AIMResearch - Research Highlights 2020

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AIMResearch - Research Highlights 2020
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Advanced Institute for Materials Research
Tohoku University
AIMResearch - Research Highlights
2020
1-15
2021
http://hdl.handle.net/10097/00131798

RESEARCH
HIGHLIGHTS 2020
A publication of the WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
2

RESEARCH
HIGHLIGHTS 2020
A publication of the WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research

An ambitious approach to materials science research

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Advanced Institute for Materials Research
Tohoku University

4

Lithium-ion batteries: Imaging a critical component of batteries

5

Metallic glasses: Nanoparticles with glass-like structure coalesce faster

6

Topological superconductors: Turning a conventional superconductor into a topological one

7

Superconductivity: Crystal geometry affects transition temperatures

8

Lithium–oxygen batteries: Synergism between catalysts boosts efficiency

9

Magnons: Sophisticated amplification process underpinned by simple math

10 Soft-matter physics: Droplets hanging from a liquid surface
11 Solid-state batteries: Record-high lithium-ion conductivity at room temperature
12 Lithium-ion batteries: Making silicon usable

COVER STORY
A three-dimensional
image generated by
topographic scanning
tunneling microscopy
of strontium vanadate
nanowires formed on an
ultrathin film of strontium
vanadate (see page 13).
COVER IMAGE
© 2021 Hirofumi Oka

13 Transition metal oxides: Metal–insulator transition observed in nanowires
14 Topological insulators: Filling in the knowledge gaps
15 Thermoelectric materials: Porous structure captures heat more efficiently

WPI Advanced Institute
for Materials Research
Established in 2007 as part of the
Japanese government’s World Premier
International Research Center Initiative
(WPI), the Advanced Institute for
Materials Research (AIMR) was tasked
with pursuing world-class research and
promoting global brain circulation. The
AIMR has since been bringing together
world-class researchers from Japan
and abroad to carry out cutting-edge
research in materials science through
interdisciplinary collaboration among its
four materials-related groups — Materials
Physics, Non-equilibrium Materials, Soft
Materials, Device/System — and the
Mathematical Science Group.

In 2017, the AIMR became a member
of the WPI Academy, which consists of
WPI centers that have achieved worldpremier status. The institute will continue
to maintain its world-class research
environment and further promote global
brain circulation.
Led by distinguished material scientist
and director Shin-ichi Orimo, the institute
promotes interdisciplinary research across
the different groups. It also fosters young
researchers through the Global Intellectual
Incubation and Integration Laboratory
(GI3 Lab). This unique program, which is
currently supported by the WPI Academy,
promotes international joint research
conducted in close cooperation with highprofile researchers invited from countries
around the world.

The AIMR is host to about 100 leading
researchers, around 35 percent of whom
come from abroad, including 26 principal
and junior principal investigators. In
addition to the research hub at Tohoku
University, the AIMR collaborates with
research centers in China, Germany,
Poland, the UK and the US. Close ties
with other leading overseas institutes are
maintained, going along with the efforts
of foreign principal and junior principal
investigators, as well as adjunct professors
and associate professors.

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

An ambitious approach to
materials science research
The Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR)

molecular control technologies) and meso- and macro-scale

was founded in 2007 with support from the World Premier

perspectives (which are related to larger structures and per-

International Research Center Initiative (WPI), which was

formances), thereby accelerating material creation and the

started by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,

development of a diverse range of unprecedented physical

Science and Technology (MEXT) to set up world-class research

properties and functionalities.

centers in Japan. Since then, AIMR has advanced the WPI’s

Furthermore, AIMR is promoting the use of the institute’s

four basic objectives: advancing top-level research, creating

angle-resolved photoemission spectrometer (which boasts the

interdisciplinary domains, establishing international research

highest angular resolution in the world), scanning tunneling

environments, and reforming research organizations. As a

microscope, and the advanced measurement technologies

result, it has established a research center for materials science

available at the next-generation synchrotron facility, which is

that attracts outstanding researchers from all over the world.

being built at the Tohoku University’s Aobayama campus.

In 2017, AIMR became a member of the WPI Academy. It has

AIMR aims to adopt an approach that encompasses diverse

upheld world-class research standards as it strives to acceler-

advanced-material projects such as electronics, energy and

ate and expand the global circulation of the world’s best talent.

biomedical technologies by leveraging advanced measure-

As an international center for materials science, AIMR has

ment technologies as well as collaboration between math-

a key advantage in that it promotes collaboration between

ematics and materials science through the three Advanced

mathematics and materials science. By employing the univer-

Target Projects. Its scope will go beyond determining scien-

sal language of mathematics to describe the extremely diverse

tific principles, extending to the creation of materials that will

field of materials science, we are endeavoring to identify the

benefit society. Strengthening collaborations with industry is

commonalities among a wide range of materials and to pursue

thus one of the top priorities moving forward.

new research fields with the goal of realizing novel outcomes.

AIMR’s approach of promoting collaboration between

Even at the global level, initiatives such as this to foster col-

mathematics and materials science has attracted enormous

laboration among mathematicians and materials scientists

interest from industry, particularly through programs such

throughout an entire research institute are rare; this undertak-

as Graduate-level Research in Industrial Projects for Students

ing is therefore illustrative of AIMR’s status as a progressive

(g-RIPS). By promoting not just short-term results but also the

center for materials science.

creation of new materials through fundamental science, AIMR

To further strengthen collaboration between mathematics and materials science, which lies at the core of AIMR’s

is committed to fulfilling its responsibility to be a research hub
that benefits society through advanced materials science.

identity, we launched three new Advanced Target Projects in

I would like to thank all those who have supported

2019, namely local structure control in topological functional

us. AIMR is playing a central role in Tohoku University’s

materials; integrated control of bond variation and its time

efforts to establish an international research environment

evolution; and improvement of self-organization technology

as a Designated National University. At the same time, we

and control of biological response. These ambitious projects

intend to maintain our ongoing efforts to pursue high-quality

seek to transform research into conventional static random-

research as a hub that facilitates the international circulation

ness into investigations of dynamic (or kinetic) randomness

of the world’s best minds and to contribute to cutting-edge

and to elucidate the responsiveness to external fields of

materials science and global societal advancement.

hierarchical structures formed through self-ordering. AIMR
researchers are also endeavoring to simultaneously study

Shin-ichi Orimo, Director

microscale perspectives (which are relevant to atomic and

Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University

AIMResearch 2020

2

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
The AIMR advances research in materials physics, non-equilibrium materials, soft materials
and devices/systems, and actively promotes collaboration among these divisions toward the
development of ground-breaking technologies that cross the boundaries of conventional
fields of study – bridging the disciplines of materials science, physics, chemistry and
precision, mechanical, electronics and information engineering. The Mathematical Science
Group further complements the AIMR’s research activities.

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES

Published online on 27 January 2020

Imaging a critical component
of batteries
A powerful microscopy technique reveals new insights into the least understood part of
lithium-ion batteries

AIMResearch 2020

Li-Au alloy

SEI

Au

Electrolyte
© 2020 Mingwei Chen

Researchers at the AIMR have observed
how an ultrathin layer on the negative
electrode (anode) of lithium-ion batteries
forms, grows and fails during battery operation1. The important insights they have
gleaned will be useful for developing better
and safer lithium-ion batteries.
Lithium-ion batteries power everything
from smart phones to electric vehicles.
First commercialized about 30 years ago,
they are a mature technology that has
been intensively studied and developed.
However, one of the most important but
least understood aspects of lithium-ion
batteries is an ultrathin layer — the solid
electrolyte interphase (SEI) — that grows
on the anode and protects it.
The SEI forms during the first few
charge−discharge cycles and protects
the anode from further decomposition. ...

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