Researchers developed a composite material with three-dimensional nano-interfaces, enabling thermoelectric conversion in a macroscale material. The spin Seebeck effect was successfully observed in an insulator, providing a new material design paradigm for thermal energy utilization.
Researchers developed high-performance catalysts that convert ortho hydrogen to para hydrogen before liquefaction, reducing energy release and partial vaporization of liquid hydrogen. This innovation is expected to contribute to the development of a hydrogen economy in Japan.
Researchers at NIMS have discovered a phenomenon where droplets on a single solid surface exhibit both 'sticky' and 'repellent' states simultaneously. By controlling the number of hydrogen bonds between the solid surface and oil, they can create a universal surface design principle that causes this phenomenon.
TEGNet accelerates optimization in thermoelectric generator design by predicting performance with high accuracy and speed. The AI model enables designers to freely combine independent models for various materials, enabling complex structure exploration and high conversion efficiencies.
A new regenerator material composed solely of copper, iron, and aluminum can achieve cryogenic temperatures without using rare-earth metals or liquid helium. The material utilizes a special property called frustration found in magnetic materials to demonstrate practical-level performance.
Researchers developed an autonomous AI network technology that enables multiple AI systems to spontaneously collaborate and share knowledge to discover new materials. This collaboration improves exploration efficiency and paves the way for the creation of numerous new materials.
Researchers have demonstrated altermagnetism in RuO₂ thin films, a promising new magnetic material for high-speed, high-density memory devices. The discovery overcomes limitations of conventional ferromagnets and has the potential to enable more energy-efficient information processing.
A new iron-based magnetic material achieves a 50% reduction in core loss compared to initial amorphous materials, particularly in the high-frequency range. This breakthrough is expected to contribute to next-generation transformers and EV components, leading to more energy-efficient electric machines.
A joint research team from NIMS and Toyo Tanso has developed a carbon electrode that achieves higher output, longer life and scalability for practical lithium-air batteries. The electrode's hierarchically controlled porous structure results in high-output operation and improved durability.
Researchers have created a method for simultaneous imaging of DNA and RNA in living cells using harmless infrared light, allowing for high-precision detection of all stages of cell death. This breakthrough enables the early detection of cellular damage that leads to aging or death.
Researchers developed an automated high-throughput system capable of generating Process-Structure-Property datasets for superalloys. The system produced a dataset containing thousands of records in just 13 days, accelerating data-driven materials design by over 200 times.
The study reveals how chemical sensors discriminate among various odorant molecules using explainable AI, enabling the selection of receptor materials for high-performance sensors. This breakthrough advances understanding of human olfaction and paves the way for practical application of artificial olfaction technology.
Researchers developed a high-entropy oxide tunnel barrier for MTJs, demonstrating stronger perpendicular magnetization and lower electrical resistance. This breakthrough may lead to smaller, faster, and more efficient hard disk drives and magnetoresistive random access memory devices.
Researchers from NIMS discovered that prior cyclic deformation improves the fatigue limit of steel by suppressing crack initiation. A novel pre-fatigue training technique successfully doubled the fatigue limit of high-strength martensitic steel, providing an effective alternative to tempering heat treatment.
Researchers at NIMS have successfully observed the transverse Thomson effect, a phenomenon that releases or absorbs heat when a heat current, charge current, and magnetic field are applied orthogonally. This achievement could lead to breakthroughs in thermoelectric effects and thermal management technologies.
Researchers at NIMS developed a new theory explaining the oscillation of tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) with changes in insulating barrier thickness. The theory resolves a long-standing mystery, providing insights into achieving even higher TMR ratios for enhanced magnetic memory and sensor applications.
The NIMS Award 2025 honors Prof. Tsutomu Miyasaka, Prof. Henry J. Snaith, and Prof. Nam-Gyu Park for their pioneering work on perovskite solar cells and the incorporation of a critical element that improved stability and efficiency. The award ceremony will take place at the Tsukuba International Congress Center on November 11.
Researchers developed a novel structure to enhance spin-torque heat-assisted magnetic recording, achieving 35% improvement in HDD recording efficiency. The technology has potential for reduced energy consumption and enhanced durability, paving the way for next-generation storage technologies.
Researchers at NIMS developed a next-generation AI device leveraging ion-controlled spin wave interference in magnetic materials, outperforming conventional devices by up to 10 times. The technology enables energy-efficient computations with minimal degradation when miniaturized, opening doors for various industrial applications.
Researchers developed artificial materials with improved transverse magneto-thermoelectric conversion performance through structural design. The findings provide new guidelines for designing materials and new ways to utilize the anomalous Nernst effect for practical applications.
The new facility enables the evaluation of materials under low-temperature hydrogen environments, critical for reducing production and operating costs. The facility will support the development of cost-effective hydrogen supply chains by validating material properties across a broader temperature range.
Researchers developed a simple, repeatable printing technique to create periodic nano/microstructures on glass substrates with useful functions like water-repellency and structural colors. The technique enables fabricating materials without expensive equipment and complex processes, paving the way for innovative gas sensors.
Researchers developed a model to accurately predict the cycle lives of high-energy-density lithium-metal batteries using machine learning methods. The technique is expected to improve safety and reliability in devices powered by these batteries.
Scientists have successfully synthesized a new SmFe-based magnetic compound, exhibiting superior intrinsic magnetic properties compared to traditional NdFeB compounds. The compound's high magnetization and anisotropy field make it suitable for electric vehicle applications without the need for critical rare-earth elements.
The team created microbeads that emit various colors of light depending on the illuminating light and bead size, offering a wide range of applications. The use of plant-derived materials allows for low-cost and energy-efficient synthesis, making them an attractive alternative to conventional luminescent devices.
Researchers developed a gel electret capable of stably retaining electrostatic charge and combining it with flexible electrodes to create a vibration sensor. The device achieves an 83% increase in output voltage compared to previous alkyl–π liquid electret-based sensors, enabling potential use as wearable healthcare sensors.
A research team observed partial crystallization of a glass and developed a model explaining the crystal nucleation mechanisms within a glass at different spatial scales. The team used multiscale structural analysis mainly using synchrotron X-rays, revealing nanosized crystal nuclei forming within Zr-rich regions of the glass.
A team of researchers has created a thermoelectric composite that exhibits a substantially larger transverse thermoelectric effect than existing magnetic materials, enabling the development of simpler thermoelectric devices. The device achieved a maximum output voltage of 15.2 μV/K, approximately six times larger than expected.
A team of scientists at NIMS and Nagoya University has developed a novel method to create transverse thermoelectric conversion materials from common soft magnetic alloys. By applying a short period of heat treatment, they significantly improve the performance of anomalous Nernst effect, leading to enhanced energy efficiency and thermal...
Scientists have developed a new approach to simulate the magnetization reversal of Nd-Fe-B magnets, shedding light on microstructural features hindering coercivity. The digital twins can guide the development of sustainable permanent magnets with ultimate performance.
Researchers from NIMS and Tokyo University of Science developed a compact AI device that utilizes molecular vibrations to predict blood glucose levels in patients with diabetes. The device outperformed existing AI devices with a 50% error reduction, paving the way for low-power AI terminal devices with various sensors.
Researchers have demonstrated a proof-of-principle for three-dimensional magnetic recording, enabling areal densities exceeding 10 Tbit/in². By stacking recording layers in three dimensions, the storage capacity of hard disk drives can be increased, leading to more efficient and cost-effective data storage solutions.
The team developed a technique to grow high-quality monocrystalline n-type diamond semiconductors, leading to the fabrication of an n-channel diamond MOSFET. The device exhibits excellent high-temperature performance, with a field-effect mobility of approximately 150 cm^2/V·sec at 300°C.
Researchers at National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) in Japan developed a new technique to observe heat propagation paths and behavior within material specimens. This technique uses scanning transmission electron microscopy with pulsed electron beams and high-precision temperature measurement devices.
A research team identified manganese oxide and cobalt oxide as effective catalysts for accelerating ortho-to-para conversion of molecular hydrogen. The study provides guidelines for designing anti-evaporation catalysts, which are crucial for long-distance hydrogen transportation.
Researchers discovered that electron and proton transfer mechanisms during oxygen reduction reactions vary depending on electrolyte cations, enabling improved energy conversion efficiencies. This breakthrough suggests optimizing reaction pathways without using costly electrodes.
Researchers used data science techniques to analyze the atomic structure of amorphous germanium materials, revealing that smaller atomic rings are associated with lower thermal conductivity and larger rings with higher conductivity. This discovery could lead to the development of new metastable phase-integrated thermal control materials.
Researchers developed an AI technique to expedite the identification of high-performance water electrolyzer electrode materials free of platinum-group elements. These materials can be synthesized using relatively cheap and abundant metallic elements, exhibiting superior electrochemical properties.
A research team at NIMS has created a new method for measuring the movement of lithium ions along grain boundaries within solid electrolytes, identifying obstacles and their impact on battery performance. This technique may contribute to the development of higher-performance solid-state batteries.
A team of scientists developed a technique to modify individual molecule units in a controlled manner, achieving structural isomerization and synthesizing reactive diradicals. This breakthrough enables the creation of novel carbon nanostructures with designer molecular units.
A research team found that voltage hysteresis in Li2RuO3 is attributed to different intermediate crystalline phases formed during charge and discharge processes, not irreversible structure changes. This discovery challenges conventional theory and has implications for developing high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries.
A NIMS research team developed a hybrid material capable of simultaneously exhibiting three types of TEC phenomena, including magneto-thermoelectric effects. By incorporating permanent magnets, the team achieved improved transverse TEC efficiency without external magnetic fields.
Scientists have successfully observed the anisotropic magneto-Thomson effect in magnetic materials, where heat absorption/release changes depending on magnetization direction. This discovery could lead to new functionalities for controlling thermal energy using magnetism.
Researchers at NIMS and L'Oréal K.K. create a new hairstyling agent that resists humidity, using hydrogen bonding between PVA and cellulose microcrystals to maintain hair shape in high humidity conditions.
A team of researchers used AI to optimize thermal aging schedules for nickel-aluminum alloys, resulting in stronger materials at high temperatures. By analyzing unconventional heat treatment patterns, the team discovered a two-step schedule that outperformed conventional methods.
The NIMS-OS middleware coordinates materials-search AI and robotic experiment systems for efficient automation. The system successfully executed a model experiment to identify effective electrolytes for lithium metal electrodes.
Developed by NIMS and Tokyo University of Science, the new electric double layer transistor operates 8.5 times faster than existing transistors, enabling faster AI processing and potential applications in event prediction, image recognition, and more. The innovation sets a new world record for neuromorphic computing performance.
Researchers at NIMS have created a novel adhesive that can be repeatedly bonded and unbonded under controlled conditions. This 'reset-on-demand' technology allows for the recovery and reuse of both the adhesive and substrate, addressing environmental concerns while maintaining strong adhesion.
Researchers developed an AI-powered mass spectrometric technique to determine a polymer's monomeric sequence. This breakthrough may lead to improved materials performance and tackle plastic recycling issues.
Researchers at NIMS developed an artificial zinc coating that prevents electrochemical deactivation in magnesium metal anodes, even in dry air. This breakthrough could enable the production of rechargeable magnesium batteries using existing lithium-ion battery lines.