LAB LOGA page on LabLog, a review site (not the lab's official page)
Electron Microscopy Materials Lab
Machine-translated · View original
The lab builds its own new electron microscopes to explore the properties of materials from the atomic world.
AboutAbout the lab
Striving for the distant summit of electron microscopy materials science
The Electron Microscopy Materials Lab develops new electron microscopy methods that can distinguish individual atoms, and uses them to study materials.
The materials it studies range widely, including metals, ceramics, devices, magnetic materials, and organic materials.
By creating new "eyes" for observing materials with electron microscopy methods found nowhere else, the lab aims to fundamentally uncover how the properties of materials arise.
Key terms
- Atomic resolution
- Image sharpness fine enough to distinguish and observe individual atoms
- STEM (Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope)
- An electron microscope that scans a specimen with a finely focused electron beam and forms an image from the electrons that pass through it
- Grain boundary
- The boundary between the small crystal grains that make up a material
NewsLab news
Assistant Professor Sasano received the Outstanding Presentation Award at ICC'11
Paper on an atomic-scale double-slit experiment published in Nature
Master's students received the Outstanding Poster Award and the Outstanding Oral Presentation Award from the Japanese Society of Microscopy
Held a lab tour for incoming fourth-year students of the Department of Materials Engineering
ResearchResearch themes
The lab develops entirely new atomic-resolution electron microscopy methods and uses them to study metals, ceramics, devices, magnetic materials, and more. Treating electron microscope development and materials research as two equally essential halves of its work, the lab aims to elucidate how the properties of materials arise.
*Illustrative imageDeveloping an electron microscope free of magnetic fields
Conventional electron microscopes use a strong magnetic field in their lenses, which has made it impossible to observe magnetic materials at the atomic scale. The lab is developing "MARS," an electron microscope that can directly image atoms without applying a magnetic field to the specimen.
*Illustrative imageA segmented detector for STEM
The lab is developing "SAAF," a detector whose electron-receiving surface is divided into many segments. It aims to observe atomic-level phenomena and extract information that was previously impossible to obtain.
*Illustrative imageSeeing electric fields inside atoms
The lab has refined the DPC STEM method, which visualizes the distribution of electric and magnetic fields inside materials, to a resolution fine enough to distinguish individual atoms. It has succeeded in observing electric fields inside atoms, electron clouds, and the magnetic fields of atoms.
*Illustrative imageSeeing electromagnetic fields at crystal boundaries
At crystal boundaries such as grain boundaries, signals from structural changes overlap, which made it difficult to measure electromagnetic fields quantitatively. The lab has developed a method that can measure them even at such boundaries, and is using it to investigate how the properties of materials arise.
MembersFaculty
The lab's members consist of faculty, researchers, secretaries, staff and technical assistants, exchange students, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorNaoya ShibataPublications ↗
- Project Associate ProfessorRyo IshikawaPublications ↗
- Project Associate ProfessorBin FengPublications ↗
- Associate ProfessorTakehito SekiPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorSatoko ToyamaPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorShun SasanoPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorToshihiro FutazukaPublications ↗
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.
On a 4-point scale, ● marks where students' answers fall
Who is this lab for?
What's great about this lab?
What did you learn after joining?
What's the vibe, and what is the professor like?
Where do graduates go?
RelatedLabs similar to Electron Microscopy Materials Lab
Abe LabFaculty of Engineering, Department of Materials EngineeringStructural analysis of nanostructures in lightweight alloys …
Takai LabFaculty of Engineering, Department of Materials EngineeringElucidating the functions of biomolecule–material interfaces…
Watanabe LabFaculty of Engineering, Department of Materials EngineeringPrediction of material properties by first-principles and co…
Sakata LabFaculty of Engineering, Department of Materials EngineeringHighly sensitive biosensing devices and polymer–metal compos…The information on this page is compiled by the LabLog team from the lab's public information and interviews. For corrections or removal requests, please contact LabLog, not the lab.
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: “16 Universität Wien Sternwarte Physik Gruppe Kotakoski UltraStem Titan Ian Ehm” Ian Ehm, Universität Wien / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Developing an electron microscope free of magnetic fields: “Stem1” Materialscientist / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- A segmented detector for STEM: “Everhardt-Thornley detector” FDominec / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Seeing electric fields inside atoms: “Scanning transmission electron microscopy la07sr03mno” Magnunor / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Seeing electromagnetic fields at crystal boundaries: “Ferromagnetic domains in spiral pattern for Fe60Al40” Magnunor / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Abe Lab): “Stohrem” Materialscientist / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Takai Lab): “Microfluidic chip for point-of-care medical devices” FMNLab / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Watanabe Lab): “Scanning Tunneling Microscope Structure ( )” National Institute of Standards and Technology / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Sakata Lab): “Silicon Wafer 20190210” Enrique Jiménez / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
About LabLog
LabLog is a lab review app for students only. Student members at each university interview students in labs and publish what they say. Student voices can only be read by students who sign up with a university email address. Operated by bestiee Inc.
Learn more about LabLog ↗Search engines and AI may reference the basic lab info and rating summaries on this page and the description of LabLog. Student voices are for student members only. Automated collection by programs (scraping, or input to or training of AI) is prohibited under Article 8 of the Terms of Service. If you need data for research or analysis, please contact us.