LAB LOGA page on LabLog, a review site (not the lab's official page)
Material Properties Lab
Machine-translated · View original
A computational materials science lab that creates new material properties through force and shape.
AboutAbout the lab
Designing material functions through mechanics
The Material Properties Lab investigates, from the atomic and electronic level, where the strength and properties of materials come from.
The microscopic structure and mechanical state of matter are the key to the diverse functions of materials.
By using "force" and "shape," the lab can draw out the advanced functions hidden in matter and reshape them at will.
By combining theoretical analyses such as molecular dynamics and first-principles calculations, the lab designs the strength and properties of new materials.
Key terms
- First-principles calculation
- A method of computing the properties of a material using only the fundamental laws governing atoms and electrons
- Multiferroic
- The coupled appearance of magnetic and electric properties within a single material
- Strain
- The degree to which a material deforms under force, expressed as the ratio of elongation or contraction to the original length
NewsLab news
Research results by an alumnus were published in Acta Materialia
Research results by a master's student were published in Advanced Functional Materials
Research results by a master's student were accepted for publication in Physical Review Materials
A doctoral student received the Outstanding Student Presentation Award at the 11th Multiscale Materials Mechanics Symposium
An undergraduate student received the Best Presentation Award at the Kansai Student Graduation Research Presentation Conference
ResearchResearch themes
The lab elucidates, from a microscopic viewpoint, the origin of the mechanical strength of materials and the laws that govern it. It also deliberately controls and designs atoms and electrons, the ultimate microscopic structures, to give materials strength and functions that overturn conventional wisdom.
*Illustrative imageUnderstanding fracture, toward unbreakable materials
This research aims to understand the fundamental mechanisms by which things break, and to create materials that do not break.
*Illustrative imageBuilding a quantum machine at one-hundred-millionth scale
Materials at the nano and atomic scales show unusual magnetism and ferroelectricity, giving rise to multiferroic functions that can convert mechanical, electrical, and magnetic energy into one another. The lab aims to elucidate this and to create machines that work even in the extremely small world.
*Illustrative imageQuantum materials opening up next-generation devices
Devices that apply quantum properties, such as quantum computers, are emerging one after another. The lab explores the functions of advanced quantum materials that will support the innovative devices of the future that bring about such paradigm shifts.
*Illustrative imageDrawing out latent potential with strain
Just as people show unexpected strength under great stress, it has become clear that materials reveal latent functions when stress is applied. The lab takes on the challenge of creating new material functions using strain, that is, deformation caused by load.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Material Properties Lab consist of faculty, administrative assistants, postdoctoral researchers, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorTakahiro Shimada
- Assistant ProfessorSusumu Minami
VoicesStudent voices
Ratings and reviews reflect the experiences of individual current or former students, not the lab's official views. Whether a lab has reviews, or how many, says nothing about the lab itself.
Students who take part in an interview may receive a thank-you gift worth ¥1,000, regardless of what they say.
Student ratings (0 students)
--
--
--
--
--
--
Student voices answer questions like these
- What's great about this lab?
- What did you learn after joining?
- What's the vibe, and what is the professor like?
- Who is this lab for?
- Where do graduates go?
Your experience can help younger students choose their lab. Your name won't be shown.
Write a lab reviewAnonymous · Your draft is saved if you stopRelatedLabs similar to Material Properties Lab
Advanced Design Science and Engineering LabFaculty of Engineering, School of Physical Science and EngineeringAdvanced design science and engineering: mechanical design i…
Solid Mechanics LabFaculty of Engineering, School of Physical Science and EngineeringMechanics of materials in the microscale world; elucidating …
Mechanical Systems Creation LabFaculty of Engineering, School of Physical Science and EngineeringDesign that connects humans and machines. Automation is buil…
Micro Fabrication Systems LabFaculty of Engineering, School of Physical Science and EngineeringDevelopment of new bottom-up methods for controlling nanomor…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: “Holec2016P40” David Holec / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Understanding fracture, toward unbreakable materials: “Everest of fracture surface” Kaspar Kallip / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Building a quantum machine at one-hundred-millionth scale: “Nanomechanical-resonator-schematic” Kkmurray / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Quantum materials opening up next-generation devices: “Quantum Simulator Illustration ( )” National Institute of Standards and Technology / Public domain (cropped)
- Drawing out latent potential with strain: “Stress strain comparison” Nicoguaro / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Advanced Design Science and Engineering Lab): “JPL 3D-Printed Part Springs Forward (PIA26706 figA)” Proteus Space / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Solid Mechanics Lab): “Transmission electron microscope (Morgagni 268D) 2pl” Pleple2000 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Mechanical Systems Creation Lab): “Human-Robot-Collaboration-Sawing-2016-Luka-Peternel” Luka Peternel / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Micro Fabrication Systems Lab): “Danos Cristalográficos 5” Hebert Folli / CC BY-SA 4.0 (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.