Photoelectron Solid State Physics Lab

AboutAbout the lab

Seeing electronic states directly to uncover the properties of materials

The Photoelectron Solid State Physics Lab studies the "energy band," the energy states of electrons that determine the properties of a material, by directly observing it with angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES).
The targets are quantum materials such as topological insulators, atomic-layer materials, and high-temperature superconductors.
The lab combines thin-film growth by molecular beam epitaxy, development of measurement equipment, and first-principles calculations in its research.
On the lab's website, the lab is introduced under the name "Sato Lab."

ResearchResearch themes

Many properties of a material, such as conducting electricity, sticking to a magnet, or being transparent, are determined by the energy states of its electrons, called the "energy band." The lab uses angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), which can directly observe the energy band, to study the electronic structure and the mechanisms of physical properties of quantum materials such as topological insulators, atomic-layer materials, and high-temperature superconductors.

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Elucidating the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity↗

The lab directly observes the superconducting gap with ARPES to study how high-temperature superconductivity occurs. The lab also fabricates ultrathin atomic-layer films of iron-based superconductors, thinned down to just a few atoms, and explores superconductivity at even higher temperatures.

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Experimental demonstration of topological insulators↗

These are materials whose bulk is an insulator and whose surface is metallic. The lab directly observes the energy band of Dirac electrons and works on experimentally demonstrating new topological insulators. The lab also studies the electronic states of topological semimetals and magnetic topological insulators.

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Quantum phenomena in atomic-layer materials↗

The lab investigates the origin of new quantum phenomena that appear in sheet-like materials only about one atom thick, by combining ARPES observation with thin-film synthesis by molecular beam epitaxy. The lab also works on two-dimensional superconductivity in sandwiched graphene and on the effects of moiré patterns formed by stacking layers with a twist.

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Creating thin films with new functions↗

Using molecular beam epitaxy, the lab makes thin films only a few atomic layers thick and thin films in which different atomic layers are stacked, and searches for new functions by comparing the results with ARPES and first-principles band calculations. The main focuses are the search for topological superconductors and the creation of atomic-layer crystals using moiré structures.

VoicesStudent voices

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