MIRAI 2.0 R&I Week 2021

Materials Science

Tentative program

< Back to Main Program and Registration

SPEAKERS

Atsushi Muramatsu

Director,
International Center for Synchrotron
Radiation Innovation Smart (SRIS),
Tohoku University

Atsushi Muramatsu graduated from The University of Tokyo on March 25, 1983. and then Doctor of Engineering on March 25, 1988. He was a research associate of Tohoku Univ. on April 1, 1988 and has then mainly been studying the synthesis and application of nanomaterials in Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials (IMRAM). From April 2001, he is a Full Professor of Tohoku University and from October 2019, also a SRIS Director.

Role of Tohoku University for Next Generation Synchrotron Radiation
Facility, JapanThe Next Generation Synchrotron Radiation Facility (NGSR) is now underconstruction on our campus, New Extension of Aobayama, Tohoku University. The origin of the budget is both Japan Government and local partners consisted of local governments, Miyagi Prefecture and Sendai City, with Tohoku Economic Federation and Tohoku Univ.
Coalition concept is unique in use of NGSR mainly by private companies. The roles of Tohoku Univ. are mainly,
1) Leading academic research and industry-academia collaboration utilizing NGSR,
2) Construction of innovation system through industry-government-academia collaboration,
3) Formation of an international university synchrotron radiation alliance, and
4) Human resource development utilizing synchrotron radiation facilities.
For these missions, International Center for Synchrotron Radiation Innovation Smart (SRIS) was founded on October 1, 2019, in Tohoku Univ. I will introduce SRIS activities. For example, our SRIS team has been proposing 7 Coalition Beam Lines as a technical aspect of view.

Jesper Wallentin

Associate Professor, Synchrotron Radiation Research, Lund University

Jesper Wallentin’s research lies at the intersection of nanoscience and X-ray science. He develops X-ray methods to investigate nanostructured devices, in particular X-ray diffraction methods for in situ and operando investigations, but also imaging and fluorescence methods. In addition, he develops nanostructures as ultrahigh-resolution X-ray detectors. Jesper Wallentin has mainly worked with III-V nanowires, but in recent years also metals and metal halide perovskites. His research group has a strong collaboration with the Nanomax beamline at MAX IV, but also collaborates with other synchrotrons.

Synchrotron X-rays – a unique probe for materials science at the nanoscale
X-rays have always been used for their ability to analyze the inside of complete samples, without destructive preparation. With new synchrotron sources and modern X-ray optics, the relevant length scales for nanoelectronic devices can be reached. The MAX IV synchrotron in Lund, Sweden, is the world’s first fourth-generation synchrotron, offering orders of magnitude stronger coherent flux than previous generations. Here, I will briefly introduce the current and future capabilities of this facility, which is opens new opportunities for materials science in general and nanoscience in particular. Some examples from our research on III-V and metal halide perovskite nanostructures will also be shown.

Yukio Takahashi

Professor
International Center for Synchrotron Radiation Innovation Smart, Tohoku University

Yukio Takahashi is a professor at International Center for Synchrotron Radiation Innovation Smart (SRIS), Tohoku University. His research interests lie in the development of novel coherent X-ray imaging techniques for characterization of functional materials. He received his PhD degree in engineering from Tohoku University in 2004. After a two-year postdoctoral researcher at RIKEN SPring-8 Center, he became a lecturer at Osaka University in 2007 and an associate professor in 2011. He became a professor at Tohoku University in 2019.

X-ray Spectro-Ptychography: Visualization of Chemical State at Mesoscale
X-ray ptychography is a rapidly emerging technique at synchrotron facilities, which can non-destructively observe thick samples at the mesoscale. So far, we have developed the techniques for high-resolution and high-sensitivity hard X-ray ptychography using total-reflection mirrors as the X-ray focusing device at SPring-8 in Japan. The use of X-rays as a probe makes it possible to image both structures and chemical states through the absorption edges of a target element. X-ray ptychography using multiple energies including the absorption edge of a specific element, which is often referred to as X-ray spectro-ptychography, enables us to visualize the chemical state of nanostructures buried within thick samples. In this talk, I will introduce the results of visualizing the chemical state of three-way catalyst particles using X-ray spectro-ptychography, and explain the prospects for the next generation synchrotron radiation.

Andrew Jackson

Doctor,
Group Leader Instrument Scientists, Acting Head Neutron Instruments Division,
European Spallation Source ERIC

Andrew Jackson leads the teams developing, building and, in the future, operating the neutron instruments at ESS. Since obtaining his PhD from the University of Oxford in 2003, he has used neutron scattering techniques to address problems in the areas of soft matter, polymers, geo-science, and bio-science. Dr. Jackson joined ESS in 2011 to develop the small angle neutron scattering (SANS) instruments. Prior to coming to Sweden, he worked at the NIST Center for Neutron Research as an instrument scientist for SANS and USANS. At NIST, in addition to research activities, he was involved in the development of software tools, instrumentation, and sample environment equipment.

Progress and Prospects at the European Spallation Source
The European Spallation Source, currently under construction in Lund, Sweden, has a vision to build and operate the world’s most powerful neutron source. Our aim is to enable scientific breakthroughs in research related to materials, energy, health, and the environment, in order to address some of the most important societal challenges of our time. In this talk, I will describe the fundamental features of the ESS, show progress on the construction, and talk about future opportunities.

Toshiya Otomo

Professor,
High Energy Accelerator Research
Organization (KEK)

1993 Dr. of Engineering, Tohoku University, Japan
2008 Professor, Institute of Materials Structure Science (IMSS), KEK, Japan
2017 Professor, Ibaraki University, Japan (Cross Appointment)
2018 Deputy Head, Materials and Life Science Division, J-PARC center, Japan
2020 Head, Materials and Life Science Division, J-PARC center, Japan (Current Position)
2021 Deputy Director, IMSS, KEK, Japan (Current Position)

Current Status and activities of MLF of J-PARC
Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF) of Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) provides world’s most intense neutron and muon beams with the MW-class proton accelerator. More than 10,000 international users visit MLF annually to perform wide range of academic and industrial research. Our mission is not limited to provide user program with existing state-of-the-art instruments but also to explore the possibilities of neutrons and muons. Thus, developments of instruments, detectors, optical devices, analysis software and targets systems of neutron and muon are on-going. To promote such broad activities, it is essential to collaborate with researchers outside of MLF. In this presentation, current status and activities of MLF of J-PARC will be reviewed.

Max Wolff

Professor,
Department for Physics and Astronomy,
Uppsala University

Max Wolff is professor in neutron scattering at Uppsala University. He graduated in 1999 and received his PhD from the University Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany) in 2004. During the time from 2002 till 2009 he was beamline manager at the neutron reflectometer ADAM at the European research center Institute Laue-Langevin (Grenoble, France). His research focuses on material science, with an interest in soft-matter, magnetism and energy materials. The main research tools are neutron scattering methods with the aim to relate the microscopic structure and dynamics of matter to macroscopic properties in order to deepen our understanding of smart and functional materials.

Opportunities for materials science at compact accelerator driven neutron sources
Neutrons offer unique opportunities in materials research as they are a non-destructive bulk probe with down to atomic resolution and sensitivity to isotope labeling, low energy excitations and magnetic induction. However, other than x-rays or electrons neutrons for materials research are almost exclusively available at large research centers. This is related to the fact that neutrons are produced at high energies and need moderation. At ultra compact accelerator driven neutron sources (UCANS) neutrons are produced at lower energies allowing a compact design of the source. Moreover, as no large facility is required the neutron source can be designed according to the needs of the scientific question with significantly improved brilliance transfer and at considerably lower costs. This allows the construction of small dedicated local facilities serving specific needs. In this talk I will outline the concept of UCANS and explain its applicability in science, with a focus on materials research.

Kei Murakoshi

Professor,
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University

Kei Murakoshi received his B.Sc. in Science from the Department of Chemistry at Hokkaido University in 1986, and completed his Ph.D. at the Department of Chemistry in 1992. After postdoctoral positions at Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in Muedon, France, he  joined as Assistant Professor at the Department of Engineering of Osaka University in 1993, and promoted to Associate Professor in the Department of Science and Engineering there in 1998. From 2003, he is current position at Hokkaido University. He is recipient of awards from The Japanese Photochemistry Association in 2008, The Chemical Society of Japan for Creative Work in 2009, The Electrochemical Society of Japan Association in 2014, and The Spectroscopical Society of Japan in 2019. He is Guest Editor for the special issue of J. Phys. Chem. C of ACS in 2009, 2010, and 2016. He is currently Vice-Dean of Faculty of Sciences at Hokkaido University.

Energy Conversions in Nanoscale
The efficient use of the light energy is one of the important issue toward energy society. It is known that metal nanoparticles can confine the light energy at the nanoscale region via the excitation of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). We are working on the unique light-matter interactions at the nanoscale interface based on the “Physical Chemistry” and “Electrochemistry”,  especially for strong coupling states to generate novel hybridization between photons and excited electrons in materials.

Martin H. Magnusson

Associate professor,
Solid State Physics, Lund University

Martin H. Magnusson received his PhD in physics from Lund University in 2001, with a thesis on aerosol-based manufacturing of metal and semiconductor nanoparticles. Following graduation, he coordinated the startup of Pronano AB, a nanotechnology research institute. He was later recruited to Sol Voltaics AB, to build a team around nanowire-based solar cells; here, he co-invented the Aerotaxy technology. He returned to Lund University as associate professor in 2013 and continues Aerotaxy research. He is also director of studies for the five-year Engineering Physics MSc program, and deputy head of the department of Physics.

Aerotaxy – mass produced nanowires with sensor applications
Mass production of nanowire materials in the aerosol phase, Aerotaxy, has been demonstrated with excellent control of wire size, shape and material. So far, we can grow wires in the GaAsP system, up to 2.5 μm in length and 10 to 120 nm in diameter, and with cylindrical, conical or branched shapes. The production rate in a simple lab scale reactor is up to 1 mg/h with no need for lithography or substrates. Still, Aerotaxy is somewhat of a solution in search of a problem. The wires are produced as a disordered powder, while most applications require ordered arrays. One such application is presented in more detail, where the wires are vertically aligned post growth to form an optical single molecule biosensor.

Yota Suzuki

Doctor of Science
JSPS Research Fellowship for Young Scientists PD Department of Material and Life Sciences, Sophia University

Yota Suzuki received his Master’s degree in inorganic reaction chemistry in 2017 and PhD in 2021 from Waseda University (supervisor: Professor Koji Ishihara). During the PhD course, he studied a design of chemosensors for reactive oxygen species at University of Bath in Professor Tony D. James’s Group from Sep./2019 to Mar./2020. He started his postdoctoral research at Sophia University in Professor Takashi Hayashita’s group as JSPS Research Fellowship for Young Scientists PD. His current research focuses on boronic acid-based chemosensors and supramolecular chemistry.

Design of ortho‑Azophenylboronic Acids for Colorimetric Saccharide Chemosensors from a Perspective of Mechanistic Study
Many boronic acid-based saccharide chemosensors have been developed, however, most of the sensing mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, we synthesized a series of ortho-azophenylboronic acids (azoBs), a representative structure for colorimetric sensing of saccharide, and reinvestigated the sensing mechanism toward D-fructose.
UV-vis and ¹¹B NMR spectral studies indicated that azoBs form a quasi-tetrahedral species that was inserted by a protic solvent molecule. This species exhibits a red-shifted UV-vis absorption spectrum from the other species of azoB. We concluded that the drastic color change of azoB in the reaction with saccharide is ascribed to the release of the inserted solvent molecule from the quasi-tetrahedral species of azoB.
Based on the findings, we proposed a guideline for designing the structure of azoB that shows a large color change by the reaction with saccharide and a high affinity toward saccharide.

Per Eklund

Head of the Energy Materials Unit,
Linköping University

Per Eklund is head of the Energy Materials Unit at Linköping University, where he joined the faculty in 2009 after a postdoc at iNano in Århus, Denmark. He has also been Visiting Professor in France (Univ. Poitiers and CNRS, Paris), and visiting researcher in China (CAS Ningbo) and India (IIT Mandi and Kharagpur), and is Deputy Director of the VINNOVA Competence Center FunMat-II. His main research interests encompass the wider area of thin-film ceramics for energy applications, including thermoelectrics, fuel cells, inherently nanolaminated ‘MAX phases’, their 2D counterparts ‘MXenes’, electrical contacts, and tools. He holds or has held numerous important grants and awards including Wallenberg Academy Fellow (2016-2026) and ERC Starting Grant (2013-2018), has >180 published articles, about half as first/senior author, with ~6500 citations and an h index of 42. He is Editor of Vacuum (IF=2.9), was elected member of the Young Academy of Sweden (2011-2016) and World Economic Forum Young Scientist 2013.

Multifunctional nitride and oxide thin film for thermoelectrics and energy harvesting
Thermoelectric devices have the potential to contribute to energy harvesting in society by directly converting heat into electricity or vice versa. However, the conversion efficiency of thermoelectric devices of today is limited. In this invited lecture, I present an overview of our work on CrN-, ScN-, and Ca₃Co₄O₉-based thin films. We have introduced a two-step sputtering/annealing method for the formation of highly textured virtually phase-pure Ca₃Co₄O₉ thin films. These can further be deposited on flexible mica substrates, enabling flexible inorganic thermoelectric thin films that withstand repeated bending. They can also be made as free-standing films and as nanoporous materials for reduced thermal conductivity. ScN thin films exhibit an anomalously high power factor (S²/r) for transition metal nitrides, but has high thermal conductivity, thus its ZT is low (~0.2). To reduce lattice thermal conductivity, potential strategies are nanostructuring, alloying or nanoinclusion formation. Pure CrN exhibits n-type conduction with a high power-factor enabled by a high electron concentration thermally activated from N vacancies, and alloys can be made of rocksalt-Cr_1-xSc_xN. We have demonstrated that it can be rendered p-type by Al alloying in combination with N superstoichiometry.

Kazuhiro Yasuda

Associate Professor,
Kyushu University

Kazuhiro Yasuda is an associate professor at Department of Applied Quantum Physics and Nuclear Engineering of Kyushu University. After receiving PhD in 1993 from Kyushu University, he has continued his research at KU. His research interests are on radiation effects in metals and ceramics, and materials modification with radiations. Those researches elucidate the fundamentals behavior of radiation-induced defects, structural evolution of materials, which are essential to the search and development of nuclear materials with high radiation resistance.

Electron Microscopy Study for Radiation Damage in Oxide Ceramics
Fundamental understanding of radiation-induced defects is essential for the search and development of radiation-resistant nuclear materials used under harsh environment with radiations. This presentation reports electron microscopy investigations of the structure and nucleation-and-growth process of defects in fluorite-type oxide ceramics. Important role of synergistic effects with elastic displacement damage and electronic excitation, and elective displacement damage in oxygen ions will be shown through a variety of electron microscopy techniques, such as atomic scale observation/analysis, in situ microstructure observation and spectroscopy, etc. The Ultramicroscopy Research Center of Kyushu University will be also introduced in the presentation.

Charlotte Platzer-Björkman

Professor,
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Division for Solar Cell Technology,
Uppsala University

Charlotte Platzer Björkman is professor in solid state electronics at Uppsala University. After undergraduate studies in engineering physics, she did her PhD at Uppsala University on atomic layer deposition of ZnO-based materials for thin film solar cells. She did a post doc at the Institute for Energy Technology in Norway, working on metal hydrides and silicon solar cells, followed by faculty position at Uppsala University in 2010 and professor position since 2016. She is recipient of a Wallenberg Academy Fellows grant, SSF Future Research Leader grant, Thuréus award and Göran Gustafsson young researcher award. She is currently deputy dean of the faculty of science and technology at Uppsala University.

Radiation hardness of thin film solar cells
Thin film solar cells have advantages over crystalline silicon solar cells due to reduced materials and energy need in production, and possibility for flexible and lightweight products. The two main commercial technologies, CdTe and Cu(In,Ga)Se₂(CIGS), have both demonstrated efficiencies in the lab of over 23%, as compared to 26% for c-Si. Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) is studied as a potential alternative material based on only abundant and non-toxic elements. A well-known property of CIGS is the radiation hardness, giving potential for space-applications. Our initial studies of the radiation hardness of CZTS, using proton and electron irradiation, showed equal or superior hardness, including strong self-healing. Possible reasons for this behavior will be discussed.