Shinichiro Iwai

Optical functions through symmetry breaking driven by carrier-envelope phase control of light

Research Director

Shinichiro Iwai

Collaborator

Kenya Oogushi	Professor Graduate School of Sciene Tohoku University
Hideo Kishida	Professor Graduate School of Engineering Nagoya University
Jobu Matsuno	Professor Graduate School of Science Osaka University
Kenji Yonemisyu	Professor Faculty of Science and Engineering Chuo University

Outline

We attempt to develop methods of concurrent control of light and materials by combining cutting-edge light-technologies (sub-cycle near infrared pulses and their control through carrier-envelope phases) and advanced material science for quantum many-body materials. Non-perturbative and non-dissipative light-matter interactions enable us to control spatial inversion and time reversal symmetries in superconductors, quantum spin liquids and topological materials, leading to the creation of new optical functions, i.e. wavelength conversion (high-harmonic generation), light amplification (stimulated emission), and optical switching (magneto-optical effect) which are not restricted by conventional selection rules.

Mikako Ogawa

Compound activation in the human body using light

Research Director

Mikako Ogawa

Collaborator

Tetsuya Taketsugu	Professor Faculty of Science Hokkaido University
Keiichi Nakagawa	Associate Professor Graduate School of Engineering The University of Tokyo
Akinari Yokoya	Senior Expert Quantum Life and Medical Science Directorate National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology

Outline

X-rays, Cherenkov light, and sound are used as energy sources to achieve compound activation in the deep part of the human body. As chemical bond breaking reaction by X-ray, radicals generated by X-ray and inner shell excitation will be studied. Positron-labelled compounds will be used as Cherenkov light source. Excite the compounds by CRET (Cerenkov radiation energy transfer), and activate them. Furthermore, we propose novel drugs and acoustic-optical technique, that overcome the limitation in compound activation due to the low light transmittance efficiency in visible and near-infrared regime toward deep tissue sites.

Takashige Omatsu

Optical vortex induced ‘Spin-Jet’ pioneers a new generation patterning technology

Research Director

Takashige Omatsu

Collaborator

Satoyuki Kawano	Professor Graduate School of Engineering Science Osaka University
Keisaku Yamane	Associate professor Faculty of Engineering Hokkaido University
Kenichi Yuyama	Lecturer Graduate School of Science Osaka Metropolitan University

Outline

An optical vortex field twist high viscosity material to form a micron-scale spinning jet, so called ‘Spin-Jet’. Going beyond both the conventional laser induced forward mass transfer, this unique phenomenon, manifesting the helical trajectory of the optical vortex, offers the formation and ejection of a micron-scale jet of the material even with an ultrahigh viscosity of 4 Pa･s (approximately1000 times higher than that for water). This optical vortex laser induced forward mass transfer will enable the development of next generation printed photonic/electric/spintronic circuits with ultrahigh spatial resolution.

Takuo Tanaka

Metamaterials absorbers and their application for background-free ultrasensitive infrared spectroscopic devices

Research Director

Takuo Tanaka

Outline

Ultrasensitive spectroscopic molecular sensing devices using metamaterial absorber will be developed. Using the resonant interaction between metamaterial absorber, which consists of sub-wavelength resonant structures, and analyte molecules, strong background in the IR spectroscopy will be efficiently suppressed and signal-to-background ratio will be dramatically improved, and then the device for ultrasensitive detection and identification of organic molecule will be realized. Technologically, fabrication technologies for three-dimensional metamaterials that consist of densely integrated vertical metal-insulator-metal resonant structures and high-speed IR spectroscopic system using wavelength tunable quantum cascade laser will be developed.

Shoji Maruo

Development of light-driven droplet based printing

Research Director

Shoji Maruo

Collaborator

Kazutoshi Iijima	Associate Professor Faculty of Engineering Yokohama National University
Kazuhide Ueno	Associate Professor Faculty of Engineering Yokohama National University

Outline

This project aims to develop an innovative droplet-based printing technology. In this method, on-demand production of multi-material 3D microstructures will be realized by remotely controlling ink droplets of raw materials. This method will be applied to a wide range of fields such as photonics, electronics and regenerative medicine. For example, we will create micro optical elements and metamaterials using this multi-material printing technology. Further applications include the printing of electronics devices fabricated using nanomaterials, and artificial bone marrow made with bone-like hydroxyapatite particles.