Department of Physical Science and Engineering Nagoya Institute of Technology

Department Introduction

Fields

Materials Function and Design

A deep understanding of the physical properties of materials and the practical skills to apply that understanding are both vital to the development of advanced, high-performance materials.
The field of Materials Function and Design trains specialists in materials engineering with an emphasis on engineering that puts the properties of materials themselves to practical use.
In particular, cutting-edge materials which are also environmentally friendly are developed, including those used in clean energy such as fuel cells, solar cells, and thermoelectric conversion elements; spintronic materials that regulate the spins of electrons; and high-strength structural materials utilized in automobiles and aircraft.

Applied Physics

In order to solve problems related to energy and the environment, innovative materials must be developed and practical devices and systems must be designed.
In Applied Physics, students use a foundation of uniformly learned and extensive physical principles to analyze a variety of phenomena both within materials and in the environment?from the macroscopic level down to the microscopic world of atoms and molecules?which allows them to contribute to increasing the performance of those materials and developing them into practical technology.
Specific focus is given to simulation analysis techniques using supercomputers, techniques for nanoscale measurement and analysis, and techniques for nano-manufacturing and element production.

Department History

Department transition diagram

Curriculum

Courses Studied

Freshman
Common Courses (Department)Introduction to Physical Engineering, Fundamentals of Material Properties, Differential Equations and Physical Phenomena, Physical and Material Mathematics
Common Courses (School) Freshman Seminar, Linear Algebra, Calculus with Seminar, Mechanics, Electrodynamics, Fundamental Chemistry, Academic English, English Seminar, Athletic Training,Seminar
Sophomore
Fundamental Courses

Materials Function and Design

Thermodynamics, Analytical Mechanics, Diffraction Crystallography, Materials Science, Physical and Material Mathematics, Quantum Mechanics, Material Equilibrium Theory, Transport Phenomena, Solid-State Physics, Microstructures of Materials, Mechanical Properties of Matter

Applied Physics

Thermodynamics, Analytical Mechanics, Quantum Mechanics, Applied Electrodynamics, Instrumentation Engineering, Physical Mathematics, Statistical Mechanics, Continuum Mechanics
Labs/Seminars

Applied Physics

Mechanics and Electrodynamics Seminar, Statistical Thermodynamics Seminar, Applied Physics Lab
Developmental Courses

Applied Physics

Applied Electrodynamics, Physical Mathematics, Instrumentation Engineering
Common Courses (School)Physics Lab, Industrial Organization, Academic English
Junior
Fundamental Courses

Materials Function and Design

Solid-State Physics

Applied Physics

Solid-State Physics, Quantum Mechanics
Labs/Seminars

Materials Function and Design

Functional Materials Engineering Seminar and Lab

Applied Physics

Quantum Mechanics Seminar, Applied Physics Lab
Developmental Courses

Materials Function and Design

Electric and Electronic Materials, Fractography, Electrochemistry, Reaction Kinetics, Energy Materials, Thermophysics, Fusion Process Engineering, Structural and Machine Materials, Magnetic Materials

Applied Physics

Instrumentation Engineering, Simulation Engineering, Optics, Fluid Physics, Solid-State Physics, Quantum and Nanoscale Measurement
Hands-On Training Seminar
Senior
Labs/Seminars

Materials Function and Design

Functional Materials Engineering Seminar
Developmental Courses

Applied Physics

Applied Process Engineering, Applied Optics
Senior Research

Senior Research

Students personally operate sophisticated laboratory equipment and computers.
They then engage in discussions based on the results that they obtain, cultivating their ability to think as well as improving their presentation skills.

Courses required for graduation include both common education courses and technical training courses.
Introduced here are the technical courses offered by the Department of Environmental and Materials Engineering.
(For a brief explanation of the common education courses, please see the “Common Education Curriculum.”)

When the size of a material approaches the nanometer (1/1,000,000,000th of a meter) scale, its physical and chemical properties transform and begin to manifest themselves in ways not seen in conventional bulk materials. This image is a photograph of an Au-Co alloy nanoparticle taken with an electron microscope.

This 3-D structural image depicts the lens-shaped martensite phase formed in Fe-33mass%Ni. The image was constructed using a process known as serial sectioning which involves repeated turns of grinding and observation. We can see that the lens-shaped martensite phase does indeed take the form of a lens.

A variety of optical experiments using laser light are underway in order to study new material for optical devices. Here, graduate students are using spectroscopic instruments that they designed and assembled themselves to measure the nonlinear optical properties of new semiconducting nanomaterial.

Installing thermoelectric generation systems using newly developed thermoelectric material made from Heusler compounds onto automobiles and motorcycles is expected to not only contribute to improved fuel economy but also reduce greenhouse gases.

Metal oxides are the key to achieving the functionality of all of the manufactured products familiar to us. In this example, a large-scale simulation is being used to reveal for the first time what it looks like when actual-sized aluminum particles form an oxidizing film.

Laser light can be used to scatter the atoms and molecules of a substance by instantaneously heating the material and causing it to "explode." This explosion accompanying the radiation of light through a vacuum gives birth to new advanced materials, including nanostructures which do not exist in the natural world.

These are carbon nanofibers (CNF) synthesized at room temperature. This original ion-irradiation process can be used for the room-temperature synthesis of CNF, a type of nanocarbon. This method can be adopted for use in the commercialization of probes for precision instruments as well as in basic research related to the synthesis of two-dimensional materials such as graphene.

Improvements in adhesive technology for conjoining different types of materials such as metals and resins are hoped for in order to further reduce the weight of automobiles. In this example, a supercomputer is used to run large-scale, highly precise simulations that directly calculate electron energy levels to investigate the adhesive strength between a lightweight metal (Al) and an epoxy resin.