et al., Adv. Mater., 20, 4200 (2008). (b) H. Yabu et al., Langmuir, 21,3235 (2005). (c) H. Yabu and M. Shimomura, Langmuir, 22, 4992 (2006). (d) D.
Ishii, et al., Chem. Matter., 21(9), 1799-1801 (2009). (e) H. Ishihata, et al., J.
Biomech. Sci. and Enginee., 5, 252 (2010). etc[4] (a) T. Higuchi, et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 47(42), 8044 (2008). (b) T. Higuchi, etal., Macromol. Rapid Commun., 31(20), 1773 (2010).

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The 19th Seminar (Yamaguchi Group)
Chemical Study on Helicene Chemistry: Development of Novel ChiralGreen Materials
Organizer: Z. An (Organosoft and Hybrid Materials Lab., Soft Materials)
Chirality is an important concept in organic chemistry: Any molecule that is notsuperimposable on its mirror image is chiral, and possesses two stereoisomers, called
enantiomers, with very similar but different properties. Chiral structures with righthanded or lefthanded helicity are named the P- and M-configuration, respectively. Ourstudies on chiral recognition phenomenon of helicenes show a tendency for pairs of thesame configuration of the helicenes to form more stable complexes than pairs ofenantiomeric helicenes via noncovalent bonding interactions. The observations are
made in charge transfer complexation, crystallization, homocoupling reaction, layer
structure formation, self-aggregation, and double helix formation [1]. In relation to thestudies on such helical polymers with low molecular weight, we explored the bottom-up
method to integrate small chiral helicenes as green soft materials, which will be applied
to energy- and resource-saving based on the noncovalent bonding interactions ofhelicenes.
The chiral helicene molecules (< 1nm) are used as the building blocks in designing
the soft green materials. A “bottom-up” method was developed to synthesize,
characterize, separate, purify and functionalize the built-up macromolecules (1-10 nm)[2], which further aggregated (10-100 nm) or assembled (100 nm-10 µm) as chiralcomplex (10 µm-10 cm)[3]. Because these materials are designed with a step by step
method, the high purification and orderly structure of these building blocks areadvantages over natural or synthesized polymers, and their properties indicatedreversible responsibility to the energy change (such as temperature, photo or magnetic)in a controlled manner. This approach employed in living things will be applied togreen materials for energy- and resource-saving.
References[1] R. Amemiya and M. Yamaguchi, Org. Biomol. Chem. 6, 26 (2008).
[2] H. Sugiura, Y. Nigorikawa, Y. Saiki, K. Nakamura andM.Yamaguchi, J. Am.Chem.
Soc. 126, 14858 (2004).
[3] R. Amemiya, M. Mizutani and M. Yamaguchi, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 49, 1995
(2010).

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Research Prospect

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Nanomaterial Transport by Motor Proteins
Daniel Oliveira1 and Winfried Teizer1,2
1

WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University

2

Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University, College
Station, TX, United States.

1. Introduction
Protein machines, also referred to as molecular motors, are the origin of nearly all
biological movements within the eukaryotic cell. Conversion of chemical energy intomechanical work, harnessed by the hydrolysis of ATP, propels proteins’ alongcytoplasmic systems of fibers,
such as microtubules.
The
kinesin protein (Figure 1) is awell known naturally occurring
molecular machine capable ofunidirectional cargo transport
Figure 1. Kinesin dimer structure showing the heavyupon microtubule interaction,
chain (head domain) and the light-chain (tail domain).
and consequently an attractive
candidate as a constituent of a synthetic molecular machine. As illustrated in Figure 2,
within the cytoskeletal network kinesin moves toward the (+)-terminus of microtubules(anterograde transport) having several functions including synapse activity [1,2].
Recent efforts to engineer tailor-made artificial nanotransport systems in order tocarry out directional transport of nanoobjects in a cell-free environment are thus hardly
surprising [3,4]. In a typical design, ATP-fueled kinesin motor proteins areimmobilized on a glass surface while microtubules loaded with cargo are propelled overthe motors. Alternatively, molecular shuttles can be assembled mimicking the naturalcell`s intracellular transport mechanism where the kinesin protein moves overmicrotubules tracks (Figure 2). From a device engineering perspective, the latterapproach for molecular shuttles is more appealing since multiple microtubules tracks
with varying directions can be designed in the same device; moreover, bidirectionalcargo transport can be achieved on the same track if different motor proteins are used
(e.g., kinesin and dynein). Therefore, it is conceivable to utilize this concept fornanoelectromechanical systems. Kinesin motors have, in fact, been successfully used79

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for applications such as biomedical sensors [5], bio-molecular motion [6], andnanoparticle transport [7].
Relying on very strong and specific covalent Microtubule
Kinesininteractions (e.g., biotin-avidin) kinesin can becoupled to functionalized nanocrystals, andaccordingly, the interaction of such a complex with Fluorescent Cargo
microtubules tracks can be visualized and investigated.
It is therefore anticipated that molecular shuttles canbe engineered by manipulating not only the cargo to
be transported by kinesin but also the microtubule
track network. This work is expected to develop
novel opportunities for nanosize transport, especiallyfor drug delivery.

Figure2.

Kinesin-Microtubule

Interaction for Cargo Transport.

2. Kinesin expression and kinesin-microtubule interaction observation
The first step toward the implementation of functional kinesin molecular shuttles isthe construction, expression and purification of biotinylated kinesin dimers [8,9],
currently performed in collaboration with Prof. Mitsuo Umetsu (WPI-AIMR at Tohoku
University). Typically, the drosophila DNA fragment encoding the full-length kinesin
heavy-chain motor domain is designed and modified by incorporating sequences ofhexa-histidine and biotin tags. The recombinant kinesin protein is then expressed in
Escherichia coli cells and purified by Ni-NTA chromatography. Following protein
purification, the biotinylated recombinant kinesin protein is conjugated withstreptavidin (or avidin) coated nanoparticles. Commercially available streptavidincoated quantum dots (Invitrogen Corp.) are currently used for preliminary experiments
on kinesin motility on microtubules. Microtubules (rhodamine-labeled) and fluorescent
nanoparticles are then observed on an Olympus BX-51 fluorescence microscope, incollaboration with Prof. Tadafumi Adschiri (WPI-AIMR at Tohoku University).
3. Results and discussion
Two methods were used to quantify the relative amount of kinesin protein expressedin Escherichia coli, namely, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE), and Western Blot analysis of electrophoretic separated kinesin. Bothmethods rely on the electrophoretic separation of proteins based on their sizes, differingin how the sought protein is visualized. The later method estimates the molecular mass

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of a protein by comparison with a protein standard, whereas in the former, protein
visualization is achieved using fluorescent-labeled antibodies specific to the target
protein (here, a his-tag antibody). Figure 3-A shows the SDS-PAGE result for the
expressed kinesin heavy chain in Escherichia coli purified in a Ni Sepharose column
and separated by size exclusion chromatography using a Superdex 200 column.
Following electrophoresis, the polyacrylamide gel was stained with coomassie brilliant
blue dye to allow visualization of separated protein bands, as seen in the figure. The
first lane in the SDS-PAGE corresponds to the molecular weight marker (New England
Biolabs), whereas lanes 2-10 are different Superdex 200 elution fractions. Since thedesigned kinesin protein has a molecular weight of 48 kDa, observation of Figure 3-A
seems to indicate the presence of kinesin in fractions 2-10. Kinesin expression was
supported by the Western Blot technique, where eluted fractions shown in Figure 3-A
where detected with a fluorescent-labeled his-tag antibody (Santa Cruz Biotechnology).
As illustrated in Figure 3-B, the kinesin protein was confirmed to be present in fractions
2-10.
k Da
175

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

A

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9 10

B

80
58
46

30

Figure 3. (A) SDS-PAGE: Lane 1, Molecular Marker; Lanes 2-10, Superdex 200 eluted
fractions. (B) Western Blot with fluorescent labeled his-tag antibody: Lane 1, MolecularMarker; Lanes 2-10, Superdex 200 eluted fractions.

Following successful kinesin heavy chain preparation, the formation of microtubules
was studied by controlling the polymerization of tubulin. A mixture of unlabelledtubulin and rhodamine-labelled tubulin was polymerized yielding stable fluorescent
microtubules. Flow-cells constructed by the juxtaposition of KOH-cleaned cover slip
and a microscope slide using double sided tape were used to observe microtubules withthe fluorescent microscope. GTP (Guanosine-5'-Triphosphate) analogs are known topromote the polymerization of microtubules and also to prevent their depolymerization[10]; therefore, two GTP analogs where tested to study the difference, if any, in
prepared fluorescent labeled microtubules, namely guanosine-5-[(,)-methyleno]

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triphosphate, and guanosine-5'-monophosphate salts. It turns out that microtubules
prepared with the latter salt are considerably longer than the ones prepared with theformer salt. The reason for this is currently under investigation. Since the major
components of the constructed nanotransport system are fluorescent (rhodaminelabelled microtubules for tracks and fluorescent quantum dots to be transported bykinesin), fluorescence microscopy is an elegant choice to visualize such systems.
Microtubules shown in Figures 4-A and B were obtained after guanosine-5'monophosphate salts polymerization, and microtubules on Figures 4-C and D werevisualized after guanosine-5-[(,)-methyleno] triphosphate polymerization. A clear size
difference in microtubules polymerized with the two distinct promoters can be easily
observed by the corresponding fluorescence images.
A

C

B

D

Figure 4. Microtubule fluorescent images. (A) and (B)microtubules

polymerized in the presence of Guanosine-5'-monophosphate salts; (C) and (D)microtubules polymerized with Guanosine-5-[(,)-methyleno] triphosphate.
Scale bar is 20 µm.

Following microtubule fluorescence observation, the kinesin-semiconductor
nanocrystals complex, which consisted of biotinylated kinesin labeled withcommercially available streptavidin-coated quantum dots (Qdot 605 nm, InvitrogenCorp), was assembled using a mixing ratio of 7 kinesin monomers per quantum dot. To
visualize the kinesin-quantum dot conjugate interacting with the microtubule track, the82

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same procedure described in Figure 4 was followed
except that after injecting the microtubule solution, thekinesin/quantum dot complex was flushed into the flow
cell. Because of the linear motion observed, Figures 5
A-C are interpreted to show quantum dot motion along
microtubules, where pictures A to C correspond tofluorescent time elapsed images collected every 500 ms,
respectively. Due to equipment limitation, we are notable at the present time to unambiguously rule out otherinterpretations since no microtubules were directly
observed near the quantum dots. Efforts are currently
being made to overcome the problems in the fluorescentobservation of kinesin-quantum dot conjugates by (1)using semiconductor nanocrystals with different
emission wavelengths, (2) altering the length of
microtubules, and (3) varying the ratio of kinesin toquantum dots. It should be noted that the fluorescence

A

20 µm

B

20 µm

C

20 µm

images shown in Figures 4 and 5 were obtained with a
Figure 5. QD motion along
relatively low resolution system, coupled with a standard
microtubules. Images (A),CCD camera (DP71).
We are in fact currently(B) and (C) were collectedassembling a state-of-the-art microscope at WPI-AIMR
with 500 ms intervals.
capable of providing the high level of precision andaccuracy required for the direct observation of microtubules and more importantly,
kinesin/nanoparticle complex motion on microtubules networks. Such a system, whichis expected to be fully operational in September 2010, consists of an inverted
fluorescence microscope (IX71, Olympus) equipped with a Total Internal Reflection
condenser (IX2-RFAEVA, Olympus); evanescent illumination will be provided by the
488 nm line of an argon ion laser. Fluorescent images will be acquired with an electron
multiplier charge couple device (ImageEM C9100-13, Hamamatsu). With this new
instrument, we expect to be able to resolve and distinguish microtubules and quantum
dots simultaneously.
3. Summary
We have initiated an effort at WPI-AIMR in early 2010, which is aimed atunderstanding and constructing novel biomolecular systems for nanomaterials transport.
Recombinant kinesin heavy chains have been expressed in Escherichia coli cells and83

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confirmed based on their molecular weight by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. In
addition, microtubules networks were systematically polymerized and their length could
be manipulated by controlling the addition of specific polymerizing promoter reagents.
Furthermore, the artificially created kinesin proteins could be conjugated withfluorescent-labeled quantum dots and visualized by fluorescence microscopy. Deeper
insight into such nanoscale transport systems will be achieved once the Total Internal
Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) microscope is fully operational, providing the highlevel of precision and accuracy required to the direct observation of such phenomena.
Acknowledgements
We acknowledge crucial support by our collaborators in the laboratories of Prof.
Adschiri and Prof. Umetsu.
References[1] A. Goel and V. Vogel Nat. Nanotech. 3, 465-475 (2008).
[2] R. Dixit, J. L. Ross, Y. E. Goldman and E. L. F. Holzbaur Science 319, 1086-1089(2008).
[3] J. Noel, W. Teizer and W. Hwang ACS Nano 3, 1938-1946 (2009).
[4] J. Noel, W. Teizer and W. Hwang Journal of Visualized Experiments 30, (2009).
http://www.jove.com/index/details.stp?id=1390[5] T. Fischer, A. Agarwal and H. Hess Nat. Nanotechnol. 4, 162-166 (2009).
[6] M. G. L. van den Heuvel and C. Dekker Science 317, 333-336 (2007).
[7] R. K. Doot, H. Hess and V. Vogel Soft Matter 3, 349-356 (2007).
[8] G. D. Bachand, S. B. Rivera, A. K. Boal, J. Gaudioso, J. Liu and B. C. Bunker Nano
Lett. 4, 817-821 (2004).
[9] D. L. Coy, M. Wagenbach and J. Howard J. Biol. Chem. 274, 3667-3671 (1999).
[10] T. Mitchison and M. Kirschner Nature 312, 237-242 (1984).

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Hongkai Wu
WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, P. R. China

Human physiology associates specific functions with each organ, for example,
the liver acts as a filter for harmful substances contained within blood, it stores vitamins
and minerals, and it produces cholesterol whereas the kidney filters blood and makes
urine. These functions are specific to tissues even though the cells that make up
tissues exhibit plasticity in their differentiated state. The earliest examples that exploit
the instability of cells in tissues induced corneal epithelium to produce hair andtransformed carcinoma cells into normal tissues (Figure 1) [1, 2]. These examples

Figure 1. The role of the cellular environment. The embryonic recombination of mouse
ectoderm with chick mesoderm produces an identity determined by the ectoderm; in this case,corneal epithelium grows feather appendages.

indicated that the cellular microenvironment played an essential role in the function ofcells.

Researchers can create tissue-like microenvironments using tissue extracts orsynthetic hydrogels. These materials include alginate, collagen [3], laminin-rich ECM[4], Matrigel (extracted from Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm mouse sarcoma), andphotosensitive hydrogels [5]. The purpose of synthesizing and using biocompatible
materials and fabricating ordered structures from these materials is to control thelocation of cells within the structured material. A suite of rapid prototyping tools
developed under the heading of ‘soft lithography’ makes the patterning and control ofliquids and polymers at the microscale possible [6]. Combining soft lithography with
the natural and synthetic materials for cell culture presents intriguing possibilities for85

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controlling where cells grow in 3D, stimulating selective populations of cells, andengineering tissues from several types of cells.
Takeuchi et al. used an axisymmetric flow-focusing microfluidic device tofabricate hydrogel beads that contained cells [7]; the hydrogel beads self-assembled
from a solution of peptides when exposed to ions. The combination of microfluidics,
materials science, and cell biology exemplified in this work solved several problems forcell culture in 3D, namely, eliminating large chemical gradients that characterize
millimeter-sized gels formed using conventional well plates and it simplified the
preparation of beads that contain multiple types of cells. The same combination of
microtechnology and biomaterials can provide control over the assembly of individual
pieces of engineered tissue constructs. Sia et al. demonstrated the use of hydrogels
that contain fibers of collagen that attach to neighboring hydrogels that contain fibers ofcollagen [8]. The ability to control how different and multiple phases of hydrogels
interact at the molecular scale is likely to instruct the assembly of complex tissues using
natural materials.
Several methods are available that produce aggregates of cells without using any
material substitute for the ECM; these methods include suspending a drop of cells on an
inverted substrate [9] and confining cells to chemically and topographically defined
regions of a substrate (Figure 2) [10–12]. The design of micron sized tissues using
Figure 2. Substrates that contain topography cause cells to aggregate into spheroids. A
pattern of adhesive (collagen) and non-adhesive (poly(ethylene glycol), PEG) regions arefabricated in a microwell using a stamp. Cells adhere selectively to the collagen and theconfined geometry of the well promotes the formation of a spheroid.

aggregates enables the size of the tissue to be controlled, which maximizes aggregate
size and prevents oxygen and nutrient deficiencies within the aggregate; multiple typesof cells can assemble in aggregates and organize among themselves; and, unlike
microfluidics, the forces that cells experience during aggregation are unlikely to affecttheir function.

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What is probably most compelling in justifying the study of 3D cell culture is
the manifest differences in behavior between cells cultured on two-dimensional
substrata and those in three-dimensional matrices. The morphological differences
between cells cultured in 2D and 3D are distinct. In 3D, fibroblast cells exhibit
dendritic extensions or are bipolar and stellate (which morphology is observed is afunction of how restrained and stiff the matrix is), however, on 2D substrata fibroblast
cells are flat and are distinguished by stress fibers.
Bissell et al. developed a conceptual framework for thinking about therelationship between cells and their microenvironment using breast cancer as a model
system [13, 14]. One of several outcomes from this framework was evidence that 3D
cell culture models can be used to identify functional genes and proteins and validate
targets for therapy. For example, the ß1-integrin receptor mediates cell-extracellularmatrix interactions and increased expression of ß1-integrin correlated with poor survival
in patients, however, down-modulation of ß1-integrin results in reversion of themalignant phenotype by arresting growth and restoring tissue polarity when propagatedin a 3D microenvironment. Addition of ß1-integrin inhibitory antibody to tumor cells
cultured in laminin-rich ECM gels decreased the rate of proliferation and numbers ofcells and increased apoptosis.
The relationship between, for example, fibroblasts and collagen matrix isreciprocal: fibroblast cells remodel the matrix, which increases the tension within thematrix, which feeds back into the cells and alters the mechanisms that are used tofurther remodel the matrix. Primary hepatocytes, when cultured on collagen orbasement membrane proteins, assume their differentiated shape and they express highlevels of mRNA for liver-specific genes [15]; in contrast, the same cells cultured onplastic substrata exhibit a dedifferentiated, flattened shape, because the substratum isinelastic; liver-specific gene transcription also declines dramatically on flat substrata.

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Aggregates of cells can be used to produce protein therapeutics in quantities
several times greater than the amounts produced by suspended cells in protein-free
media, however, it is unclear if this phenomenon can scale to compete withbioprocesses that are currently used for production of proteins [9].

Our lab focuses on problems that exist at the interface of microfabrication,materials science, microscopy, and cell biology and range from manipulating individual
cells to organizing thousands of cells.
We demonstrated the fabrication ofmonodispersed alginate gels that contained cells using biocompatible polymer
membranes (Figure 3) [16] and we developed methods that modify the most popularmaterial for microfluidics research (poly(dimethylsiloxane), PDMS) with fluorescentquantum dots for sensitive readout of temperature in microchannels [17] and withparaffin wax, which rendered PDMS airtight [18].

Our recent work uses topographically defined substrates to create spheroid
cultures of cells and organizes multiple types of cells cultured in collagen gels. These
projects are part of our continuing efforts to demonstrate the simplest methods that canFigure 3. Fabrication of individual pieces of hydrogel that contain bacterial cells using a
microfabricated membrane. PDMS wells pattern the location and geometry of a solution ofalginate, which is converted to a gel when exposed to a solution of divalent ions, for example,
calcium ions. The gel microparticles can be separated from the PDMS template.

culture cells in their natural environments and to characterize their behavior using
accessible microscopy tools. We expect the outcome of our efforts to define methods
that provide appropriate metabolites and nutrients for each type of cell in a multicellular
engineered tissue.

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[1] JL Coulombre and Coulombre A.J.
, 464 (1971).
[2] C. Ferraris, C. Chaloin-Dufau, and Dhouailly D.
, 89 (1994).
[3] R.B. Vernon and Gooden M.D.
, 97 (2002).
[4] N. Boudreau, C. Myers, Bissell M.J.
, 1 (1995).
[5] Hubbell J.A.
, 551 (2003) and references therein.
[6] Y. Xia and Whitesides G.M.

, 550 (1998).
[7] Y. Tsuda, Y. Morimoto and Takeuchi S.
, 2645 (2009).
[8] B.M. Gillette, J.A. Jensen, B. Tang, G.J. Yang, A. Bazargan-Lari, M. Zhong and Sia
S.K.
. , 636 (2008).
[9] J.M. Kelm and Fussenegger M.
, 195 (2004).
[10] J. Fukuda, Y. Sakai and Nakazawa K.
, 1061 (2006).
[11] D.M. Dean, A.P. Napolitano, J. Youssef and Morgan J.R.
(2007).
[12] A.P. Napolitano, P. Chai, D.M. Dean and Morgan J.R.

, 4005, 2087 (2007).

, 603 (2004).
[13] H. Liu, D.C. Radisky, F. Wang and Bissell M.J.
[14] C.C. Park, H. Zhang, M. Pallavicini, J.W. Gray, F. Baehner, C.J. Park et al.
, 1526 (2006).
[15] C.M. DiPersio, D. Jackson and Zaret K.S.
[16] C. Qiu, M. Chen, H. Yan and Wu H.K.
[17] J.H. Zhou, H. Yan, Y.Z. Zheng and Wu H.K.
[18] K.N. Ren, Y.H. Zhao, J. Su, D. Ryan and Wu H.K.

, 4405 (1991).
, 1603 (2007).
, 324 (2009).
, 5965 (2010).

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Newly Appointed
Principal Investigator

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Curriculum Vitae of Principal Investigator

Motoko KOTANIPRIMARY AFFILIATION:
Professor
WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research
Tohoku University
6-3, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
Tel: +81-22-795-6387
Fax: +81-22-795-6400
E-mail: kotani@math.tohoku.ac.jp
ACADEMIC:

1983
1985

B.S., The University of Tokyo, Japan
M.S., Tokyo Metropolitan University, Japan

ACADEMIC DEGREE: Doctor of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1990
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
1990-1997

Lecturer, Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Toho University

1997-1999

Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science Toho University

1999-2003

Associate Professor, Mathematics Institute, Graduate School of Science,
Tohoku University

2004-present

Professor, Mathematics Institute, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University

2008-2011

Distinguished Professor, Mathematics Institute, Graduate School of Science,
Tohoku University

2008-present

Leader of CREST Project: “A Mathematical Challenge to a New Phase of Material
Science --Based on Discrete Geometric Analysis--”2010
2011-present

Chair, Mathematics Institute, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University
Professor, WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University

1993-1994
2001
2007
2007-present
2008-present
2008-present
2011-present

Max-Planck Institute Bonn, Germany,
Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiques (IHES), France
Isaac Newton Institute, UK
Special Adviser to the President of Tohoku University
Member of the Board of Trustees, Mathematical Society of Japan
Associate Member, Science Council of Japan (Committee on Mathematical Sciences)
Member, Council for Science and Technology, MEXT, Japan

RECOGNITION:✦ Saruhashi Prize (2005)✦President Special Prize of Tohoku University (2006)✦President Education Award of Tohoku University (2010)

CURRENT RESEARCH:
・Discrete Geometric Analysis, Geometry93

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Newly Appointed Research Staff

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96

2011/04/26

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Tienan JIN

Associate Professor
TEL:＋81-22-795-3585
E-mail: tjin@m.tohoku.ac.jp
URL: http://www.wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp/yamamoto/index.html

ACADEMIC:
1993 B.S. in Science, Yanbian University, P. R. China
1996 M.S. in Science, Yanbian University, P. R. China
2004 Ph. D in Science, Tohoku University, Japan
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
1996-2000
2004-2006
2006-20102010-20112011-present

Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, Yanbian University, P. R. China
Research Associate, Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, USA
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Tohoku University
Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, Tohoku University
Associate Professor, WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University

CURRENT RESEARCH:
Transition metal-catalyzed organic transformation; nano-structured materials skeleton catalysis; organic
synthetic chemistry; design, synthesis, characterization of optoelectronic materials and application in
devicesNobuaki AOKIAssistant Professor
TEL: +81-22-217-5631
E-mail: nobuaki-aoki@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp
URL: http://www.tagen.tohoku.ac.jp/modules/laboratory/index.php?laboid=49

ACADEMIC:
2002 B.S. in Industrial Chemistry, Kyoto University, Japan
2004 M.S. in Engineering, Kyoto University, Japan
2006 Dr. Eng., Kyoto University, Japan
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
2006-2011
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School ofEngineering, Kyoto University
2011-present Assistant Professor, WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University
CURRENT RESEARCH:
Development of micromixer for instantaneous mixing, design methodology of microrector, masstransfer operation in microchannels using slug flow

97

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9:33:24Curriculum Vitae

Yan-Hui LIU

Assistant Professor
TEL: +81-22-217-5959
E-mail: yhliu@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

ACADEMIC:
2001 B.E. in Materials Science and Engineering, Shandong University, P. R. China
2004 M.E. in Materials Science and Engineering, Shandong University, P. R. China
2007 Dr. in Condensed Matter Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. R. China
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
2007-2011
GCOE Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University
2011-present Assistant Professor, WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University
CURRENT RESEARCH:
・Thermal and mechanical properties of metallic glasses and their correlation with atomic structures

Samad AHADIAN

Research Associate
TEL: +81-22-217-6142
E-mail: ahadian@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

ACADEMIC:
2003 B.S. in Polymer Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Iran2006 M.S. in Polymer Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Iran2011 Dr. Eng. in Materials Science, Tohoku University, Japan
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
2009-2011
JSPS Research Fellow, Tohoku University
2011-present Research Associate, WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University
CURRENT RESEARCH:
・Tissue engineering, bioMEMS, biomaterials

98

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Curriculum Vitae

Toshiyuki ARAKANE
Research Associate
TEL: +81-22-795-6477
E-mail: t.arakane@arpes.phys.tohoku.ac.jp
URL: http://arpes.phys.tohoku.ac.jp/

ACADEMIC:
2004 B. Sc. in Physics, Tokyo University of Science, Japan
2008 M. Sc. in Physics, Tohoku University, Japan
2011 Dr. Sc. in Physics, Tohoku University, Japan
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
2004-2006
Design engineer, Development dept., Fuji Bellows Co., LTD.
2008-2011
JSPS Research Fellow for Young Scientists
2011-present Research Associate, WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University
CURRENT RESEARCH:
・Research for the mechanism of various macroscopic phenomena in strongly correlated electron
systems, based on the determination of the fine electronic state probed by angle-resolved photoemission
spectroscopy (ARPES)
・Development and design of ultra-high resolution angle-resolved photoemission system

Haixin CHANG

Research Associate
TEL: +81-22-217-5998
E-mail: hxchang@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

ACADEMIC:
2001 B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Yanshan University, P. R. China
2004 M.S. in Materials Processing Engineering, Yanshan University, P. R. China
2007 Ph.D. in Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
P. R. China
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
2007-2009
Postdoctoral Fellow and joint assistant professor, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua
University, P. R. China
2009-2011
Research Associate, Nanotechnology Center, ITC, The Hong Kong Polytechnic
University, Hong Kong
2011-present Research Associate, WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University
CURRENT RESEARCH:
Graphene synthesis, growth and chemical modification; graphene based nanodevices (field effecttransistors, spintronics, solar cells, photodetectors, biosensors) and device physics; electrochemical andphotoelectrochemical energy conversion; nanoparticle based composite catalyst for organic synthesis or
solar water splitting99

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Curriculum Vitae

Chunlin CHEN

Research Associate
TEL: +81-22-217-5933
E-mail: chen.chunlin@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

ACADEMIC:
2001 B. S. in Materials Science & Engineering, Central South University, P. R. China
2004 M. S. in Materials Science & Engineering, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of
Sciences, P. R. China
2007 Dr. Eng. in Materials Science & Engineering, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of
Sciences, P. R. China
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
2007-2011
Specially Appointed Researcher, Research Center for Ultra-High Voltage Electron
Microscopy, Osaka University
2011-present Research Associate, WPI Advance Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University
CURRENT RESEARCH:
・Transmission Electron Microscopy, Phase transformation

Song CHEN

Research Associate
TEL: +81-22-217-6142
E-mail: chensong@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

ACADEMIC:
2003 B.S. in Polymer, Yangtze University, P. R. China
2006 M.S. in Polymer, Xiamen University, P. R. China
2009 Ph.D. in Biomaterials, Okayama University, Japan
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
2009-2011
Postdoctoral Fellow, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)
2011-present Research Associate, WPI Advance Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University
CURRENT RESEARCH:
・Sol-gel derived silica materials for biomedical application
・Micro-patterned technique for tissue engineering100

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Curriculum Vitae

Kyongwan KIM

Research Associate
TEL: +81-22-217-5979
E-mail: kkim@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

ACADEMIC:
1999 B.S. in Physics, Dankook University, Republic of Korea
2001 M.S. in Physics, Dankook University, Republic of Korea
2007 Ph.D. in Physics, Texas A&M University, USA
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
2008-2010
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Physics, Texas A&M University, USA
2011-present Research Associate, WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University
CURRENT RESEARCH:
・Microtubule, Motor Proteins, Soft Condensed Matter-Hard Condensed Matter Hybrid Devices
・Single Molecule Magnets (SMMs), Self Assembled Monolayers of SMMs

Akichika KUMATANI

Research Associate
TEL: +81-22-217-5948
E-mail: kumatani@wpi-aimr.tohku.ac.jp
URL: http://www.wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp/hashizume_labo/home_jpn.html

ACADEMIC:
2004 M.Eng. in Electrical and Electronic Eng., King’s College London, UK
2009 Ph.D. in Nanotechnology. London Centre for Nanotechnology andUniversity College London, UK
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
2009-2011
Research Associate, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics(MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)
2011-present Research Associate, WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University
CURRENT RESEARCH:
・Surface Science and Solid State Physics
・Charge injection mechanism at metal/organic contact interface
・Intrinsic mechanism of atomic-scale oxide materials

101

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Curriculum Vitae

Javier RAMON

Research Associate
TEL: +81-22-217-6144
E-mail: javier@bioinfo.che.tohoku.ac.jp
URL: http://www.che.tohoku.ac.jp/~bioinfo/

ACADEMIC:
2002 B.S. in Chemistry, University of Barcelona, Spain
2004 M.S. in Biochemistry, Superior Council of Scientific Research (CSIC), Spain
2008 Dr. in Chemistry, University of Barcelona, Spain
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
2006-2009
Researcher, Superior Council of Scientific Research (CSIC), Spain
2009-2011
JSPS Fellow, University of Hyogo
2011-present Research Associate, WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University
CURRENT RESEARCH:
・Investigation on novel micro and nano(bio)technological approaches to improve the efficiency of thediagnostic tools
・Combination of bioreceptors and micro(nano)materials to develop analytical devices in which an
optical or electrical signal can be recorded as a consequence of a specific biorecognition event

Ryota SHIMIZU

Research Associate
TEL: +81-22-217-5948
E-mail: shimizu@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp
URL: http://www.wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp/hashizume_labo/home.html

ACADEMIC:
2006 B.S., The University of Tokyo, Japan
2008 M.S., The University of Tokyo, Japan
2011 Dr. Sci., The University of Tokyo, Japanm

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
2008-2011
Research Assistant, WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University
2011-present Research Associate, WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University
CURRENT RESEARCH:
・Solid State Physics/Chemistry, Surface Science
・Studies on Oxide Surfaces and Interfaces102

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Curriculum Vitae

Haijun YU

Research Associate
TEL: +81-22-217-6142
E-mail: haijun.yu@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac. jp

ACADEMIC:
2001 B.S. in Chemistry, Inner Mongolia University, P. R. China
2006 Ph.D. in Polymer Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, P. R. China
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
2007-2009 Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximillians University,
Germany
2009-2011 Research Associate, Simmons Cancer Center, Texas University Southwestern Medical
Center at Dallas, USA
2011-present Research Associate, WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University
CURRENT RESEARCH:
Polymer chemistry: ATRP polymerization of novel monomers for nanoparticle fabrication;
Nanomedicine: environment-responsive polymeric nanoparticles for nanomedicine and green material
application

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Newly Appointed
Adjunct Professors

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Erratum
Newly Appointed Adjunct Professors, WPI-NEWS 11, December 24, 2011, page 122
The introduction of Newly Appointed Adjunct Professor misstated Professor Hideo Ohno’s title.
He is Adjunct Professor at WPI-AIMR.

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9:33:29Curriculum Vitae of Adjunct Professor

Bill JONESPRIMARY AFFILIATION:
Professor
Head of the Department of Chemistry
University of Cambridge,
Department of Chemistry,
Lensfield Road, Cambridge,
CB2 1EW, UK
Tel: ＋44 (0) 1223 336468
E-mail: wj10@cam.ac.uk
ACADEMIC:

1971 BSc. Hons., University College of Wales, UK
1974 Ph.D., University of College of Wales, UK
1980 M.A., University of Cambridge, UK
CURRENT POSITIONS:Head of Chemistry Department, University of Cambridge, UK
Deputy Director of the Pfizer Institute for Pharmaceutical Materials Science, UK
Professor of Materials Chemistry, University of Cambridge, UK
Professorial Fellow, Sidney Sussex College, UK
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
1974-1975
Staff Demonstrator, University College, Aberystwyth
1975-1976
Jacob London Fellow, Weizmann Institute, Israel
1976-1978
Staff Demonstrator, University College, Aberystwyth
1978- present Member of Academic Staff,, Univeristy of Cambribdge
1987- present Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry
1987- present Chartered Chemist

1988

Visiting Professor, State University of New York, USA

RECOGNITION:✦Corday Morgan Medal, Royal Society of Chemistry, USA (1983)

CURRENT RESEARCH:
・Chemistry of layered inorganic solids and in particular their role as catalysts
・Organic solid state chemistry, crystal engineering and pharmaceutical materials science107

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9:33:29Curriculum Vitae of Adjunct Professor

Yasumasa NISHIURA
PRIMARY AFFILIATION:
Professor
Laboratory of Nonlinear Studies and Computation
Research Institute for Electronic Science,
Hokkaido University
Kita 12 Nishi6, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0812, Japan
Tel: +81-11-706-3357
Fax: +81-11-706-2891
E-mail: nishiura@nsc.es.hokudai.ac.jp
ACADEMIC:
1973 B.S. in Mathematics, Kyoto University, Japan
1975 M.S. in Mathematics, Osaka University, Japan
1982 Dr. of Science, Kyoto University, Japan

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
1978-1982
Lecturer, Kyoto Sangyo University
1982-1983

Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, University of Michigan, USA

1982-1989

Associate Professor, Kyoto Sangyo University

1989-1991

Associate Professor, Faculty of Science, Hiroshima University

1991-1995

Professor, Faculty of Integrates Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University

1995-present

Professor, Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University

1984-11-12

Guest Research Fellow, University of Heidelberg, Germany

1987-01-04

Guest Research Fellow, Department of Mathematics, Brigham Young University, USA

1988-01-03

Guest Research Fellow, Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Netherlands

2002-01-03

TICAM Faculty Research Fellow, University of Texas (Austin), USA

2003-2005

Director, Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University

2007-present

Research Director of the JST Mathematics Program “Alliance for Breakthrough between
Mathematics and Sciences”

RECOGNITION:✦ Autumn Prize, Math. Soc. Japan (2002)✦ Lecturer for Distinguished Colloquium Series of IAM-PIMS-MITACS, UBC, USA (2008)

CURRENT RESEARCH:
・Dynamics of patterns and waves
・Global bifurcation approach to nonlinear dynamics
・Collision dynamics of spatially localized patterns
・Adaptive behaviors of amoeboid locomotion

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Curriculum Vitae of Adjunct Professor

Toshikazu SUNADA
PRIMARY AFFILIATION:

Professor
Department of Mathematics, Meiji University
1-1-1 Higashi-Mita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 214-8571, Japan
Tel: +81-(0)44-934-7462
Fax: +81-(0)44-934-7913
E-mail: sunada@isc.meiji.ac.jp

ACADEMIC:
1972
1974
1977

B.S., Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
M. S.,The University of Tokyo, Japan
Dr. of Science, The University of Tokyo, Japan

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

1974-1975
1975-1977
1977-1979
1979-1988
1988-1991
1991-1993
1993-2003
2003-present
1979-1980
1988
2007
2008
2008

Research Associate, Nagoya University
Research Associate, The University of Tokyo
Assistant Professor, Nagoya University
Associate Professor, Nagoya University
Professor, Nagoya University
Professor, The University of Tokyo
Professor, Tohoku University
Professor, Meiji University

Guest researcher at Bonn University, USA
Guest professor at Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiques (IHES), France
Organizer of a special project at Isaac Newton Institute at Cambridge
Visiting professor of Max Planck Institute, Germany
Andrejewski Lecturership at Humboldt University in Berlin under the auspices of the Walter and
Eva Andrejewski Foundation as a distinguished scholar, Germany[1] Member of the board of Mathematical Society of Japan (two times)[2] Committee member of Kyoto Prize (three times)[3] Member of the delegation to IMU (three times)[4] Committee member of CDE in IMU (three terms)[5] Head of a ``Good Practice" project in Meiji University supported by Ministry of Education[6] Chairman of the scientific committee of Asian Mathematical Conference 2009 (AMC 2009) held at Malaysia[7] Panel member of the European Research Council (an organization set up to promote outstanding, frontierresearch in all areas of science and humanities throughout Europe)

RECOGNITION:✦Iyanaga Prize of Mathematical Society of Japan (1988)✦Professor Emeritus of Tohoku University since 2003

CURRENT RESEARCH:

Topological Crystallography: Applying ideas in algebraic topology (theory of covering spaces and homology
theory), discrete geometric analysis, and discrete algebraic geometry to a systematic enumeration of crystal
structures

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Curriculum Vitae of Adjunct Professor

Ichiro TSUDA
PRIMARY AFFILIATION:
Professor
Research Institute for Electronic Science,
Hokkaido University
Kita 12 Nishi 6, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
Tel: +81-11-706-3824
E-mail: tsuda@math.sci.hokudai.ac.jp; tsuda@es.hokudai.ac.jp
ACADEMIC:
1977

B.S. in Physics, Osaka University, Japan1982

D.SC. in Physics, Kyoto University, Japan

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
1982

Post-Doc, Kyoto University

1982-1983

Research member of bioholonics national project. Research Development Corporation ofJapan (the present JST)

1983-1988

Group leader of basic design group, bioholonics project. RDCJ

1988-1993

Associate Professor, Department of Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Computer Science,
Kyushu Institute of Technology

1993-1995

Professor, Department of Mathematics, Hokkaido University

1995-2005

Professor, Department of Mathematics, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University

2005-present

Professor, Research Institute for Electronic Science (RIES), Hokkaido University

2008-present

Director, Research Center for Integrative Mathematics, Hokkaido University

2009-present

Project Leader, a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas “The study on
the neural dynamics for understanding communication in terms of complex hetero systems(No.4103)”

1998-2001
1999-2001
2001-present
2002-present
2007-present

Senior Visiting Researcher of COE, Electro Technical Laboratory(the present Advanced
Industrial Science and Technology)
Visiting Professor, Fujitsu Endowed Chair "Sciences of Complex Systems" JAIST
Visiting Professor, Department of Intelligent Machine Systems Engineering, Graduate Schoolof Engineering, Osaka University
Advisory board of The Research Center for Complex System Studies at Kalamazoo College,
USA
Visiting Professor, Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University

RECOGNITION:✦HFSP Award (2010)

CURRENT RESEARCH:
・Chaotic Dynamical Systems, Complex Systems, Computational Neuroscience110

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Curriculum Vitae of Adjunct Professor
Curriculum Vitae of Adjunct Professor
Fred
WUDL
Fred
WUDL
PRIMARY
AFFILIATION:
Professorof Chemistry
and Materials,
PRIMARY
AFFILIATION:
Co-Director
ProfessorCPOSof Chemistry and Materials,
Departmentofand Biochemistry
Co-DirectorChemistry
CPOS
Departmentof Chemistry
and Biochemistry
Universityof California,
Santa
BarbaraUniversityofCalifornia,
Santa
BarbaraCA 93108, USA
CA 93108, USA
Tel: +1-805-893-5817
Tel: +1-805-893-5817
Fax: Fax:+1-805-893-3803+1-805-893-3803
E-mail:wudl@chem.ucsb.edu
E-mail:wudl@chem.ucsb.edu
ACADEMIC:
ACADEMIC
:
1964
1967

1967

Bachelor of Science, University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) ,USA
Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) , USA

Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) United States

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
1964
Bachelor of Science, University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) United States1968 - 1972
Assistant Professor, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York ,USA1972 - 1974
Member, Technical Staff, Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey ,USA
1974 - 1982
Supervising Member, Technical Staff, Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey ,USA1982 - 1994
Professor, Chemistry and Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara ,USA
PROFESSIONAL
1994 - 1997 EXPERIENCE
Professor,: Chemistry and Materials, University of California, Santa Barbara ,USA
1997 - 2006	Dean M. Willard Professor of Chemistry (formerly Courtaulds Professor of Chemistry), University ofCalifornia, Los
Angeles2008 - 2009
Acting Associate
Directorof,USA
the California NanoSystems Institute, University of California,
2006 - present
Professor of Chemistry and Materials, University of California, Santa Barbara ,USA
2006 - presentSanta Barbara
Co-Director CPOS, University of California, Santa Barbara ,USA2008 - 2009	Acting Associate Director of the California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Santa2006 Co-Director CPOS, University of California, Santa Barbara
Barbara ,USA

2006 -

Professor of Chemistry and Materials, University of California, Santa Barbara

RECOGNITION:
1997 –◆2006
M. Willard
Peter A. Dean
Leermakers
LecturerProfessor(1988) of Chemistry (formerly Courtaulds Professor of Chemistry),
the American
theAngeles
Advancement of Science (1989)◆ Fellow of
Universityof Association
California,for
Los◆ Visiting Scientist at the C.N.R.S. "Postes Rouge" Orsay, France (1992)
1994 –◆1997
Chemistry
and Materials,
University of California, Santa Barbara
William Professor,
Rauscher Lecturer
in ChemistryAward (1992)◆ Karcher Lecturer, University of Oklahoma (1992)
1982 –◆1994
and Physics, University of California, Santa BarbaraPeter A. Professor,
Leermakers Chemistry
Lecturer (1992)
3M Lecturer, University of British Columbia (1992)
1974 –◆1982
Supervising Member, Technical Staff, Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey◆ Arthur D. Little Award; Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award; Stouffer Award, USC (1993)
WhelandMember,Medal, Universityof Chicago;
TheLaboratories,"Giulio Natta" Murray
Medal, Rome;
Lecturer, Brown University (1994)
1972 –◆1974
Technical
Staff, Bell
Hill, Clapp
New Jersey◆ American Chemical Society Award for Chemistry of Materials; Bayer Lecturer, Cornell University (1996)
1968 –◆1972
State
University
New (1997)
York, Buffalo, New York
AlumnusAssistantof the YearProfessor,
Award from
Los Angeles
City ofCollege◆ Herbert Newby McCoy Award; Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2001)◆ D.Sc. (Honoris Causa), Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain (2004)◆ Professor C.N.R. Rao Lecture Award of CRSI; Honorary Fellow, Chemical Research Society of India (CRSI) (2005): Pfister Visiting Professor in Organic Chemistry, MIT (2006)
RECOGNITION◆ Merck-Karl◆ Tolman Medal of the SCALACS (2007)
Achievement
Award,
Universityof California,Stephanie
Los Angeles
2010 ◆ Professional
Fellowof the Royal
Societyof Chemistry;
L.(2008)
Kwolek Award, Royal Society of◆ Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry; Stephanie L. Kwolek Award, Royal Society of Chemistry (2010)

Chemistry

2008CURRENT RESEARCH:
Professional Achievement Award, University of California, Los Angeles・Currently we are interested in the optical and electro optical properties of processable conjugated polymers, as well as in the
Tolman Medal of the SCALACS
organic chemistry of fullerenes, and the design and the preparation of self-mending polymers. We have been studying single
2006 component Merck-Karl
Pfister Visiting
Professor
Organic
Chemistry,properties
MIT study where the birefringence isre-mending polymers.
Below weshow the inresultsof a mechanicalcorrelatedwithdeformationofthematerial.
2005
Professor C.N.R. Rao Lecture Award of CRSI; Honorary Fellow, Chemical Research・We continue to perform research on plastic solar cells with the goal of developing new materials to improve the efficiency ofSociety(CRSI)
the solar cells
within oftheIndiaconcepts
developed at UCSB over a decade ago, as well as employing possible new concepts.

2007

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Curriculum Vitae of Adjunct Associate Professor

Hitoshi SHIKUPRIMARY AFFILIATION:
Associate Professor
Graduate School of Environmental Studies
Tohoku University
Tel: +81-22-217-6140, +81-22-795-6167
Fax: +81-22-795-6167
E-mail:shiku@bioinfo.che.tohoku.ac.jp
ACADEMIC:

1994 B.E. in Applied Chemisty, Department of Engineering, Tohoku University, Japan
1997 Doctor of Engineering, Tohoku University, Japan
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
1996-1998
JSPS Research Fellowship for Young Scientist
1998-1999
Postdoctoral Fellow, The University of Kansas, USA
1999-2003
Senior Researcher, Yamagata Public Corporation for the Development of Industry
2003-2007
Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University
2003-2007
Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University
2007-present
Associate Professor, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University
RECOGNITION:✦Sano Award for Young Scientists, Electrochemical Society of Japan (2004)✦Ichimura Academic Award (2009)✦Young Scientist's Prize for the Commendation of Science and Technology by the Minister of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) (2009)

CURRENT RESEARCH:・Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy for Probing Respiration of Individual Mammalian Embryos
・Single-Cell Analysis Based on Scanning Probe Techniques
・Integrated Cell Cultivation Devices to Control Micro-Environmental Conditions

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Global Intellectual Incubation
and Integration Lab (GI3 lab)

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GI3 Laboratory
In order to strengthen international fusion/joint research and construct a world“visible center”, we started “Global Intellectual Incubation and Integration Laboratory(GI3 Lab)” program in 2009. The original target of GI3 Lab was to establish a global
stream of young bright brains (young and excellent researchers and students) gathering
at WPI-AIMR from all over the world. Now, we expand the target of GI3 Lab to seniorresearchers, integrating existing IFCAM visiting professorship.
Briefly stated, GI3 Lab will accept following researchers.
1. Senior Researchers: Visiting Professorship and Associate Professorship
2. Junior Researchers: Visiting Scientists
Ⅰ. Senior Researchers
Qualified researchers who may be interested in GI3 visiting professorship should firstcontact the WPI-AIMR principal investigators (PIs) of the related research fields.
Your contact PIs will initiate the further process to materialize the fusion/joint research.
(1) Tenure: For a period of one to three months.
(2) Financial: The salary varies, depending on the qualifications, based on the Tohoku
University regulations. Roughly speaking, “full professor” receives 600,000 yen permonth and “Associate Professor” receives 500,000 yen per month.
Ⅱ. Junior Researchers
We accept excellent young researchers and students who belong to foreign PIs’laboratories as WPI-AIMR visiting scientists. The PIs who would like to send them to
GI3 Lab should first contact the host PIs of the related research fields. The contact PIs
will initiate the further process to materialize the fusion/joint research.
(1) Tenure: For a period of minimum a couple of weeks to a maximum of three months.
(2) Financial: We support living cost of about 100,000 yen per month and actual cost foraccommodation.
For details, contact General Affairs Section at WPI Office:wpi-shomu@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

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116

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9:33:36

Tokuyama

Chen

Adschiri

Khademhosseini

Tokuyama

Host

Visiting Professor

Visiting Professor

Visiting Professor

18
2

8
2

2010
2011

Visiting Scientist

Esashi(Gessner)*

Khademhosseini

Esashi(Gessner)*

8 LIN, Weichich

9 ANNABI, Nasim

10 ROSCHER, Frank
2011

2010

12

29

11

2

1

7

11

10

Note: * indicates the name of PI who dispatched the scientist.

Visiting Scientist

Esashi
2010

2010

Visiting Scientist(Master Student)
Visiting Scientist(PhD Student)

11

2010

Visiting Scientist(PhD Student)

10

15

7

2010

Visiting Scientist

7 GABLER, Felix

6 MARTIN, Laura

5 WATKINS, Matthew

1727

Visiting Scientist

4
6

17
4

2010

Tsukada(Shluger)*
Tsukada(Shluger)*
Louzguine(Greer)*4 TEOBALDI, Gilberto

2010

3
1

1

15

Visiting Scientist(PhD Student)

Yamamoto(Wan)*

3 CAO, Fei-Fei

2010
2011

2010

From

6

Visiting Scientist

Visiting Scientist(PhD Student)

Louzguine(Yavari)*Esashi(Gessner)*

Position

Host

2 HAUBOLD, Marco

1 ALJERF, Moustafa

Name
14

20

7

2010

2010

Visiting Associate
Professor

28
16

6

2010

Visiting Associate
Professor

7

From

Position

B. Junior Researchers and Students <Visiting Scientists>

5 PROCACCIA, Itamar

4 ZHANG, Ze

3 LEE, Youn-Woo

2 JABBARI, Esmaiel

1 GIOVAMBATTISTA, Nicolas

Name

～

～

～

～

～

～

～

～

～

～

Term
～

～

～

～

～

～

Term
～

A. Senior Researchers <Visiting Professors/Associate Professors>

2011

2011

2011

2011

2011

2010

2010

2010

2010
2011

2010

2011

2010

2010

2010

2010

3

2

3

3

1

8

4
7

7

4
1

4

Through

3

9

10

8

7

Through

11

2

14

11

21

5

30
6

14

5
28

14

1

17

19

15

29

Professor
Professor

Zhejiang University,
P. R. China
The Weizmann Institute of Science,
IsraelChemnitz University of Technology,
Germany

Research
Associate

The University of Sydney,
Australia

Scientist

Student

PhD Student

Researcher

Researcher

PhD Student

Germany

Syria

Nationality

Israel

P.R. China

Korea

Iran

Italy

Nationality

Germany

Iran

TaiwanGermany

UK

UK

Italy

PhD Student P.R. China

PhD Student
Scientist

Institute of Chemistry, Chinese
Academy of Sciences (ICCAS),
P. R. China
University City College London,
UK
London Centre for Nanotechnology,
UK
University of Cambridge,
UK
Chemnitz University of Technology,
Germany
University of Cambridge,
UK

Chemnitz University of Technology,
Germany

PhD Student

Professor

Seoul National University,
Republic of Korea

Institute National Polytechnique deGrenoble, France

Associate
Professor

University of South Carolina,
USA

Position

Assistant
Professor

Brooklyn College of the City
University of New York (CUNY), USA

Affiliation

Position

Affiliation

Global Intellectual Incubation and Integration Laboratory (GI³ Lab) - April 2010 to March 2011

26

30

33

22

24

33

33

26

27

34

Age

60

57

52

48

38

Age

Deposition of Metallic Glass thin films for the use as anormal low temperature bonding material

Development of deposition and structuring processes
for application of metallic glasses for MEMS
Catalyst-Free Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanostructures
by Microheaters in the Ambient Environment
・Ｄevelopment of a miniaturized microfluidic-based
high-throughput cell toxicity to create an in vitro
model of Parkinson’s disease ・Fabrication of poly
(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogel containing
concentration gradient of a model drug and its potential
application for high throughput screening in drug

Preparation of fully Biocompatible Bulk Metallic GlassFirst-principles modelling of processes and STM/STS
imaging at nanostructured surfaces
Development of realistic tip models for simulating
atomic force microscopy

Exploration on nanomaterials synthesis

・Grinding and polishing of lithium niobate substrate
・Deposition of gallium thin films(sputtering/vaporation)・Integration of metallic glass structures into silicon
MEMS using low temperature solid liquid interdiffusion(SLID) based on gallium and indium- evaluation ofdeposition and patterning techniques

Mechanical and magnetic properties of metallic glasses

Research Topic

The statistical physics of amorphous solids

Applications of Cs Corrected TEM upon
Nanostructured Materials

Fabrication of Nano Fusion materials by Supercriticalfluid technology

Effect of spatial pattern of osteogenic peptides on abiodegradable scaffold on mineralization and boneformation

Development of computer models to study
polyamorphism in glassy

Research TopicGI3 Activity Report of Felix GABLER
October 7th, 2010 - March 11th, 2011
Host: Professor Masayoshi ESASHI (Professor Thomas GESSNER)
During my stay at Esashi Laboratory in Tohoku University as a member of the
WPI-AIMR Gessner Group I contributed to the cooperative german-japanese research
project “NEMS/MEMS and Nanomaterial-enhanced Passive Components Compatible
with Advanced Nano-CMOS for Future One-chip Tunable RF Systems”. This frame
project focuses on providing key technologies for future mobile wireless communication devices in the multi-GHz range.
My task was to study and design a “Low Temperature Cofired Ceramics (LTCC)
Integrated RF Inductor with Nanoparticle Embedded Core” as part of the outlined frame
project. This objective has been achieved by extensive software simulations with thesophisticated ANSOFT High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS). By means of thesimulation results, different kinds of inductors have been designed and optimized for 2.4
GHz and 5.725 GHz respectively.
Another main issue was to carry out material measurements of the magnetic properties of promising high frequency soft magnetic materials like for instancenanocrystalline FeSiBPCu at multi-GHz range. These measurements have been realized
under collaboration with the ECEI Laboratory of Prof. Yamaguchi. By including themeasurement results into the software simulations, the possibility of enhancing the inductors performance by embedding soft magnetic materials into the LTCC substrate has
been successfully confirmed.
The inductor designs have been successfully created and submitted to NIKKO Company for fabrication. Afterwards different kinds of soft magnetic materials will beembedded into the LTCC substrate. This will be done by the other members ofGessnerGroup to continue the research project.
I would like to express my deepest thanks to all the members of WPI-AIMR andEsashi Laboratory for this opportunity and the great time in Japan.

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GI3 Activity Report of Wei-Chih LIN
November 1st, 2010 - March 14th, 2011
Host: Professor Masayoshi ESASHI (Professor Thomas GESSNER)
The major objective for the research project at the WPI-AIMR, Tohoku University is
to develop a locally controllable method for synthesizing the zinc oxide (ZnO)
nanostructures by the micro-fabricated microheaters. The research project is divided
into the three issues that are the designs and fabrications of the microheaters; theexperimental studies for the ZnO nanostructures synthesis and the analyses of thesynthesized ZnO nanostructures.
The first section concentrates on the fabrication of the microheaters. Firstly, thegeometries of the microheater are designed by the commercial software (Comsol) andfabricated, then, following with the MEMS processes. During the research period, three
versions of the microheater fabrications are achieved in the Prof. Esashi’s Lab and WPIcleanroom. Moreover, the optimized parameters in each process are acquired for thedevice fabrication. For instance, the sputtering parameters are investigated to deposit
the Zn layer as an oxidized layer for ZnO nanostructure synthesis.
In the second part, the ZnO nanostructures are prosperous synthesized by the
fabricated microheaters with applied voltages under various environments such us thedifferent pressure and percentages of the oxygen and humidity. Furthermore, theappropriative synthesis parameters, which are the applied voltages (heat generation
power) and the synthesized ambient, are gained through these experiments. Lastly, thecharacterizations of designed microheaters are studied by the IR camera and SThM
probe for measuring the generated temperature to understand the relationship between
the applied powers and ZnO nanostructures synthesis. Furthermore, the SEM, Raman
and XPS spectrum are utilized to identify the geometries and crystal structures of thesynthesized ZnO nanostructures.
Finally, the research results have been published to the WPI workshop and Nanotech,
Tokyo 2011 and also are going to be submitted to the further conferences and journal
papers. On the other hand, the research project is going to be continued in the
Nanoscience Centre, Cambridge University.

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9:33:38

GI3 Activity Report of Dr. Nasim ANNABI
November 29th, 2010 - February 2nd, 2011
Host: Junior PI Ali KHADEMHOSSEINII was involved in two different projects during my research at WPI-AIMR in Tohoku
University. The first project was about the development of a miniaturized microfluidicbased high-throughput cell toxicity to create an in vitro model of Parkinson’s disease.
This was achieved by generating concentration gradients of 6-hydroxydopamine along a
microfulidic channel to trigger a process of neural apoptosis in pheochromocytoma
PC12 neural cells cultured in the channel. The outcome of this project has been
accepted for publication in Biomicrofluidics.
The second project was investigated the fabrication of poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG)
hydrogel containing concentration gradient of a model drug and its potential application
for high throughput screening in drug discovery studies. I was trained for the
fabrication of microfluidic devices in the early stage of my research at WPI. Then, I
collaborate with Dr. Serge Ostrovidov to produce results for a joint publication. In thisproject, a microfluidic gradient generator was used to create concentration gradient of
okadaic acid (OA) as a model drug within the PEG hydrogel. The gradient hydrogel
was then placed in close proximity of cell-coated surface to induce a gradient of cell
viability through the release of OA from the gradient hydrogel. It was found that toxin
was released from the hydrogel in a gradient manner and induced a gradient of cell
viability. The miniaturized hydrogel containing drug concentration gradient developedin this study has potential to be used for drug discovery and diagnostics applications as
it can simultaneously test the effects of different concentrations of drugs. It can also be
used to screen molecular libraries for their effects on cell behavior such as proliferation,
viability, differentiation and migration and overcome the problems associated bycurrently used cell-based in vitro assays. These assays are performed by seeding thecells within multi-well dishes and do not necessarily predict the function of drugs invivo, which is resulted in a large number of failed drug candidates in animal
experiments and clinical trials. The miniaturized microfluidic platform developed inour study may enable medical diagnosis in a more rapid and accurate manner and is ofgreat potential for drug discovery and HTS cell-based assays. I am currently involvedin preparation of a journal publication in collaboration with Dr. Serge Ostrovidov at
WPI based on these results. We plan to submit this manuscript to the journal ofcontrolled release shortly.
I acquired new experiences and skills on the fabrication of microfluidic devices
during my visit at WPI; I would like to thank Prof. Khademhosseini and Prof.
Yamamoto for giving me the opportunity to work at WPI and for their support during
these two months.

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GI3 Activity Report of Dipl.-Ing. Marco HAUBOlD
January 4th, 2011 - January 28th, 2011
Host: Professor Masayoshi ESASHI (Professor Thomas GESSNER)
The objective of the research stay at the GI3 Gessner Lab at Tohoku University
follows two aspects for low temperature fabrication of semiconductor devices. On the
one hand sputtered layers of metallic glass thin films have been evaluated. Therefore, a
new sputter equipment for amorphous materials mainly was being introduced and set up
at Micro-Nano Center (MNC) at Aobayama Campus. After several tests using RF and
DC power, optimal parameters could be identified in order to deposit homogeneous
layers of metals, required in MEMS/NEMS fabrication, such as titanium, copper or tin.
These settings provided a basis for ongoing deposition investigations regarding
zirconium based metallic glass thin films. XRD analysis of the produced layers showedsignificant peaks after the sputter deposition in comparison to the amorphous target.
The observed profiles showed a partly crystallization of the layer which could be
assigned to the alloy’s components (e.g. zirconium, nickel).
Within further
investigations the crystallization could be avoided and the film’s XRD measurement
showed an amorphous character, comparable to bulk samples. The accomplishedexperiments are used as basic results for the application of metallic glass films within
MEMS fabrication.
The low temperature bonding of semiconductor substrates was chosen as second
research topic in order to meet today’s and future’s production conditions like thereduction of thermally induced stress in the case of heterogeneous material
combinations and the minimization of energy consumption by the reduction of required
process temperatures. In means of packaging techniques this approach demands formaterials with a high reactivity at a low temperature, what is realized by solid-liquidinterdiffusion bonding (SLID bonding). Here, two or more metals are brought into
atomic contact and are heated under applied mechanical pressure. The melting point of
the resulting alloy is higher than the melting temperature of at least one involved
element, following in a bond process below 200°C whereas the device can withstand
300°C or even higher temperatures. Potential low melting metals are seen to be indium
or gallium, which are bonded with gold or copper. This topic is going to be investigatedthroughout one year by three different researchers who are seconded from Fraunhofer
ENAS Germany to the Gessner GI3 lab at Tohoku University. The focus of their workis the deposition, structuring and bonding of low melting metals on silicon substrates toachieve mechanically stable and reliable housings for semiconductor device. As a firststep, suitable chemical baths for the electro deposition of indium were identified andevaluated in order to prepare the upcoming deposition processes.

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GI3 Activity Report of Dipl.-Ing. Frank ROSCHER
February 12th, 2011 - March 11th, 2011
Host: Professor Masayoshi ESASHI (Professor Thomas GESSNER)
Due to the strong demand for Smart System Integration new packaging concepts will
be necessary for the near future to solve problems like integration of hybrid materials,
integration of CMOS and MEMS, 3D Integration and many more. Consumer
electronics and medical devices get more and more complex and therefore newmaterials have to be integrated to fulfill all expected tasks whereas the packaging ofsuch Si based MEMS devices normally needs elevated temperatures above to form
eutectics and intermetallic bonds. These temperatures lead to intrinsic stress and affectthe functionality of the device or even induce heavy damage and yield losses whenusing materials with a big CTE mismatch.
During the period of stay a new technology for wafer level bonding, by using solid
liquid inter-diffusion SLID, was launched. The focus was the electrochemical
deposition of Indium on Si substrates and subsequent bonding tests of a Gold – Indium
SLID Bond at temperatures as low as 200°C. Therefore 2cm x 2cm Si chips where
prepared as substrates and coated with 150nm thick Au seed layer by sputtering forelectro plating. A Indium sulfamate bath operating at room temperature was used forelectroplating of Indium thin films. The bath was used in standard beaker equipment
while an Indium anode provides new Indium material during electro plating. The
cathode is the Au coated Si chip while the “Anode to Cathode ratio” was 1:1. First tests
regarding the homogeneity of the so deposited Indium layers contained the evaluation of
the deposition rate when using an AC or a DC source and different current densities.
Optimizes parameters where found at 80mA DC for an area of 400mm2. For further
bond experiments patterned structures were necessary. Si substrates where coated withthe photo resist and a subsequent lithography was used to pattern this resist with frame
like shapes. This SLID bond process required, that a Indium layer lays between two Au
layers to ensure the diffusion from Indium into the Gold by forming a Indium Gold
alloy. Whereas this diffusion starts at ~160°C the metallic compound formed during
bonding has a much higher melting point (>400°C) which makes this SLID bonding
suitable even for devices operating at higher temperature.
The bond frames where deposited successfully by using the above mentioned sulfamate
plating bath and optimizes parameters for electro plating of Indium. The bonding wastested on hot plates at 200°C and it was shown that SLID bonding with Indium andGold, both deposited by using electro plating, is possible. Further studies andexperiments on this topic will be done by the Gessner Group as a part of the Esashi Lab
within the GI3 program as well as at Fraunhofer ENAS located in Germany.

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Announcement

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Junior Faculty/Post-doctoral Positions
Tohoku University
WPI-AIMR
Effective October 1, 2007, Tohoku University created a new Research Institute, theAdvanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), based on an initiative of theJapanese Department of Education (MEXT) for World Premier International ResearchCenter Initiative (WPI) to bring together scientists involved in research on nano-scienceand technology.
In the 21st century, material science, broadly defined as the study of how complex/novel
properties arise in matters/materials from the interactions of individual components, willcomprise of inter-discipline collaboration.
(http://www.wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp)
Over the next few years, as many as one hundred new appointments at the levels of
post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty will be available. All innovative researchers
are welcome as active promoters of basic/applied sciences in the fields of physicalmetallurgy, physics, chemistry, precision mechanical engineering and electronic /informational engineering.
We are continuously looking for excellent applicants throughout the year.
Please submit
1) a curriculum vitae,
2) research proposal (<3,000 words),
3) summary of previous research accomplishments (<2,000 words),
4) copies of 5 significant publications, and
5) 2 letters of recommendationby email to:
aimr@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp
All files must be submitted electronically in pdf or Word format.
Applications from, or nominations of, women and minority candidates are encouraged.
Tohoku University WPI-AIMR is an affirmative action / equal opportunity employer.

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Graduate Student Scholarshipin Materials Science/Engineering
WPI-AIMR
Graduate Student Scholarship
Effective October 1, 2007, Tohoku University created a new Research Institute, theAdvanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), based on an initiative of theJapanese Department of Education (MEXT) for World Premier International ResearchCenter Initiative (WPI) to bring together scientists involved in research on nano-scienceand technology.
In the 21st century, material science, broadly defined as the study of how complex/novel
properties arise in matters/materials from the interactions of individual components, will
becomes an essential and most important research topics(http://www.wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp)
TU WPI-AIMR is now looking for young motivated Ph.D. graduate student candidates
in the fields of physical metallurgy, physics, chemistry, mechanical engineering andelectronic / informational technology. All innovative M. S. students are welcome asactive promoters of basic/applied sciences in these fields.
Applications are continuously screened throughout the year.
Please submit
1) a curriculum vitae,
2) research proposal (<1,000 words),
3) 2 letters of recommendation,4) by email to:
aimr@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp
All files must be submitted electronically in pdf or Word format.

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9:33:41WPI-AIMR
Workshop Guideline
Tohoku University’s new Research Institute, the Advanced Institute for Materials
Research (WPI-AIMR) solicits several applications per year for International
Workshops in the field of “broadly defined Materials Science.”
Guidelines:
1) Organizers
Qualified research staff of academic institutions and public or private researchestablishments can submit the application for an international workshop to be held at
WPI-AIMR or its Satellite branches, jointly with the WPI-AIMR principal
investigator(s) whose research interest overlaps with the scope of the workshop.
2) Financial support
Under normal circumstances, WPI-IMR supports up to 2/3 of the workshop budget,
while the organizer is expected to cover the rest.
3) deadline
The application must be received at least four months in advance to:aimr@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp
All files must be submitted electronically in pdf or Word format.

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WPI-AIMR Staff List
(As of 16th April, 2011)

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WPI-03-二.indd

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2011/04/21

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as of Apr.16, 2011

WPI-AIMR staff list

Bulk Metallic Glasses GroupCHEN, Mingwei
陳 明偉

FUJITA, Takeshi
藤田 武志

Principal Investigator, Professor+81-22-217-5992
mwchen@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Associate Professor+81-22-217-5959
tfujita@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

HIRATA, Akihiko
平田 秋彦

LANG, Xingyou
郎 興友Assistant Professor+81-22-217-5959
hirata@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Assistant Professor+81-22-217-5959
xylang@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

LIU, Yanhui
柳 延輝

CHEN, Luyang
陳 廬陽Assistant Professor+81-22-217-5959
yhliu@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Research Associate+81-22-217-5959
chenly@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

KANG, Jianli
康 建立
Research Associate+81-22-217-5959
kangjianli@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

LOUZGUINE, Dmitri V.
ルズギン ドミトリ

TAKEUCHI, Akira
竹内 章

Principal Investigator, Professor+81-22-217-5957
dml@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Associate Professor+81-22-217-5956
takeuchi@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

NAKAYAMA, Koji S.
中山 幸仁

YOKOYAMA, Yoshihiko
横山 嘉彦

Associate Professor+81-22-217-5950
kojisn@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Associate Professor (Concurrent)+81-22-215-2199
yy@imr.tohoku.ac.jp

CHEN, Na陳 娜

CARON, Arnaud G. L.
カロン アルノ
Research Associate+81-22-217-5956
a.caron@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Assistant Professor+81-22-217-5956
chenn@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

WANG, Junqiang
王 軍強ZADOROZHNYY Vladislav
ｻﾞﾄﾞﾛｽﾞﾆｲ ﾌﾞﾗﾁﾃﾞｲｽﾗﾌﾞ

Research Associate+81-22-217-5956

Research Associate+81-22-217-5956
vuz@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

junqiangwang@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

X-9

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as of Apr.16, 2011

WPI-AIMR staff list

TOKUYAMA, Michio
徳山 道夫

CHO, Yongseok
曺 庸碩

Principal Investigator, Professor+81-22-217-5953
tokuyama@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Assistant Professor+81-22-217-5954
jho@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

XU, Limei
徐 莉梅

KIMURA, Yuto
木村 祐人

Assistant Professor+81-22-217-5954
limei.xu@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Research Assistant+81-22-217-5954
kimura@athena22.wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

GREER, Alan L.
グリアー アラン

MADGE, Shantanu V.
マドゥゲ シャンタニュ

Principal Investigator+44-1223-334308
alg13@cam.ac.uk

Research Associate+81-22-217-5956
S.Madge.99@cantab.net

HEMKER, Kevin J.
ヘンカー ケヴィン
Principal Investigator+1- 410- 516-4489
hemker@jhu.edu

YAVARI, Alain R.
ヤバリ アライン

GEORGARAKIS, Konstantinos
ゲオガラキス コンスタンティノス
Assistant Professor
georgara@minatec.inpg.fr

Principal Investigator+ 33-(0) 4 76 82 65 16
yavari@ltpcm.inpg.fr

X - 10

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2011

as of Apr.16, 2011

WPI-AIMR staff list

Materials physics GroupTANIGAKI, Katsumi
谷垣 勝己
Principal Investigator, Professor

NOUCHI, Ryo
野内 亮+81-22-795-6469
tanigaki@sspns.phys.tohoku.ac.jp

Assistant Professor+81-22-795-6468
nouchi@sspns.phys.tohoku.ac.jp

XU, Jingtao
徐 静涛

TANABE, Yoichi
田邉 洋一

Research Associate+81-22-795-6468
jtxu@sspns.phys.tohoku.ac.jp

Research Associate+81-22-795-6468
youichi@sspns.phys.tohoku.ac.jp

MITOMA, Nobuhiko
三苫 伸彦
Research Assistant+81-22-795-6468
mitoma@sspns.phys.tohoku.ac.jp

TAKAHASHI, Takashi
高橋 隆

SOUMA, Seigo
相馬 清吾

Principal Investigator, Professor+81-22-795-6417
t.takahashi@arpes.phys.tohoku.ac.jp

Assistant Professor+81-22-795-6477
s.souma@arpes.phys.tohoku.ac.jp

SUGAWARA, Katsuaki
菅原 克明

ARAKANE, Toshiyuki
荒金 俊行

Assistant Professor+81-22-795-6477
k.sugawara@arpes.phys.tohoku.ac.jp

Research Associate+81-22-795-6477
t.arakane@arpes.phys.tohoku.ac.jp

TSUKADA, Masaru
塚田 捷

AKAGI, Kazuto
赤木 和人

Principal Investigator, Professor+81-22-217-5937
tsukada@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Associate Professor+81-22-217-5940
akagi@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

HAMADA, Ikutaro
濱田 幾太郎TAMURA, Hiroyuki
田村 宏之

Assistant Professor+81-22- 217-5938
ikutaro@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Assistant Professor+81-22-217-5938
hiroyuki@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

ARAIDAI, Masaaki
洗平 昌晃
Researcher+81-22-217-5939
araidai@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

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as of Apr.16, 2011

WPI-AIMR staff list

YAMADA, Kazuyoshi
山田 和芳

SATO, Toyoto
佐藤 豊人

Principal Investigator, Professor+81-22-215-2035
kyamada@imr.tohoku.ac.jp

Assistant Professor+81-22-215-2039
toyoto@imr.tohoku.ac.jp

JI, Sungdae
池 聖大Assistant Professor+81-22-215-2039
jsungdae@imr.tohoku.ac.jp

IKUHARA, Yuichi
幾原 雄一

TSUKIMOTO, Susumu
着本 享

Principal Investigator+81-3-5841-7688
ikuhara@sigma.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Lecturer+81-22-217-5934
tsukimoto@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

SAITO, Mitsuhiro
斎藤 光浩

WANG, Zhongchang
王 中長Assistant Professor+81-22-217-5933
saito@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Assistant Professor+81-22-217-5934
zcwang@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

CHEN, Chunlin
陳 春林
Research Associate+81-22-217-5933
chen.chunlin@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

SHLUGER, Alexander
シュルガー アレクサンダー

MCKENNA, Keith P.
マッケナ キース

Principal Investigator+44--2076791312/+81-22-217-5942
a.shluger@ucl.ac.uk

Assistant Professor+81-22-217-5942
k.mckenna@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

TREVETHAN, Thomas P.
トレヴェサン トーマス
Assistant Professor+81-22-217-5942
tomt@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

XUE, Qi-Kun
薛 其坤

LIU, Hongwen
劉 虹文

Principal Investigator+86-10-62795618
qkxue@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn

Assistant Professor+81-22-217-5948
liu@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

WEISS, Paul S.
ワイス ポール
Principal Investigator+1-310-267-5993
psw@cnsi.ucla.edu

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2011

as of Apr.16, 2011

WPI-AIMR staff list

TEIZER, Winfried
タイツァー ビンフリード

OLIVEIRA, Daniel
オリヴェイラ ダニエル

Junior Principal Investigator+1-979-845-7730
teizer@physics.tamu.edu

Research Associate+81-22-217-5979
oliveira@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

SIKORA, Aurelien
シコラ オーレリエン

KIM, Kyongwan
金 耕完

Research Associate+81-22-217-5979
a.sikora@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Research Associate+81-22-217-5979
kkim@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

HITOSUGI, Taro
一杉 太郎

SHIRAKI, Susumu
白木 將

Associate Professor+81-22-217-5944
hitosugi@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Lecturer+81-22-217-5948
shiraki@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

OHSAWA, Takeo
大澤 健男

IWAYA, Katsuya
岩谷 克也

Assistant Professor+81-22-217-5948
ohsawa@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Assistant Professor+81-22-217-5948
iwaya@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

KUMATANI, Akichika
熊谷 明哉

SHIMIZU, Ryota
清水 亮太
Research Associate+81-22-217-5948
shimizu@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Research Associate+81-22-217-5948
kumatani@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

SUZUKI, Toru
鈴木 竜
Researcher+81-22-217-5948
suzuki@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

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WPI-AIMR staff list

Soft Materials GroupADSCHIRI, Tadafumi
阿尻 雅文

HOJO, Daisuke
北條 大介

Principal Investigator, Professor+81-22-217-5629
ajiri@tagen.tohoku.ac.jp

Assistant Professor+81-22-217-5631
dhojo@tagen.tohoku.ac.jp

AOKI, Nobuaki
青木 宣明

HARTON, Shane
ハートン シェーンAssistant Professor+81-22-217-5631

Research Associate+81-22-217-5630

nobuaki-aoki@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

shane.harton@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

TOGASHI, Takanari
冨樫 貴成

LU, Jinfeng
盧 金鳳

Researcher+81-22-217-5630
togashi@tagen.tohoku.ac.jp

Researcher+81-22-217-5630
lujf@mail.tagen.tohoku.ac.jp

WATANABE, Eiichi
渡邉英一

RANI, Varu
ラニ バル

Researcher+81-22-217-5631
eiwata@mail.tagen.tohoku.ac.jp

Research Assistant+81-22-217-5630
chauhan@mail.tagen.tohoku.ac.jp

ITAYA, Kingo
板谷 謹悟

KIM, Young-Geun
金 潤根

Principal Investigator, Professor+81-22-217-5977
itaya@atom.che.tohoku.ac.jp

Assistant Professor+81-22-217-5974
ygkim@atom.che.tohoku.ac.jp

IKESHOJI, Tamio
池庄司 民夫MUKKANNAN, Azhagurajan
ムカナン アザグラジャン
Research Assistant+81-22-217-5974

Researcher+81-22-217-5974
ikeshoji@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

mazhagurajan@atom.che.tohoku.ac.jp

KURIHARA, Kazue
栗原 和枝

TEO, Boon Mian
ﾃｵ ﾌﾞｰﾝ ﾐｱﾝ

Principal Investigator, Professor+81-217- 5673
kurihara@tagen.tohoku.ac.jp

Research Associate+81-22-217-5675
boonteo@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

INOMATA, Kyeonga
猪俣 敬娥

NAKANO, Shinya
中野 真也

Researcher+81-22-217-5675
inomata@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Research Assistant+81-22-217-5675
nakano@mail.tagen.tohoku.ac.jp

KAJIWARA, Takeshi
梶原 剛史
Research Assistant+81-22-217-5675
kajiwara@mail.tagen.tohoku.ac.jp

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NISHI, Toshio
西 敏夫

NAKAJIMA, Ken
中嶋 健

Principal Investigator, Professor+81-22-217-5926
nishi.toshio@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Associate Professor+81-22-217-5927
knakaji@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

WANG, Dong
王 東

FUJINAMI, So
藤波 想Assistant Professor+81-22-217-5928
wangdthu@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Research Associate+81-22-217-5928
fujinami@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

LIU, Hao
劉 浩

LIANG, Xiaobin
梁 暁斌

Research Associate+81-22-217-5928
liuhao@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Research Assistant+81-22-217-5928
Lxb@s.tohoku.ac.jp

YAMAGUCHI, Masahiko
山口 雅彦

AN, Zengjian
安 増建

Principal Investigator, Professor+81-22-795-6812
yama@mail.pharm.tohoku.ac.jp

Research Associate+81-22-795-6815
zjan@mail.pharm.tohoku.ac.jp

YAMAMOTO, Yoshinori
山本 嘉則

ASAO, Naoki
浅尾 直樹

Principal Investigator, Professor+81-22-217-5130
yoshi@m.tohoku.ac.jp

Professor+81-22-795-3898
asao@m.tohoku.ac.jp

JIN, Tienan
金 鉄男

FERRARA Giovanni
フェララ ジョバニ
Research Assistant+81-22-795-3585
giovanniferrara84@yahoo.it

Associate Professor+81-22-795-3585
tjin@m.tohoku.ac.jp

RUSSELL, Thomas P.
ラッセル トーマス
Principal Investigator+1-413-545-2680
russell@mail.pse.umass.edu

WAN, Li-Jun
万 立駿
Principal Investigator+86-62558934
wanlijun@iccas.ac.cn

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Device / System Construction GroupESASHI, Masayoshi
江刺 正喜

MUROYAMA, Masanori
室山 真徳

Principal Investigator, Professor+81-22-795-6934
esashi@mems.mech.tohoku.ac.jp

Assistant Professor+81-22-795-6937
muroyama@mems.mech.tohoku.ac.jp

YOSHIDA, Shinya
吉田 慎哉

KAUSHIK, Neelam

Assistant Professor+81-22-795-6936
s-yoshida@mems.mech.tohoku.ac.jp

コーシック ニーラム
Research Associate+81-22-795-6936
neelam@mems.mech.tohoku.ac.jp

WANG, Weishan
王 偉姍

CAKIR, Sabri
チャキル サブリ

Researcher+81-22-795-6936

Research Assistant+81-22-795-6936
sabri@mems.mech.tohoku.ac.jp

wswang@mems.mech.tohoku.ac.jp

MATSUE, Tomokazu
末永 智一

JAVIER, Ramon-Azcon
ハビエル ラモン-アズコン

Principal Investigator, Professor+81-22- 795-7209
matsue@bioinfo.che.tohoku.ac.jp

Research Associate+81-22-217-6144
javier@bioinfo.che.tohoku.ac.jp

OZAWA, Fumisato
小沢 文智
Research Assistant+81-22-795-7281
f.ozawa@bioinfo.che.tohoku.ac.jp

MIYAZAKI, Terunobu
宮﨑 照宣

MIZUKAMI, Shigemi
水上 成美

Principal Investigator, Professor+81-22-217-6000
miyazaki@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Associate Professor+81-22-217-6003
mizukami@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

KUBOTA, Takahide
窪田 崇秀

ZHANG, Xianmin
張 憲民

Research Associate+81-22- 217-6004
takahide@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Research Associate+81-22-217-6003
xmzhang@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

SHIMOMURA, Masatsugu
下村 政嗣

ISHII, Daisuke
石井 大祐

Principal Investigator, Professor+81-22-217-5329
shimo@tagen.tohoku.ac.jp

Assistant Professor+81-22-217-5824
dishii@tagen.tohoku.ac.jp

KAWANO, Takahito
河野 喬仁

IWASAKI, Junko
岩崎 純子

Research Associate+81-22-217-5825
kawano@macro.tagen.tohoku.ac.jp

Technical Staff+81-11-758-0056
iwasaki@poly.es.hokudai.ac.jp

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WPI-AIMR staff list

GESSNER, Thomas
ゲスナー トーマス

LIN, Yuching
林 育菁Principal Investigator+49- 371- 531-24060
Thomas.Gessner@zfm.tu-chemnitz.de

Assistant Professor+81-22-795-6256
yclin@mems.mech.tohoku.ac.jp

LEE, Jaewung
李 在雄
Research Associate+81-22-795-6256
dlwodnd77@mems.mech.tohoku.ac.jp

KHADEMHOSSEINI, Ali
カデムホッセイニ アリ

OSTROVIDOW, Serge J. P.
オストロヴィドフ
セルジュ

Junior Principal Investigator+1- (617) 768-8395
alik@rics.bwh.harvard.edu

Research Associate+81-22-217-6142
ostrovidov@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

CHEN, Song陳 松

AHADIAN, Samad
アハディアン サマード

Research Associate+81-22-217-6142

Research Associate+81-22-217-6142
ahadian@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

chensong@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

WU, Hongkai
呉 洪开SHI, Xuetao
施 雪涛
Research Associate+81-22-217-6142
shixuetao@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Junior Principal Investigator+852-2358-7246
chhkwu@ust.hk.

YU, Haijun
于 海軍

CHANG, Haixin
常 海欣

Research Associate+81-22-217-6142
haijun.yu@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Research Associate+81-22-217-6142
hxchang@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

FUKUDA, Tsuguo
福田 承生

EHRENTRAUT, Dirk
エーレントラウト ディルク

Adjunct Professor+ 81-22-217-5983
ts-fukuda@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Associate Professor+81-22-217-5983
ehrentraut@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

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as of Apr.16, 2011

Mathematics Unit
KOTANI, Motoko
小谷元子
Principal Investigator, Professor+81-22- 795-6387
kotani@math.tohoku.ac.jp

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WPI-AIMR staff list

Administration
YAMAMOTO, Yoshinori
山本 嘉則

IWAMOTO. Wataru
岩本 渉
Specially Appointed Professor andAdministrative Director+81-22-217- 5965
iwamoto@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Institute Director+81-22-217-5130
yoshi@m.tohoku.ac.jp

IKEDA, Susumu
池田 進

HASHIMOTO, Keiichi
橋本 圭一

Deputy Administrative Director
Outreach Manager+81-22-795-6468

Deputy Administrative Director+81-22-217-5980
k-hashi@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

sikeda@sspns.phys.tohoku.ac.jp
outreach@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Administrative office
General Affairs Section
庶務係+81-22-217-5922 OR 5972
wpi-office@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp
wpi-shomu@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp
NAGANUMA, Hiromi
永沼 ひろみSAITO, Asuka
齋藤 明日香Chief+81-22-217-5922
naganuma@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp+81-22-217-5922
asuka-s@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp

OIKAWA, Hiroshi
及川 洋

CHIBA, Yoko
千葉 洋子

+81-22-217-5922
hiroshi@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp+81-22-217-5956
ykchiba@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

UNOURA, Sayaka
鵜浦 さやかONODERA, Mariko
小野寺 麻里子+81-22-217-5922
unoura-0@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp+81-22-217-5922
m.onodera@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp

Accounting Section
経理係+81-22-217-5923
wpi-keiri@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp
SATO, Hiroto
佐藤 博人

ZENIYA, Ippei
銭谷 一平

Chief
+81-22-217-5923
hiroto-s@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp+81-22-217-5923
zeniya@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp

AKASAKA, Natsuko
赤坂 奈津子KOBAYASHI, Yuki
小林 友紀

+81-22-217-5923
n.akasaka@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp+81-22-217-5923
y-kobayashi@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp

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WPI-AIMR staff list

Property Management Section
用度係+81-22-217-5924
wpi-yodo@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp
HIRAYAMA, Hirotaka
平山 博隆

YOSHIDA, Masahiro
吉田 政弘
Chief
+81-22-217-5924
masa-y@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp+81-22-217-5924
h-hiraya@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp
ONO, Toshio
小野 俊男

YOSHIDA, Hajime
吉田 一+81-22-217-5924
toshi-ono@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp+81-22-217-5924
hyoshi@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp
DAIGAKU, Noriko
大學 紀子+81-22-217-5924
daigaku@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp

International Affairs Section
研究協力係+81-22-217-5971 OR 5972
wpi-kenkyo@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp
YANAGAWA, Yasukazu
梁川 保一

SAITO, Ikuo
斎藤 郁夫

+81-22-217-5971
yanagawa@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp+81-22-217-5971
s-ikuo@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp

HAGITA, Etsuko
萩田 悦子
Branch Office+81-22-217-5978
hagita@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp

OKAMOTO, Ayumi
岡本 亜由美Branch Office+81-22-217-5978
a-okamoto@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp

Safety and Health Management
Office
安全衛生管理室+81-22-217-5970
wpi-safety@wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp
UMEZAWA, Akiko
梅澤 亜希子KAMOSHIDA, Kazuyoshi
鴨志田 和良Manager+81-22-217-5970
kamoshida@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp+81-22-217-5970
akiko_umezawa@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp

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Volume 12

WPI-AIMR NEWS

April 28, 2011

Kinesin dimer structure
Head
Neck

Stalk

Tail

World Premier International Research Center
Advanced Institute for Materials Research
Tohoku University

Cover: Kinesin is a motor protein in the eukaryotic cell, hauling biological cargo as it steps along its
associated ﬁlament (microtubules). Powered by Adenosine-triphosphate (ATP), kinesin can function as aself-assembled, highly efﬁcient, synthetic nano-transporter. This makes it very attractive for the developmentof novel Nanoelectromechanical Systems (NEMS).
(Winfried Teizer, WPI-AIMR)

E-mail：aimr@wpi-amr.tohoku.ac.jp

WPI12表紙-責.indd 2

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Volume 12

WPI-ADVANCED INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS RESEARCH NEWS

Kinesin dimer structure
Head
Neck

Stalk

Tail

April 28, 2011

2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577
Japan
Phone: +81-22-217-5922
FAX: +81-22-217-5129

April 28, 2011

Volume 12

World Premier International Research Center
Advanced Institute for Materials Research
Tohoku University

WPI-AIMR NEWSWorld Premier International Research Center
Advanced Institute for Materials Research
Tohoku University

WPI12表紙-二.indd 1

11.4.21 10:55:07 AM