Shiomi-Lee-Asano Lab

AboutAbout the lab

Using thermal energy effectively for a sustainable society

The Shiomi-Lee-Asano Lab studies mechanisms that transport heat, store it, and convert it into other forms of energy.
The lab investigates the behavior of heat across a wide range of scales, from the size of molecules to the macroscopic scale visible to the eye.
It develops materials and devices for applications such as power generation by thermoelectric conversion, thermal management of electronic devices and electric vehicles, and radiative cooling.
The lab also builds systems that use data science and robotics to make materials development more efficient.

ResearchResearch themes

The lab studies the transport, storage, and conversion of thermal energy across a wide range of scales, from the molecular scale to the continuum scale. Through fundamental research that integrates thermal science, fluid dynamics, solid-state physics, and surface chemistry, it explores new phenomena and develops materials, devices, and systems for a variety of applications.

*Illustrative image

Controlling heat flow with nanostructures↗

Phonons, the vibrational waves of atoms that carry heat, are scattered by nanostructures. By combining simulations with laser-based measurements, the lab investigates the fundamental science of controlling phonon transport with nanostructures.

*Illustrative image

Searching for materials with data↗

Using materials informatics, which connects materials science and data science, the lab develops materials optimized for thermal conduction, thermoelectric conversion, and thermal radiation. It is also building systems that automate materials experiments with robots and machine learning.

*Illustrative image

Materials and devices that generate electricity from heat↗

To promote the wider adoption of thermoelectric conversion, which generates electricity directly from temperature differences, the lab develops silicon-based thermoelectric materials, new origami-like device structures, and cooling mechanisms that use the movement of water in and out.

*Illustrative image

Controlling how liquids wet and move across surfaces↗

The lab studies the physics of liquids moving while wetting solid surfaces, working on controlling and predicting wetting behavior. It aims to apply this to improving the efficiency of heat exchangers and to new printing and coating technologies.

VoicesStudent voices

Compiled from answers by students who were in the lab. Ratings and reviews reflect individual students' experiences, not the lab's official views.

Students who take part in an interview may receive a thank-you gift worth ¥1,000, regardless of what they say.