Researcher's Information

Professor

NAKADA, Toshitaka

Physics

Phase transitions and interface phenomenon in the mesoscopic region

Science in recent years has been clarifying a lot of enigmas, from the micro world that includes subnuclear particles to the macro world that includes cosmic space. However, in the medium that links micro to macro, or nanometer world (a few to several hundred arranged atoms or molecules) there is a lot of interesting phenomenon whose mechanisms have yet to have been clarified. At our laboratory we focus on how atoms and molecules gather together, break up or react in various materials, regardless of being organic and inorganic, or more concretely the phase transformation process and interface phenomenon. For example, we target metallic quantum dots created on semiconductors, ultra-thin films created using a single organic molecule layer, and the crystals of proteins etc. We research changes in atomic/ molecular alignment using the latest microscopes and analyzers by creating the materials ourselves.
  • Microscopic photograph of protein crystal. Molecules have a regular arrangement.