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Molecular Photonics Lab
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The lab creates new materials and explores life phenomena using lasers and optical measurement.
AboutAbout the lab
Using laser technology to create new materials and control biological phenomena
The Molecular Photonics Lab (Yoshikawa Lab) studies how to create new materials with laser technology, and how to control life phenomena to uncover how they work.
Using lasers to gather and arrange molecules and atoms, the lab aims to create things such as electronic materials, pharmaceutical crystals, and artificial cells.
It also investigates how the flexible functions and structures of soft matter arise, using optical measurement that does not disturb the weak bonds between molecules.
The lab pursues interdisciplinary research spanning light, matter, and life, and welcomes students advancing from other universities and other faculties.
Key terms
- Soft matter
- A group of soft materials, such as membranes, liquid crystals, gels, and cells, in which molecules are loosely bonded to each other.
- Optical interferometry
- A non-invasive optical measurement method that can measure without disturbing the weak bonds between molecules.
- Optical tweezers
- A technique that traps and moves tiny particles using the force of a focused laser beam.
NewsLab news
A paper on making protein fibers with the force of light was published in Advanced Science
Undergraduate and master's students won the Grand Prize and an Encouragement Award at the Lifomics Young Retreat 2026
A master's student won the Outstanding Paper Presentation Award at the 46th Annual Conference of the Laser Society of Japan
A master's student won the MBSJ-EMBO Poster Award 2025 at the 48th Annual Meeting of the Molecular Biology Society of Japan
A master's student won a Lecture Encouragement Award at the 54th Japanese Conference on Crystal Growth
ResearchResearch themes
The Yoshikawa Lab uses advanced laser manipulation and laser measurement techniques to create innovative materials and devices, and to control life phenomena from a physical perspective and uncover their mechanisms. It pursues both fundamental and applied research, and also conducts joint research with various universities, research institutes, hospitals, and companies.
*Illustrative imageCreating Materials and Devices with Lasers
The lab develops technology that uses the strong electric field and heating effects of lasers to freely gather and arrange molecules and atoms. With it, the lab aims to create materials and devices whose functions and structures cannot be achieved by conventional methods.
*Illustrative imageMeasuring Soft Matter with Light
Soft materials in which molecules are loosely bonded to each other, such as membranes, liquid crystals, gels, and cells, are called soft matter. Using measurement methods such as optical interferometry that do not disturb weak intermolecular bonds, and precise control methods such as optical tweezers, the lab investigates how flexible functions and structures arise.
*Illustrative imageExploring Disease and Development Through Cell Mechanics
The body maintains its ordered structure and life functions through many cells adhering to each other in a mechanical balance. The lab develops new technologies to precisely control and measure the mechanical properties of cells and biological materials, aiming to clarify the mechanisms of development and disease and to achieve medical applications.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Molecular Photonics Lab (Yoshikawa Lab) consist of faculty, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students, and administrative assistants.As of 2026
- ProfessorHiroshi Yoshikawa
- Assistant ProfessorTakahisa Matsuzaki
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: “Table chamber GWMorley” Gavin Morley / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Creating Materials and Devices with Lasers: “Cloud of ultracold atoms levitated in a magneto-optical trap” Balping / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Measuring Soft Matter with Light: “Diverse Blue Phase Liquid Crystal Droplets” Aecohen64 / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Exploring Disease and Development Through Cell Mechanics: “Oral epithelium - Epithelial cells - Methylene blue dye - View 40X” Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Biomaterials Chemistry Lab): “Nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel” Qspheroid4 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Computational Physics Lab): “Xanthoconite crystal structure (Engel-Nowacki 1968) polyhedra model free axis” Ra'ike (Wikipedia) / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Soft Nano Materials Lab [Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research]): “Dinaphthylene-dioxide-3D-balls” Jynto and Ben Mills / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Atomic Process Control Lab): “Scanning tunneling microscope-MHS 2237-IMG 3816” Rama / CC BY-SA 3.0 fr (cropped)
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