Structural Materials Science Laboratory

Synchrotron Radiation(SR) is well known to be a powerful probe of electrons in materials, which should govern various of properties of materials sucha as superconductivity, semiconductivity, metalic property, optical property, etc. Our research goal is to create the novel Structural Materials Science, which allows to uncover the relationship between electron density level structure and intriguing property of advanced materials using SR. In order to tackle the task, we have been developing both the precise SR diffraction experimental technique and progressi ve data analysis technique for charge density mapping as well as electrostatic potential imaging at SPring-8. As for the experimenl technique, the advanced powder diffraction, single crystal diffraction, SAXS measurement method have been developed with the simaltaneous sample control system. The latest measurement system is the combination of the time resolved diffraction experiment using 40ps SR puls and 100nm focused beam, i.e., "X-ray pinpoint structural measurement" developed in 2008. We have applied this system to investigate the fast phase change phenomena used for the optical recording of the DVD media. Our next targets are real time atoms & molecular interaction visualization via electrostatic potential imaging and time resolved X-ray diffraction of photo reaction, gas absorption, etc.

Research Subjects

• MEM charge density materials science of advanced materials by synchrotron radiation
• Precise electron density mapping of proteins by MEM
• Structural materials science of nano-bio materials by synchrotron radiation small angle scattering
• Visualization of nano-level material reaction by the time resolved X-ray diffraction
• Electron spin density mapping of magnetic materials by synchrotron radiation magnetic scattering

Publications

1. D. Fujita, K. Suzuki, S. Sato, M. Yagi-Utsumi, Y. Yamaguchi, N. Mizuno, T. Kumasaka, M. Takata, M. Noda, S. Uchiyama, K. Kato, and M. Fujita:
   "Protein Encapsulation within Synthetic Molecular Hosts"
   Naure Commun. 3, 1093/1-7 (2012)
2. D. Miyajima, F. Araoka, H. Takezoe, J. Kim, K. Kato, M. Takata, and T. Aida:
   "Ferroelectric Columnar Liquid Crystal Featuring Confined Polar Groups within Core-Shell Architecture"
   Science, 336, 209-213 (2012)
3. T. Matsunaga, J. Akola, S. Kohara, T. Honma, K. Kobayashi, E. Ikenaga, R. O. Jones, N. Yamada, M. Takata, and R. Kojima:
   "From Local Structure to Nanosecond Recrystallization Dynamics in AgInSbTe Phase-Change Materials"
   Nature Mater. 10, 129-134 (2011)
4. S. Shimomura, M. Higuchi, R. Matsuda, K. Yoneda, Y. Hijikata, Y. Kubota, Y. Mita, J. Kim, M. Takata, and S. Kitagawa:
   "Selective Sorption of Oxygen and Nitric Oxide by an Electron-Donating Flexible Porous Coordination Polymer"
   Nature Chem. 2, 633-637 (2010)
5. A. Y. Ganin, Y. Takabayashi, P. Jeglic, D. Arčon, A. Potočnik, P. J. Baker, Y. Ohishi, M. T. McDonald, M. D. Tzirakis, A. McLennan, G. R. Darling, M. Takata, M. J. Rosseinsky, and K. Prassides:
   "Polymorphism Control of Superconductivity and Magnetism in Cs3C60 close to the Mott Transition"
   Nature 466, 221-225 (2010)
6. R. Makiura, T. Yonemura, T. Yamada, M. Yamauchi, R. Ikeda, H. Kitagawa, K. Kato, and M. Takata:
   "Size-Controlled Stabilization of the Superionic Phase to Room Temperature in Polymer-Coated AgI Nanoparticles"
   Nature Mater. 8, 476-480 (2009)
7. Y. Fukuyama, N. Yasuda, J. E. Kim, H. Murayama, Y. Tanaka, S. Kimura, K. Kato, S. Kohara, Y. Moritomo, T. Matsunaga, R. Kojima, N. Yamada, H. Tanaka, T. Ohshima, and M. Takata:
   "Time-Resolved Investigation of Nanosecond Crystal Growth in Rapid-Phase-Change Materials: Correlation with the Recording Speed of Digital Versatile Disc Media"
   Appl. Phys. Express 1, 045001/1-045001/3 (2008)
8. X. G. Zheng, H. Kubozono, H. Yamada, K. Kato, Y. Ishiwata, and C. N. Xu:
   "Giant Negative Thermal Expansion in Magnetic Nanocrystals"
   Nature Nanotechnology 3, 724-726 (2008)
9. K. Kato, Y. Moritomo, M. Takata, H. Tanaka, and N. Hamada:
   "Visualization of Charge Ordering in a Half-Doped Manganite by an Electrostatic Potential Analysis"
   Phys. Rev. B 77, 081101/1-081101/4(R) (2008)
10. M. Takata:
    "The MEM/Rietveld Method with Nano-Applications - Accurate Charge-Density Studies of Nano-Structured Materials by Synchrotron-Radiation Powder Diffraction"
    Acta Cryst. A64, 232-245 (2008)