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Usui Lab
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A condensed matter theory lab that explores superconductivity and thermoelectric effects through electronic-structure calculations.
AboutAbout the lab
Searching for new functional materials through "theory-driven materials design."
The Usui Lab studies condensed matter theory focused on electronic states in solids.
The keyword of its research is "theory-driven materials design," and one of its major goals is to propose new functional materials that have not yet been discovered.
Its current targets are "superconductivity" and "thermoelectric effects," and the lab clarifies physical phenomena through computer simulations.
The lab communicates closely with researchers who mainly do experiments, and even students with no programming experience can learn Python in the lab's rotating textbook-reading sessions.
Key terms
- Superconductivity
- A phenomenon in which a material loses its electrical resistance when cooled below a certain temperature. It was discovered in 1911.
- Unconventional superconductivity
- Superconductivity in which the Coulomb repulsion between electrons, rather than lattice vibrations, acts as the glue that forms electron pairs.
- Seebeck effect
- A phenomenon in which, when a temperature difference is created across an object, for example by heating one side, a voltage proportional to that temperature difference is generated.
NewsLab news
A paper on superconductivity under pressure and uniaxial negative thermal expansion in NiZr₂ was published
A paper on the "ideal electronic structure" of high-performance thermoelectric materials was published, with a press release
The lab was involved in research that accelerates the search for "transverse" thermoelectric materials, with a news release
ResearchResearch themes
This lab studies electronic states through calculations, aiming both for a deep understanding of physical phenomena and for the discovery of high-performance materials. Its current targets are two: superconductivity and thermoelectric effects. Students assigned to the lab study one of the two.
*Illustrative imageOrigin of unconventional superconductivity
The lab studies the origin of superconductivity in unconventional superconductors. Currently focusing mainly on iron-based superconductors, it examines the relationship between transition temperature, crystal structure, and electronic states through various calculations.
*Illustrative imageOptimal conditions for the Seebeck effect
Among thermoelectric effects, the lab studies the Seebeck effect theoretically. To find the conditions that optimize the figure of merit, it calculates the energy bands of various materials and searches for the ideal electronic states.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Usui Lab are faculty and master's and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- Associate ProfessorHidetomo Usui
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: “Pastilla superconductora” Esmeralda Lizet Martínez Piñeiro / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- Origin of unconventional superconductivity: “Magnet 4” Peter Nussbaumer / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Optimal conditions for the Seebeck effect: “El mundo físico, 1882 "Experimento de Seebeck. corriente termo-eléctrica en un alambre de metal homogéneo, pila termo-eléctrica o termo-multiplicador de Nobili". ( )” Fondo Antiguo de la Biblioteca de la Universidad de Sevilla from Sevilla, España / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Nakamura-Shinyoshi Lab): “DV74HC4051 CMOS 1996 (01)” Retired electrician / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Matuttis Lab): “20180620 Sand Rerik DSC09256 BW PtrQs” PtrQs / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Sasaki Lab): “أنابيب نانوية كربونية (Carbon nanotube)” Amira Ben Gouider Trabelsi / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Muranaka Lab): “Levitating superconductor on a hula hoop handled by the physicist Julien Bobroff” Jubobroff / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
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