NAKANO Yoshiaki Professor
Hongo Campus
Nano Physics & Device Technology
Nanostructural physics
Optical engineering, Photon science
Energy-related chemistry
Electron device/Electronic equipment
Communication/Network engineering
Photonic integrated circuits and renewable energy system based on semiconductors
In our laboratory, we fabricate photonics integrated circuits and solar cells by ourselves from scratch. Facing the fabricated devices and carefully examining their characteristics, you will realize that they are quite different from virtual devices modeled on a computer. Dialogue with real devices is one of the most important research process for us.
Research field 1
semiconductor photonic integrated circuit
While the common integrated circuits handle electrons, there is another type of integrated circuits that handles light (photons). Such photonic integrated circuits are indispensable components in current applications like optical communication, optical sensing, imaging, and optical computing. In our laboratory, we have been involved in research on photonic integrated circuits, especially those on semiconductors, since the dawn. Currently, we are prototyping and demonstrating various advanced photonic integrated circuits using indium phosphide and silicon.
Research field 2
Compound semiconductor solar cell and renewable energy system
Solar cells with direct transition type compound semiconductors are used in artificial satellites because they give a higher optical-to-electrical conversion efficiency compared to common silicon cells. In our laboratory, we are conducting research on such compound semiconductor solar cells for even higher efficiency and lower cost, aiming at their terrestrial use, by means of fabricating actual devices. In addition, if you do electrochemical reduction with the high-efficiency solar cells as a power source, you can generate completely green hydrogen and synthetic fuels. Such a production technology of renewable fuels from solar energy is also a subject of our research.