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Information2024.03.12
Tohoku University's Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences (FRIS) was established in 2013 through the merger of the International Advanced Center for Interdisciplinary Research, which was established in 1995 to promote interdisciplinary research, and the Advanced Fusion Research Laboratory, which has a new mission to foster young researchers. Since then, the Institute has been active with the missions of promoting advanced interdisciplinary research, fostering early-career researchers through the "FRIS Shoshi Program," and discovering interdisciplinary research within the University, and is now celebrating its 10th anniversary. To commemorate this anniversary, the 10th Anniversary Ceremony and Lectures of FRIS were held on Monday, February 19, 2024, at Katahira Sakura Hall, Tohoku University. The event was attended by approximately 120 people, including those who have supported the Institute in various ways, as well as current and former faculty members. At the beginning of the ceremony, Tohoku University President Hideo Ohno opened the event with remarks on the role of FRIS at Tohoku University. He expressed his gratitude for the generous support from all quarters and stated, "The Institute has nurtured many researchers and serves as the foundation of our efforts to promote early-career researchers at Tohoku University. After a congratulatory address by Mr. Yasuyoshi Kakita, Director General of the Science and Technology Policy Bureau of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Prof. Toshiyuki Hayase, Director of FRIS, gave an overview of the history and prospects of the Institute. In the commemorative lecture, Dr. Hiroto Yasuura, Deputy Director General of the National Institute of Informatics, gave a presentation titled "Support for Early-Career Researchers and Transformation of Academic Information Infrastructure," in which he introduced Japan's efforts to foster early-career researchers. He concluded his lecture with the expectation that Tohoku University and FRIS will continue to be cutting-edge organizations in academia, even with new trends in data-driven research and open science. In addition, Prof. Hiroshi Masumoto and Prof. Kenji Toma of FRIS gave talks on "Advanced Interdisciplinary Research at FRIS and the Future of Nanocomplex Materials" and "Interdisciplinary Exchange, Astrophysics Research, and their Future" respectively, and Assoc. Prof. Yui Arimatsu of Hiroshima University, a former FRIS faculty member, gave a talk on "Humanities at FRIS: What I Think as a FRIS's Alumnus and the Future of Western Asian Archaeology". They talked about the unique activities, roles, and various memories of FRIS from the viewpoints of both current and former Institute members. It was noteworthy that about 30 researchers, who had previously been part of FRIS and are now active both inside and outside of the University, gathered at the event. The fact that these former members are now active in their respective fields truly testifies to the role and impact that FRIS has had in the past. Following the commemorative lecture, a poster session was held, featuring more than 60 presentations by both current and former members of FRIS. Afterward, a lively social gathering was held, during which attendees reflected on the history of the Institute and discussed their hopes for the future, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the establishment of FRIS. Photo: The ceremony celebrating the 10th anniversary of the establishment of FRIS.
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Topics2024.03.06
A group of Tohoku University researchers including Assistant Professor Satoshi Iihama at Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences (FRIS) has developed a theoretical model for a high-performance spin wave reservoir computing (RC) that utilizes spintronics technology. The breakthrough moves scientists closer to realizing energy-efficient, nanoscale computing with unparalleled computational power. Details of their findings were published in npj Spintronics on March 1, 2024. The brain is the ultimate computer and scientists are constantly striving to create neuromorphic devices that mimic the brain's processing capabilities, low power consumption, and its ability to adapt to neural networks. The development of neuromorphic computing is revolutionary, allowing scientists to explore nanoscale realms, GHz speed, with low energy consumption. In recent years, many advances in computational models inspired by the brain have been made. These artificial neural networks have demonstrated extraordinary performances in various tasks. However, current technologies are software-based; their computational speed, size, and energy consumption remain constrained by the properties of conventional electric computers. RC works via a fixed, randomly generated network called the ‘reservoir.’ The reservoir enables the memorization of past input information and its nonlinear transformation. This unique characteristic allows for the integration of physical systems, such as magnetization dynamics, to perform various tasks for sequential data, like time-series forecasting and speech recognition. Some have proposed spintronics as a means to realize high-performance devices. But devices produced so far have failed to live up to expectations. In particular, they have failed to achieve high performance at nanoscales with GHz speed. “Our study proposed a physical RC that harnessed propagating spin waves,” says Natsuhiko Yoshinaga, co-author of the paper and associate professor at the Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR). “The theoretical framework we developed utilized response functions that link input signals to propagating spin dynamics. This theoretical model elucidated the mechanism behind the high performance of spin wave RC, highlighting the scaling relationship between wave speed and system size to optimize the effectiveness of virtual nodes.” Crucially, Yoshinaga and his colleagues helped clarify the mechanism for high-performance reservoir computing. In doing so, they harnessed various subfields, namely condensed matter physics and mathematical modeling. “By employing the unique properties of spintronics technology, we have potentially paved the way for a new era of intelligent computing, leading us closer to realizing a physical device that can be put to use in weather forecasts and speech recognition" adds Yoshinaga. Figure: A physical reservoir computer performs a task to transform input data to output data, such as time-series prediction. We use magnetic thin film for the reservoir part. Information of the input is carried by spin waves and propagated to the output node (shown in blue cylinders in the bottom figure) corresponding to the nodes in the reservoir (shown in yellow in the top figure). (Credit: Springer Nature Limited) Publication Details: Title: Universal scaling between wave speed and size enables nanoscale high-performance reservoir computing based on propagating spin-waves Authors: S. Iihama, Y. Koike, S. Mizukami, and N. Yoshinaga Journal: npj Spintronics DOI:10.1038/s44306-024-00008-5 URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44306-024-00008-5 Press Release: Tohoku University https://www.tohoku.ac.jp/en/press/giant_leap_towards_neuromorphic_devices.html Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR) https://www.wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp/en/achievements/press/2024/20240304_001762.html
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Topics2024.01.26
A team of researchers from Tohoku University and Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) has achieved significant advancement in the field of microfluidics, allowing for precise and efficient manipulation of fluids in three-dimensional microscale environments. This work opens up new possibilities for bioanalytical applications, such as cell separations in the realm of medical diagnostics. Details of their breakthrough were published in the journal Microsystems and Nanoengineering on January 22, 2024. Conceptional diagram: Twisted Fiber Microfluidics. (Credit: Kato et al.) Microfluidic devices are designed to handle minuscule fluid volumes, allowing researchers to perform analyses and processes with remarkable precision and efficiency. In recent years, microfluidic technology has rapidly advanced across various fields, including medicine, biology, and chemistry. Among them, three-dimensional spiral microfluidic devices stand out as game-changers. Their intricate corkscrew-like design allows for precise fluid control, efficient particle separation, and reagent mixing. However, their potential to revolutionize bioanalytical applications is hindered by the current challenges in fabrication. The process is time-consuming and costly, and existing manufacturing techniques limit material options and structural configurations. To overcome these limitations, an interdisciplinary team from Tohoku University and OIST has introduced a miniaturized rotational thermal drawing process (mini-rTDP), drawing inspiration from traditional Japanese candy-making techniques – the fabrication of Kintaro-ame. Their innovative approach involves rotating the materials during thermal stretching to create intricate three-dimensional structures within fibers. This process is highly versatile, accommodating a wide range of materials that can deform when heated, unlocking endless possibilities for combining diverse materials. “Mini-rTDP facilitates rapid-prototyping of three-dimensional microfluidic systems, ideal for precise biofluid manipulation,” points out Yuanyuan Guo, an associate professor at Tohoku University's Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences (FRIS). "Mini-rTDP involves creating a molded polymer preform containing channels, which are subsequently stretched and heated to generate microfluidic channels within a fiber. These channels can then be further rotated to shape three-dimensional spiral configurations”, explained Shunsuke Kato, a junior researcher at FRIS and the first author of the paper. In collaboration with Amy Shen, leader of the Micro/Bio/Nanofluidics Unit at OIST, the interdisciplinary Tohoku-OIST team conducted both simulations and experiments to visualize fluid flows within the spiral structures. Daniel Carlson from Shen's group remarked, “We have confirmed the presence of Dean vortices, a type of rotational flow occurring in curved channels, in our devices, thus affirming their potential for significantly enhancing cell and particle separation efficiency." "The rapid prototyping of three-dimensional spiral microfluidics using mini-rTDP represents a remarkable advancement in the field of microfluidics. This technology offers unparalleled versatility, precision, and the potential to catalyze transformative changes across various industries," highlights Shen. "Furthermore, we are actively pursuing the integration of microfluidic channels with functionalities such as electrodes, biosensors, and actuators directly into fibers. This endeavor has the potential to revolutionize Lab-on-Chip bioanalytical technologies," elaborates Guo. This research is a testament to the collaborative efforts of the OIST SHIKA program and the matching funds provided by Tohoku University, highlighting the strong partnership and synergy between these two institutions. Publication Details Title: Twisted Fiber Microfluidics: A Cutting-Edge Approach to 3D Spiral Devices Authors: Shunsuke Kato, Daniel W. Carlson*, Amy Q.Shen*, Yuanyuan Guo* (*corresponding author) Journal: Microsystems and Nanoengineering DOI: 10.1038/s41378-023-00642-9 URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41378-023-00642-9 Press Release: Tohoku University https://www.tohoku.ac.jp/en/press/new_rapid_prototyping_method_for_microscale_spiral_devices.html Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University https://www.eng.tohoku.ac.jp/english/news/detail-,-id,2765.html
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Topics2024.01.18
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration, in which Prof. Kenji Toma from Tohoku University's Frontier Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences participates, has released new images of M87*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy Messier 87, using data from observations taken in April 2018. With the participation of the newly commissioned Greenland Telescope and a dramatically improved recording rate across the array, the 2018 observations give us a view of the source independent from the first observations in 2017. A recent paper published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics presents new images from the 2018 data that reveal a familiar ring the same size as the one observed in 2017. This bright ring surrounds a deep central depression, “the shadow of the black hole,” as predicted by general relativity. Excitingly, the brightness peak of the ring has shifted by about 30º compared to the images from 2017, which is consistent with our theoretical understanding of variability from turbulent material around black holes. The Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration has released new images of M87* from observations taken in April 2018, one year after the first observations in April 2017. The new observations in 2018, which feature the first participation of the Greenland Telescope, reveal a familiar, bright ring of emission of the same size as we found in 2017. This bright ring surrounds a dark central shadow, and the brightest part of the ring in 2018 has shifted by about 30º relative from 2017 to now lie in the 5 o’clock position. Credit: EHT Collaboration Please see the press release from EHT-Japan for details. Publication Details Title: The persistent shadow of the supermassive black hole of M87. I. Observations, calibration, imaging, and analysis Authors: Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration et al. Journal: Astronomy and Astrophysics DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202347932 URL: https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202347932 Press Release: EHT https://eventhorizontelescope.org/M87-one-year-later-proof-of-a-persistent-black-hole-shadow EHT-Japan https://www.miz.nao.ac.jp/eht-j/c/pr/pr20240118/en.html
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Topics2024.01.17
FRIS has established the Nanomaterials Process Data Science (Kenichi Morimatsu) Endowed Research Division with contributions from Morimatsu T&S Co.,Ltd. and Nihon Kenichi Co., Ltd. This research division is led by Prof. Takaaki Tomai of the Advanced Interdisciplinary Research Division and will conduct an interdisciplinary foundational research to develop a new academic field, "materials processing data science," that combines data science and materials process engineering. Specifically, the division will create a materials process database that links process data and material structure data for particle synthesis, targeting the nanoparticle synthesis process. Next, the process characteristic factors that determine specific material structures and even material functions are extracted from the database using data science. Ultimately, the division will construct "materials process informatics" to rapidly guide the design of synthesis processes for new high-performance nanomaterials and contribute to creating new industries. Nanomaterials Process Data Science (Kenichi Morimatsu) Endowed Research Division https://tomai.fris.tohoku.ac.jp/寄付講座ナノ材料プロセスデータ科学研一森松
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Topics2024.01.16
On-site Event FRIS URO Student Exchange Meeting will be held. Participants: Undergrad students interested in FRIS URO, FRIS faculties Poster presenters: FRIS URO student staffs, Recruiting FRIS faculties Registration is required for all participants and presenters. To register for the event, please click here ⇒ https://forms.gle/vxjmHVfDoGe5nHte6 FRIS URO is where FRIS faculties recruit TU undergraduate students who are interested in research as Administrative Assistants (AA) without interfering with their schoolwork. We started FRIS URO not only for FRIS faculty’s research progress, but also aiming to provide students with opportunities to experience working in frontier researches. Host:Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences Contact FRIS URO WG @ ◆FRIS URO Website
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Topics2023.12.07
Assistant Professor Linda Zhang of the Creative Interdisciplinary Research Division has been awarded the Best Poster Award at the 7th Symposium for the Core Research Clusters for Materials Science and Spintronics and the 6th Symposium on International Joint Graduate Program in Materials Science and Spintronics. The title of the winning poster: Tailoring Nanoporous Materials for Hydrogen Isotope Separation This award was presented to 10 researchers who gave excellent poster presentations among 91 posters at the Symposium. Best Poster Award Winners, The 7th Symposium for the CRCMS https://www.crc-ms.tohoku.ac.jp/en/news/2023/11/Symposium2023_Bestposter_index.html
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Topics2023.11.06
Hybrid event Language: English Due to due to unforeseen circumstances of the lecturer, this course has been postponed. The new date has not yet been determined and will be announced as soon as details are finalized. The TI-FRIS Academic Impact Course is designed to help early career researchers acquire the skills necessary to generate world-class academic impact, including publication in top journals. The talk “Publishing in Nature journals” will be delivered by Dr. Olga Bubnova, the Chief Editor of Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering, and is intended to cover the essential aspects of scientific writing and publishing in Nature Research and Nature Reviews journals with a strong emphasis on Nature journal standards and best practices. During this lecture, the participants will learn about the Nature family of journals, their hierarchy and editorial criteria. We will touch upon the editorial and peer-review process, publishing policies, cover letters and rebuttals. Finally, the key strategies for writing a Nature review article will be presented and the differences between the publication process in Nature Reviews and Nature Research journals will be discussed. All members of Tohoku University and TI-FRIS participating universities are welcome to attend. Date and Time: Monday, December 11, 2023, 13:30 to 14:30 Event Style/Venue: A hybrid of and onsite (at FRIS, Tohoku University, maximum number of on-site participants: 70) and online (via Zoom) participations. Lecturer: Olga Bubnova, PhD (Chief Editor of Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering) Lecture Title: Publishing in Nature journals Topic: The talk “Publishing in Nature journals” will be delivered by Dr. Olga Bubnova, the Chief Editor of Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering, and is intended to cover the essential aspects of scientific writing and publishing in Nature Research and Nature Reviews journals with a strong emphasis on Nature journal standards and best practices. During this lecture, the participants will learn about the Nature family of journals, their hierarchy and editorial criteria. We will touch upon the editorial and peer-review process, publishing policies, cover letters and rebuttals. Finally, the key strategies for writing a Nature review article will be presented and the differences between the publication process in Nature Reviews and Nature Research journals will be discussed. Lecturer Profile: Olga Bubnova received her master's degree in mechanical engineering in 2005 from Samara State Aerospace University in Russia. After graduation, she spent three years working as a system engineer in the electronics and automotive industries. In 2008, she began her studies on organic thermoelectrics at Linköping University in Sweden, where she went on to obtain her PhD. Later she worked at the University of Cambridge as a postdoctoral researcher, focusing on organic photovoltaics. Olga joined Nature Research in October 2015 and worked at Nature Nanotechnology first as Associate then as Senior Editor. She became Chief Editor at Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering in 2023 and is currently based in Tokyo. Language: English Host: Tohoku Initiative for Fostering Global Researchers for Interdisciplinary Sciences (TI-FRIS) Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University Eligible Participants: Faculty and staff members and students belonging to TI-FRIS participating universities (Hirosaki University, Iwate University, Tohoku University, Akita University, Yamagata University, Fukushima University, Miyagi University of Education) Registration: Please register using the participation application form the registration form. Registration Form Registration Deadline: Friday, December 1, 2023 (for on-site participation; Will be closed as soon as the number of participants reaches the limit.) Wednesday, December 6, 2023 (for online participation) Contact: TI-FRIS Secretariat ti-fris*fris.tohoku.ac.jp (replace * with @)
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Topics2023.10.12
Quantum computing uses quantum mechanics to process and store information in a way that is different from classical computers. While classical computers rely on bits like tiny switches that can be either 0 or 1, quantum computers use quantum bits (qubits). Qubits are unique because they can be in a mixture of 0 and 1 simultaneously - a state referred to as superposition. This unique property enables quantum computers to solve specific problems significantly faster than classical ones. In a recent publication in EPJ Quantum Technology, Le Bin Ho from Tohoku University's Frontier Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences has developed a technique called "Time-dependent Stochastic Parameter Shift" in the realm of quantum computing and quantum machine learning. This breakthrough method revolutionizes the estimation of gradients or derivatives of functions, a crucial step in many computational tasks. Typically, computing derivatives requires dissecting the function and calculating the rate of change over a small interval. But even classical computers cannot keep dividing indefinitely. In contrast, quantum computers can accomplish this task without having to discrete the function. This feature is achievable because quantum computers operate in a realm known as "quantum space," characterized by periodicity, and no need for endless subdivisions. One way to illustrate this concept is by comparing the sizes of two elementary schools on a map. To do this, one might print out maps of the schools and then cut them into smaller pieces. After cutting, these pieces can be arranged into a line, with their total length compared (see Figure 1a). However, the pieces may not form a perfect rectangle, leading to inaccuracies. An infinite subdivision would be required to minimize these errors, an impractical solution, even for classical computers. A more straightforward method involves weighing the paper pieces representing the two schools and comparing their weights (see Figure 1b). This method yields accurate results when the paper sizes are large enough to detect the mass difference. This bears resemblance to the parameter shift concept, though operating in different spaces that do not necessitate infinite intervals (as shown in Figure 1c). Figure 1: Comparing sizes of two elementary schools on the map: (a) Cutting paper pieces into small sections, arranging them in a line, and comparing. This method is less accurate. (b) Shifting the measurement focus from area to weight, providing an exact comparison. (c) Drawing a similar representation of quantum computing, where physical properties are represented in quantum space, forming periodic functions. ©Tohoku University "Our time-dependent stochastic method is applicable to the broader applications for higher-order derivatives and can be employed to compute the quantum Fisher information matrix (QFIM), a pivotal concept in quantum information theory and quantum metrology," states Le. "QFIM is intricately linked to various disciplines, including quantum metrology, phase transitions, entanglement witness, Fubini-Study metric, and quantum speed limits, making it a fundamental quantity with various applications. Therefore, calculating QFIM on quantum computers can open doors to utilizing quantum computers across diverse fields such as cryptography, optimization, drug discovery, materials science, and beyond." Le also showed how this method can be used in various applications, including quantum metrology with single and multiple magnetic fields and Hamiltonian tomography applied to intricate many-body systems. He also meticulously compared the new approach to the exact theoretical method and another approximation model called the Suzuki-Trotter. Although the method aligned closely with the theoretical approach, the Suzuki-Trotter approximation deviated from the true value. Enhancing the results of the Suzuki-Trotter approximation would necessitate an infinite subdivision of the Suzuki-Trotter steps. Figure 2: Comparison of quantum Fisher information calculated from three methods: theory (exact), Suzuki-Trotter approximation, and stochastic parameter shift. The stochastic method matches very well with the theory, while the Suzuki-Trotter approximation deviates from the true value and requires an infinite subdivision of the Suzuki-Trotter step to improve the accuracy. ©Tohoku University Publication Details Title: A stochastic evaluation of quantum Fisher information matrix with generic Hamiltonians Authors: Le Bin Ho Journal: EPJ Quantum Technology DOI: 10.1140/epjqt/s40507-023-00195-w Press Release: Tohoku University https://www.tohoku.ac.jp/en/press/exploring_parameter_shift_for_quantum_fisher_information.html
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Topics2023.09.26
Dr. Le Bin Ho of the Creative Interdisciplinary Research Division has been awarded "IOP Trusted Reviewer status" by IOP Publishing. The status acknowledges that he has demonstrated a high level of peer review competence, with the ability to critique scientific literature to an excellent standard.