1. Introduction
-What are we challenging in our research?-

We aim to create artificially novel materials with elegant functions of living bodies, such as informational processing functions, sophistically harmonized multi-functions, and also environmental friendly. We believe that it is very interesting and important frontier for advanced IT society in near future.
Towards such "Excellent Functional Materials, Devices and Systems", our primal research areas are "Science of Functional Harmonized Materials and Devices" and "Science of Bimolecular Devices". Let us introduce several topics of our research.

i) Design and synthesis of atomically controlled materials via a "Laser Molecular Beam Epitaxy technique (Laser MBE)" enable novel materials with elegant structures and functions, which had not been possible using conventional routes, to be fabricated with intention being to develop "Super Five Senses Sensor" and "Brain-Like Memory".

ii) Use of "Scanning probe microscopy (SPM)" allows observation, manipulation and spectroscopy of atoms and molecules including DNA. The knowledge obtained from such microscopic study would be extended to developments of bio-devices and bio-chips.

iii) Computational studies including "Molecular Dynamic simulation (MD)" and "Molecular Orbital simulation (MO)" are employed to predict the phase transition and the electric states of condensed materials.
Towards artificially structured "Science of Human Body Building", we are challenging the following subjects.

1) Science of multi-functional harmonized materials and devices
(Fabrication of Superconductors/Ferroelectrics/Magnetic/Photoconductive)

Laser irradiation onto solid surfaces, which results in atoms and/or ions, enables novel functional harmonized materials to be created and controlled in the atomic scale. It is possible to fabricate artificially novel functional materials including novel superconductors, ferroelectrics and magnetic by using laser MBE technique. We are investigating experimentally and computationally such anomalous physical properties to clarify the actual origins and mechanisms of superconducting, ferroelectrics and magnetic properties.
Figure 1 illustrates a future robot with sensors and memories comprising above novel functional materials. We are trying to control lattices, spins and charges of materials and further to develop "Super Five Senses Sensor" and "Brain-Like Memory", which are very sensitive to external information including light, electric field and magnetic field. In particular, "Accumulation of atomic functions" has enabled us to discover novel physical properties and functions of materials, and also we will carry on this.

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(2) Science of bimolecular devices
(Nano-biotechnology by SPM and its extension to bimolecular devices)

Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) is an excellent method to give the visual pictures of atoms and molecules on solid surfaces in real space. The SPM enables to observe in-situ DNA molecules and crystal growth surfaces in the atomic scale. In addition, use of scanning microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) allows us to investigate the chemical reaction of a molecule, nucleic acids, molecule manipulation of DNA. By using the STM and AFM, we have successfully observed the microstructures of nucleic acids and DNA, and also manipulated these molecules. Furthermore, we are pioneering Nano-science using STM and AFM towards novel molecular devices using DNA and Cytochrome C (Figure 3).

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(3) Computational Science and material design

We have been focusing on "Computational Science" as a tool to understand nano-scale science and material fabrication. By adapting Molecular Dynamics simulation (MD) and Molecular Orbital simulation (MO), we will predict the structure and electric states of novel materials, and also create novel "functional harmonized materials".

Figure 4 illustrates the objectives and postures for our research for your understanding. Thus,

1) "Science of functional harmonized materials and/or device systems" enables novel "Devices and systems" to be emerged. In particular, harmonizing superconducting/ferroelectric/ magnetic/ photo-functions results in novel functional materials with anomalous physical properties.

2) "Surface science of atomic surface", which can manipulate atoms and molecules, enables not only novel quantum physical properties of artificial nano-structures to be emerged, but also molecular manipulations including DNA to be realized. In addition, computational methodologies give the understanding of these physical and chemical phenomena.

We further aim to utilize the knowledge for "Fabrication of artificial informational materials (Human Body Building)".

We wish you feel though this pamphlet what we have done so far and our dreams for future.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Professor Tomoji Kawai
Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research,
Osaka University

Kawai Laboratory

(Address) ISIR-SANKEN, Osaka University, Mihogaoka 8-1, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047

(Tel) +81-6-6879-8446

(Fax) +81-6-6875-2440

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