Assistant Professor Kazuya Ando Institute for Materials Research at Tohoku University (presently Lecturer at the Faculty of Science and Technology at Keio University) and Professor Eiji Saitoh, Advanced Institute for Materials Research at Tohoku University has found that within the widely used electro-conductive plastic, the flow of the magnetism called the "spin current" can be converted into electrical signals and has successfully created a plastic magnetic-electrical conversion device.

More information (Japanese)：http://www.tohoku.ac.jp/japanese/newimg/pressimg/tohokuuniv-press_20130425_02.pdf [PDF:795KB]

The research group comprised of Professor Koki Takanashi, Assistant Professor Takeshi Seki of the Institute for Materials Research at Tohoku University, Associate Professor Yukio Nozaki of Faculty of Science and Technology at Keio University, and Research Team Leader Hiroshi Imamura of Spintronics Research Center of National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) succeeded in extremely low field magnetization switching with the use of waves of magnetic moments, spin waves, produced in the magnetic structures consisting of two different magnets which were laminated in the nanometer scale (nano=1 part per billion). They successfully switched the magnetization at the magnetic field with the magnitude of one tenth of that for the conventional technique.

More information (Japanese)：http://www.tohoku.ac.jp/japanese/newimg/pressimg/tohokuuniv-press_20130415_02.pdf [PDF:555KB]

　A research group from the Institute for Materials Research at Tohoku University, in collaboration with the Advanced Institute for Materials Research at Tohoku University and the Quantum Beam Science Directorate of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, elucidated the formation process of perovskite-type hydrides using the high-resolution synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction at SPring-8 for the first time in the world. While the hydrides have been anticipated to serve as a variety of functional materials, there are a few reports on their synthesis. A new insight obtained in this study will accelerate the development of energy materials with functionalities, such as hydrogen storage and superconductivity.

More information (Japanese)：http://www.tohoku.ac.jp/japanese/newimg/pressimg/tohokuuniv-press_20130307_02.pdf [PDF:522KB]

　A group led by Professor Koki Takanashi and Assistant Professor Yuya Sakuraba of the Institute for Materials Research, with cooperation from a group led by Professor Terunobu Miyazaki and Associate Professor Shigemi Mizukami of the Advanced Institute for Materials Research at Tohoku University devised a new thermoelectric power generation technology utilizing the phenomenon called the anomalous Nernst effect which occurs in magnetic materials such as metals and semiconductors and succeeded in increasing electric voltage in an experimental thermopile.

More information (Japanese)： http://www.tohoku.ac.jp/japanese/newimg/pressimg/tohokuuniv-press_20130228_01.pdf [PDF:805KB]

The research group led by Prof. Ichiro Yonenaga and his colleague Dr. Kentaro Kutsukake of Institute for Materials Research (IMR), Tohoku University (Japan), has invented a novel growth method for crystalline silicons for solar cell applications and realized a quasi-monocrystalline silicon, so called mono-like Si, ingot without multi-crystallization. While approximately 50% of substrate for solar cells is currently based on multicrystalline silicon, mono-like Si is promising as a material capable of additionally increasing the conversion efficiency of the solar cells, of which research and development has accelerate worldwide. However, mono-like Si faces a problem of "multi-crystallization" that is an increase in occupying portion of several grains nucleated at crucible side walls with different orientation from that of the seed, in the growth process of a quasi-mono crystal from silicon melt. In order to solve this problem, we have devised a method suppressing such enlargement of the grains by utilizing functions of grain boundaries artificially induced by specific composed seed.

More information (Japanese) : http://www.tohoku.ac.jp/japanese/newimg/pressimg/tohokuuniv-press20130130_01.pdf [PDF:529KB]

Tohoku University and Hard Industry (President Takuichi Yamagata, Hachinohe City, Aomori Pref.) developed a new atomisation process using a high-velocity air fuel flame; collaborative research with Iwate University also investigated adequate stabilization of the flame by optimisation of the combustion conditions. We successfully realized the new atomisation process.

The result was published in ”Powder Injection Moulding”, which is professional journal of UK.

More information : http://www.tohoku.ac.jp/english/newimg/pressimg/tohokuuniv-press20130125_01e.pdf [PDF:445KB]

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is with close to half a million members in more than 160 countries the world's largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence. IEEE Distinguished Lecturers (DLs) are science and engineering professionals who help lead their fields in new developments that shape the global community by lecturing at institutes and conferences all over the world. 
Koki Takanashi has recently been selected as one of four 2013 IEEE Magnetics Society Distinguished Lecturers, who was chosen on the basis of international reputation for excellence in the research fields of magnetic materials and spintronics, speaking acumen, and the wide-spread interest within the magnetics community for his previous research achievements. He will lecture on "Advanced spintronic materials for generation and control of spin current". The topics of the lecture can be found in 
http://www.ieeemagnetics.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=217:koki-takanashi&catid=75:2013-distinguished-lecturers-&Itemid=160.