Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences
Tohoku University

A team at FRIS have perfected a new heat treatment technique with rapid heating and asymmetrical cooling processes in metallic glass. This technique enabled the team to induce a gradient of local glassy structure, bringing an apparent work hardening behavior.   Work hardening is the process by which a material is strengthened via plastic deformation and is not generally observed in metallic glasses due to their intrinsic random structure.   Although bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) have attracted much attention owing to their high strength, wide elastic limit and excellent thermoplasticity, a major disadvantage in terms of their mechanical properties has been a lack of ductility due to an intrinsic work softening at room temperature.   A schematic illustration of metallic glass with various relaxation states depending on the cooling rate ⒸTohoku University Dr Wookha Ryu, Assistant Professor Rui Yamada and Professor Junji Saida of the Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences (FRIS) have now successfully produced unique Zr60Cu30Al10 bulk metallic glass with a 2D gradient rejuvenation state, which leads to an excellent ductility and tailored hardening of a monolithic BMG at room temperature.   "We have developed a novel structure controlling technique with asymmetric cryogenic heat treatment and produced a unique glassy structure with the 2D gradient rejuvenation state. The BMG exhibits a tailored hardening behavior throughout the overall plastic deformation stage as well as an excellent ductility at room temperature," said Professor Saida.   A schematic illustration of the asymmetrical rapid cooling methodⒸTohoku University The local free volume concentration related to the rejuvenation state controls the shear band angle and the maximum effective shear stress. Hence, shear band propagation is prohibited and the formation of a complete shear plane transecting the whole specimen is blocked. The generation of plastic strain is accompanied by an increase in the critical shear stress, which results in a sustainable apparent hardening.   The team investigated a tailored hardening mechanism and established an experimental link between the gradient of the rejuvenation state and mechanical properties in Zr-based metallic glass.   The work was published online in NPG Asia Materials on 31 July 2020. Press release was delivered for domestic on 18 August and for international on 27 August 2020 from Tohoku University.   Publication Details: W.H. Ryu, R. Yamada and J. Saida, “Tailored hardening of ZrCuAl bulk metallic glass induced by 2D gradient rejuvenation”, NPG Asia Materials, 2020 DOI: 10.1038/s41427-020-0233-8 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41427-020-0233-8   Press release: https://www.tohoku.ac.jp/en/press/tailored_hardening_zrcual.html https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-08/tu-tho082620.php https://www.tohoku.ac.jp/japanese/2020/08/press20200818-01-glass.html

[Venue] ONLINE – Google Meet   The 23rd FRIS Seminar “Institutional Research and Strategies for High Impact Publications” at 10:00-12:00 on 20th Aug. 2020 To register : https://forms.gle/3CQTMR52qNmpttfS8   The methods of analyzing the citation of publications as indices indicating the research performance of research institutes, organizations, and researcher groups are utilized for research trend analysis, comparative ranking and so on. Prof. Hansen will introduce them and explain points to note when reading the data. And then, Prof. Hansen will suggest how to make an effective publication plan and tips for writing articles to improve the view-counts of articles and citations. Appropriate self-citations will be also discussed. It would be fruitful if the discussion provided hints for fostering an ethical perspective that each researcher could assent. Additionally in this seminar, In ORCID what can be used (in the open recruitment of researchers) and what the researchers should do (account creation, information registration, etc.) will be explained by Prof. Kawamura.  

Number of position and job 6 Assistant Professors (We especially encourage applications from women.) Organization and Department Creative Interdisciplinary Research Division, Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences (FRIS), Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan Research field 6 Research categories (1. Material and Energy, 2. Life and Environment, 3. Information and System, 4. Device and Technology, 5. Human and Society, 6. Advanced Basic Science).                                                 Successful applicants will be required to promote interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary sciences. Support 2.5 million JPY (maximum) per year, which is subject to change and is determined by a personal evaluation every year. Especially, the support may be reduced in 2021. (In case of the application of 2020 Leading Initiative for Excellent Young Researchers (LEADER), MEXT, Japan, please see our recruitment in the following URL: https://www.jsps.go.jp/j-le/post_list.html) Required Qualifications PhD degree Starting Date January 1 or April 1, 2021 (subject to negotiation) Term 5 years  (no reappointment) Remuneration An annual salary and allowance will be provided in accordance with Tohoku University’s regulations Remarks Applicants should select one research category in the proposal. Applicants must be requested to select a professor or associate professor in Tohoku University as your mentor. Regarding the role of mentor, please visit the following URL. http://www.fris.tohoku.ac.jp/en/recruit/invitation/ Application deadline Applications should be uploaded until 17:00 (JST) July 28, 2020 Requested Documents (1) Curriculum Vitae (Resume using our provided format). Please be sure to include your photograph, current postal and e-mail addresses, and your phone number in the resume. Format ▶Resume Form_EN_2020.xlsx   (*You can also download from “My Page” after main registration) (2)    List of research activities such as publications (papers, proceedings, books), presentations (note “invited”, if it is an invited presentation), awards, patents, outstanding budget, collaboration, etc.   (3) Brief statement detailing your research results (less than 400 words) (4) Proposal in our provided format Format  ▶Proposal_EN_AssistProf.docx   (*You can also download from “My Page” after main registration) (5) One letter of recommendation (6) Brief introduction of fewer than 5 papers of your research results with the index of ISI impact factor and number of citation. (NOT necessary of copy of each paper) (7) A copy of certification of a candidate of 2020 Leading Initiative for Excellent Young Researchers (LEADER), MEXT, Japan when you have been selected. (If not, it is not necessary.) All documents should be prepared in PDF format and the total file size must not exceed 10 MB. How to Apply (1) Access to the following URL for Pre-registration      https://rct4osp.fris.tohoku.ac.jp/en (2) URL for application form will be informed to your e-mail address after Pre-registration (3) Register and upload your documents in PDF format in “My Page” Others ■ For applying from long-distance areas or overseas After the first screening (examination of application documents), successful candidates will be contacted for an interview (Skype or Zoom interview) around the end of October 2020. Detailed announcements will be informed until the end of September, 2020.   • Tohoku University promotes gender equality and encourages people of varied talents from all backgrounds to apply for positions at the university. • Pursuant to Article 8 of the Act on Securing, Etc. of Equal Opportunity and Treatment between Men and Women in Employment, Tohoku University shall, as a measure for increasing the presence of women among the academic staff, prioritize the hiring of women deemed qualified for each job opening, based on impartial evaluation. • Tohoku University has the largest on-campus childcare system of all Japanese national universities. This network comprises three nurseries: Kawauchi Keyaki Nursery school (capacity: 30) and Aobayama Midori Nursery school (100), both open to all university employees, as well as Hoshinoko Nursery school (120), which is open to employees working on Seiryo Campus. In addition, Tohoku University Hospital runs a childcare room for mildly ill and convalescent children which is available to all university employees. • See the following website for information on these and other programs that Tohoku University runs to assist work-life balance, to support researchers, and to advance gender equality. Tohoku University Center for Gender Equality Promotion website: http://www.tumug.tohoku.ac.jp/ • In cases where the person hired for this position takes childcare leave, the term of employment may be extended by up to the number of days taken off for that leave, if such extension is deemed necessary for educational and/or research purposes. More information from: Professor, Managing and Planning Division, Junji Saida E-mail：@ URL: http://www.fris.tohoku.ac.jp/en/

Dr. Shimpei Endo has won Outstanding Reviewer Awards 2019. This  prize is awarded by Institute of Physics (IOP) to researchers who provide excellent, timely and productive reviews to  Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics in 2019.   Date: April 2020 Given to: Assistant Professor Shimpei Endo in FRIS and Graduate School of Science (Theory of Nuclear Physics) Prize: Outstanding Reviewer Award Given for: excellent, timely and productive reviews to  Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics in 2019 Given by: IOP Publishing (Institute of Physics Publishing 英国物理学会出版局) Reference: https://publishingsupport.iopscience.iop.org/questions/journal-of-physics-b-atomic-molecular-and-optical-physics-2019-reviewer-awards/      

Deadline : April 24, 2020   Outline We invite proposals for interdisciplinary themes and subjects by young researchers for “FRIS Creative Interdisciplinary Collaboration Program”. Submitted proposals are to be reviewed by FRIS committee. We appreciate your application based on original ideas and new points of view.   Research budget 1,000,000 yen for each fiscal year.   Eligible research group for application A research group should consist of at least two members. Assistant professor in FRIS must apply this program as a principal researcher.   Eligibility and How to apply Principal researcher (Research representative) should be an assistant professor in FRIS. Applicants should fill in the application form (A4 2 pages) and follow directions. Submit PDF file to FRIS office of following e-mail address:  @  Deadline April 24, 2020   For details please see the application guidelines.   Guidelines（PDF） Application（word） Contact Prof. Saida, (call extension 92-5752 or e-mail to @ ) Specially assigned associate professor Suzuki, (call extension 92-4353 or e-mail to @).

Deadline : April 17, 2020   Outline One of the objectives of Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences (FRIS) is adoption and promotion for basic research themes beyond the typical disciplines. FRIS has basic experiment facilities and devices to meet the demand of interdisciplinary studies. We invite proposals for interdisciplinary themes and subjects in order to support the seminal studies of 6 domains of (1) Materials and Energy, (2) Life and Environmental science, (3) Information and Systems, (4) Device technology, (5) Human and Society, (6) Advanced basic science for “FRIS Creative Interdisciplinary Research Program”. Submitted proposals are to be reviewed by FRIS committee.We encourage application from young researchers such as assistant prof., lecturer, associate prof. We appreciate your application based on new original ideas and new points of view.   Research budget 1,000,000 yen for each fiscal year.   Qualification requirements Principal researcher (Research representative) should be a member of Tohoku University except FRIS as assistant professor, lecturer and associate professor. Especially, we encourage application from young researchers. Application form and submission method Applicants should fill in the application form (A4 2 pages) and follow directions. Submit 2 hard-copies to administvative office of FRIS.  Deadline April 17, 2020   For details please see the application guidelines.   Guidelines（PDF） Application（word） Contact Prof. Saida, (call extension 92-5752 or e-mail to @ ) Specially assigned associate professor Suzuki, (call extension 92-4353 or e-mail to @).

Reactions observed under the microscope: Cooperative solid and liquid catalysts make better batteries A joint team consisting of assistant professor Jiuhui Han at FRIS, Professor Pan Liu at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China) and Professor Mingwei Chen at Johns Hopkins University (US) has discovered a synergetic effect of solid and liquid catalysts on boosting the energy efficiency of rechargeable lithium-air batteries. By using a state-of-the-art liquid cell transmission electron microscope, they have been able to directly visualize nanoscale interfacial electrochemical reactions in real-time and real-space. The operando observations uncovered the cooperative catalysis of RuO2 and TTF (i.e. model solid and liquid catalysts, respectively) in regulating the dynamic evolutions of electrode/electrolyte and electrode/Li2O2 interfaces. The insights gained from this study offer an in-depth understanding of Li-O2 electrochemistry and will facilitate the development of high-performance, next-generation batteries.   The work was published online in Nano Letters on February 20, 2020.   Publication Details Chen Hou#, Jiuhui Han#, Pan Liu, Gang Huang, Mingwei Chen*, “Synergetic Effect of Liquid and Solid Catalysts on the Energy Efficiency of Li–O2 Batteries: Cell Performances and Operando STEM Observations”, Nano Letters, 2020 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c00357 https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c00357   Liquid cell scanning transmission electron microscopy allows direct visualization of the interfacial reaction dynamics in a lithium-oxygen micro-battery.

Regarding the Covid-19 Coronavirus (For those who are participating in conferences and events)     If you are attending conferences, events, or other functions hosted by Tohoku University, we would appreciate your cooperation with the following.   1. If you have symptoms such as a fever or a cough, or are suffering from pain, please contact a medical institution and undergo a medical examination before participating in the event. 2. As you would with cold and seasonal influenza, we encourage you to take measures to combat the spread of infectious diseases, such as covering your mouth when coughing, washing your hands frequently, and using hand disinfectant. 3. Please use the alcohol disinfectant at the entrance to the venue. 4. If you are in any way worried about your physical condition, please do not overexert yourself. 5. Please be aware that staff members working at events, etc. may be wearing masks. 6. For details on events, etc., please contact the relevant organizer.       关于近期防控新型冠状病毒性肺炎的通知 （来我校参加会议及各种活动的各位）     如果您近期来我校参加会议及各种活动，请注意以下内容，并采取相应的预防措施：   1.若您近期出现发热、咳嗽以及全身疼痛等症状，请在参加会议或活动前联系医疗机关，并前往医疗机构就诊； 2.与一般感冒、季节性病毒感冒一样，为了避免交叉感染，请在公共场合咳嗽时注意文明礼貌，勤洗手并积极进行手指消毒工作； 3.在进入会场前，请使用摆放在入口处的酒精消毒液进行手指消毒后，再进入会场： 4.感到身体不适时，请立即终止参加活动； 5.参与会议及活动的相关工作人员可能会佩戴口罩，请予以谅解； 6.关于会议、活动的详细情况，请与会议、活动的主办部门联系。     PDF

This event has been canceled due to various reasons. We are sorry to everyone who was looking forward to the lecture. Thank you for your understanding. The 4th FRIS-TFC Collaboration Event Workshop on The heart of intracellular transport: membrane trafficking The Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences will hold “the Workshop on the heart of intracellular transport: membrane trafficking” in cooperation with the Tohoku Forum for Creativity in conjunction with the FRIS Annual Meeting 2020. Professor Randy Schekman (UC Berkeley/Howard Hughes Medical Institute), 2013 Nobel laureate in physiology or medicine, will attend the meeting and will give a keynote speech. This is a very valuable opportunity, and we hope that many people will attend.   Date and Time: March 12, 2020 from 3:00 pm to 5:50 pm (Social Gathering from 6:00 pm)   Venue: Sakura Hall, Katahira Campus, Tohoku University [Campus map (E01)]   Organized by - Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences (FRIS) - Tohoku Forum for Creativity, Organization for Research Promotion (TFC)   Speakers: Randy Schekman Professor, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley and Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute/2013 Nobel laureate in physiology or medicine   Akihiko Nakano Deputy Director, RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics   Yuta Amagai (Assistant Professor, IMRAM) Hiroki Ida (Assistant Professor, FRIS) Masaki Okumura (Assistant Professor, FRIS)   See the symposium website for details.   Contact FRIS (Hashimoto)  @

Assistant Professor Chrystelle Bernard Wins "Best Presentation Award for Young Researcher" in ICFD2019   Assistant Professor Chrystelle Bernard, a researcher of ELyTMaX, gave an oral presentation and received "Best Presentation Award for Young Researcher" in The 16th International Conference on Flow Dynamics (ICFD2019) held in Sendai International Center during 6-8th Nov. 2019. The award-winning research was conducted as part of a research program at ELyTMaX.   Presentation title: Investigation of the Thermal Behavior of Inflight Polymer Particle during Cold-Spray Process   Award date: 3rd Dec. 2019   Conference website: http://www.ifs.tohoku.ac.jp/icfd2019/index.html Award information: http://www.ifs.tohoku.ac.jp/icfd2019/images/Best_Presentation%20Award_for_Young_Researcher.pdf ELyTMaX website: http://www.elyt-lab.com/en/content/elytmax-umi-3757