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Condensed Matter Optics Lab
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The lab uses terahertz light to measure and manipulate quantum materials such as superconductors.
AboutAbout the lab
Creating light, measuring with light, driving with light
The Condensed Matter Optics Lab conducts experimental research that manipulates and observes quantum phases of matter, including superconducting states, on ultrafast timescales, using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and cryogenic techniques.
The lab also develops new light sources and spectroscopic techniques, aiming to bring about novel quantum phenomena arising from the interaction between light and matter.
Established in November 2022, the lab belongs to the Quantum Condensed Matter group of the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University.
Key terms
- Terahertz wave
- The lowest-energy electromagnetic wave among the family of light. It is generated from near-infrared light pulses
- Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy
- A measurement method that can directly observe the waveform of the terahertz electric field. Abbreviated as THz-TDS
- Superconductivity
- A state with zero electrical resistance in which magnetic fields cannot penetrate (the Meissner effect). It can be described by a single wave function
ResearchResearch themes
The Condensed Matter Optics Lab studies quantum materials from three directions: creating light, measuring with light, and driving with light. The research target is superconductivity, and the lab investigates it by driving its wave function with light.
*Illustrative imageCreating Light: Developing New Light Sources
Terahertz waves are the lowest-energy form of "light." The lab generates terahertz waves from near-infrared pulses emitted by femtosecond pulsed lasers, using difference-frequency generation in nonlinear optical crystals and photoconductive switches.
*Illustrative imageMeasuring with Light: Observation by Spectroscopy
Light has the advantage that it can selectively excite and probe elementary excitations of a specific energy. It is well suited to investigating properties such as directional dependence, ultrafast response, non-contact measurement, and the breaking of inversion symmetry.
*Illustrative imageDriving with Light: Control by Strong Electric Fields
Light is an oscillating electric field. Light pulses deliver strong electric fields that would destroy a material if applied steadily, making quasiparticles inside the material oscillate through electromagnetic force and modulating quantum states with a periodic electric field.
*Illustrative imageDriving the Superconducting Wave Function with Light
A superconducting state is a special state that not only has zero electrical resistance and does not let magnetic fields penetrate, but can also be described by a single wave function Ψ. Oscillations of |Ψ| correspond to the Higgs particle in matter, and states inside topological defects of Ψ correspond to Majorana particles in matter; the lab drives these with light to investigate them.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Condensed Matter Optics Lab consist of faculty members and master's and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- Associate Professor, Researcher of FOREST (Fusion Oriented REsearch for disruptive Science and Technology)Sachiko Nakamura
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Section of Nexans superconducting cable - Science Museum, London” The wub / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Creating Light: Developing New Light Sources: “Terahertz freq. metamaterial modulator” Hou-Tong Chen (Los Alamos National Laboratory) / Public domain (cropped)
- Measuring with Light: Observation by Spectroscopy: “Solutions of organic substances for NMR analysis” Ryabitskii / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Driving with Light: Control by Strong Electric Fields: “Dye laser alignment intra-cavity beam @ 589nm” Zaereth / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Driving the Superconducting Wave Function with Light: “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation” 彭嘉傑 at Chinese Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Condensed Matter Theory Lab): “Researchers advance topological superconductors for quantum computing ( )” Oak Ridge National Laboratory / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Emergent Quantum Matter Lab): “Two-pronged Approach to Studying High-temperature Superconductivity ( )” National Science Foundation / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Solid-State Electronic Properties Lab): “Eddy-currents in spinning disc” Silvanus Phillips Thompson / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Theoretical Physics of Particle Systems Lab): “Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB)” ESA and the Planck Collaboration / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
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