Message from the New Director of Materials and Structures Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology

Materials and Structures Laboratory (MSL), a research laboratory affiliated to Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), was established in 1996 with the aim of pursuing fundamental and applied research on ceramic materials. Its roots date back to the Research Laboratory of Engineering Materials (RLEM), which was formed in 1958 by merging the Research Laboratory of Building Materials and the Research Laboratory of Ceramic Industry. MSL is conducting research to deliver new materials and technologies in a broad range of disciplines from advanced inorganic materials to building structures.

We are achieving cutting-edge research on advanced ceramics, including functional oxides for electronic, photonic and magnetic applications, iron-based superconductors and novel catalysts. The scientific discoveries have led to important applications, for example, IGZO, a transparent oxide semiconductor, developed by Prof. Hideo Hosono. As a Joint Usage/Research Center for collaborative research of advanced inorganic materials certified by the Ministry of Education (MEXT), MSL has led the developments in this research field acting as a national center for collaborative research in Japan and a hub for international research collaborations. The Structural Engineering Center (SERC) represents the architectural research group in the MSL. Its mission is to study mechanical response of materials, components, and building structures for safety as well as functionality against earthquakes, typhoons, and other hazards. MSL will close the Secure Materials Center, which has a mission to achieve the materials research for the benefit of a safe and secure society. We are planning to establish a new research center for materials design in order to develop a systematic methodology, applicable over a wide range of research field, from electronic/atomic-scale to macro-scale. The center is expected to become a hub for attracting researchers in this new research field.

Although the role of research laboratories in university may change with the change of the times, MSL will continue cutting-edge research by changing ourselves, and will remain as a research hub open to researchers in Japan and the world. We appreciate your continued support for our research activities.