About

Established and the first project started at 1997
The second project started at 2002, the third project at 2006, and the fourth project at 2011
Director：Professor Yasutake Ohishi

Research Outline

Research Center for Smart Photons and Materials brings together research related to photonics at Toyota Technological Institute. The center conducts research on themes from materials to devices and systems necessary for generating and manipulating light and constructing high-precision measurement technology using light. Representative research projects include; generation and control of lightwave in the ultraviolet to far-infrared region using microstructured optical fibers made of special glasses developed by our own research group; development of high-performance optical fiber lasers based on silica optical fiber technology; development of light sources, sensors, actuators, and other devices using MEMS technology; research on highly sensitive surface measurement methods using light as a probe; research on ultrashort optical pulse lasers and optical field waveform measurement technology; development of new synthetic methods of macromolecules and semiconductor microspheres for controlling lightwave, in order to develop these research areas. Our research activities in this center will lead to not only the innovation of information communication technologies, but also green and life innovation including environmental technology, medical sensing and diagnostics, etc.

Members

［Optical Functional Materials Laboratory］
　Professor Yasutake Ohishi
　Associate Professor Takenobu Suzuki
　Assistant Researcher Tong Hoang Tuan


［Frontier Materials Laboratory］
　Professor Kazuya Saito


［Memory Engineering Laboratory］
　Professor Hiroyuki Awano
　Associate Professor Kenji Tanabe


［Micro-Nano Mechatronics Laboratory］
　Professor Minoru Sasaki


［Surface Science Laboratory］
　Professor Masamichi Yoshimura
　Associate Professor Masanori Hara


［Laser Science Laboratory］
　Professor Takao Fuji
Lecturer Tetsuhiro Kudo


［Polymer Chemistry Laboratory］
　Professor Kenta Kokado
　Assistant Professor　Shizuka Anan


［Materials Science and Engineering］
　Special Associate Professor Akihisa Yanase

Research Themes

・Generation and control of broadband lightwave using microstructured optical fibers
・Development of high-performance optical fiber lasers based on silica optical fiber technology
・Development of light sources, sensors, and actuators using MEMS technology
・Research on highly sensitive surface measurement methods using light as a probe
・Research on ultrashort optical pulse lasers and optical field waveform measurement
・Development of new synthetic methods of macromolecules
・Semiconductor microspheres for controlling lightwave

Background and Objective

Miscellaneous

• Broadband lightwave generation and processing

Research theme Study on microstructured optical fibers for lightwave generation Study on mid-infrared to terahertz light generation and processing Study on solar pumped Nd-doped fiber lasers

*We have demonstrated that ultra-fast optical modulation can be performed using newly developed highly nonlinear all solid microstructured optical fibers using tellurite glasses. *We have demonstrated the generation of the broadest mid-infrared highly coherent supecontinuum using a chalcogenide all solid hybrid microstructured optical fiber. *We have succeeded in near-infrared optical image transport using an all-solid tellurite optical glass fiber with transversely-disordered refractive index profile using tellurite glasses. *We have succeeded in the demonstration of solar-pumped Nd-doped fluoride fiber laser operating at 1.06 m for the first time.

• High-performance optical fiber

Development of high-performance fiber laser Development of fiber amplifier for intersatellite optical communication Elucidation of the local structure of silica glass

• Research on ultra-high-speed magneto-optical racetrack memory towards 100 Gbp
A heterostructure composed of rare earth transition metals and heavy metals was used as the recording material for the racetrack memory. When a magnetic domain is recorded on this magnetic wire and a current is applied to both ends of the magnetic wire, the recorded domain moves in the current direction and its driving speed exceeds 1000 m / sec. When a magnetic domain sequence as data is recorded on this magnetic wire with ordinary laser light, the magnetic domain sequence immediately moves in the current direction. That is, optical communication data can be magnetically recorded directly on a magnetic wire. This original proposal is an epoch-making new data transfer method that saves power and enables high-speed data transfer rate.

• Research on optical MEMS and sensing techniques
3D micromachining on curved surface like lens Wavelength selective infrared emitter for gas sensing Sensors and actuators for optics

• Development of highly sensitive surface analysis using light as a probe
・ Development of tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy・ Fabrication of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrate for high-sensitivity analysis ・ Development of a novel system for in-situ spectroscopic measurement

• Ultrafast lasers and measurement technologies
- Development of ultrashort pulse lasers - Development of ultrafast spectroscopy and imaging - Optical manipulation for nanomaterials with novel mid-infrared light sources

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  • filament where sub-cycle infrared pulses are generated and the waveform of the sub-cycle pulse measured with a newly developed technology

• Macromolecular synthesis linking the components of crystals

Precise synthesis of linear polymers and gels from Metal-Organic Framework (MOF), a porous crystal. By precisely linking organic ligands of MOF, we achieved molecular weight convergence in step-growth polymerization, synthesis of polyhedral gels, and anisotropically transforming behavior of gels.

• Precise synthesis of linear polymers and gels from Metal-Organic Framework

• Fabrication processes of semiconductor microspheres

Micrometer-sized spheres of semiconductor are excellent optical resonators, promising for application in optical devices. Fabrication processes of Ge microspheres comprised of heating Ge thin patches with puled-laser irradiation are studied.