World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI) Executive Summary (for Final Evaluation) Host Institution National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) Host Institution Head Kazuhito Hashimoto International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics Research Center Center Director Masakazu Aono (MANA) About filling out this form: This summary is to be based on the Center’s Progress Report and Progress Plan, with reference to the following items, prepare the summary within a space of up to 6 pages. A. Progress Report of the WPI Center I. Summary In the eight and a half years since it was established, MANA has grown to become one of the world’s top research centers in the relevant fields and produced remarkable results in fields ranging from fundamental research to practical applications. MANA’s excellence can be found represented in several key indicators. Among these, A) 118 of MANA’s papers are now among the top 1% most cited papers in the world; B) MANA has achieved an extremely high score of 2.42 for Elsevier’s Field Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI), a new index created to “fairly compare the quality of papers published by research institutions that work in different fields” (both A and B refer to statistics for papers published between 2008 and 2015); and C) MANA’s papers are printed in journals with an extremely high average Impact Factor (IF) of 6.16 (2015). MANA’s scores for these indicators are superior to those of many world-class research institutions. MANA has a unique characteristic compared to other materials science laboratories in the world. Its operations are based on a new concept: a new nanotechnology paradigm called “nanoarchitectonics.” This unique concept is the key to MANA’s achievement of its striking research results. In eight and a half years, MANA has accomplished much outstanding research. Some representative examples include a) nanosheet technology and its applications, b) atomic switches and related devices, c) various unimolecular devices, d) highly efficient photocatalysts, e) highly sensitive / parallel molecular sensors (MSS odor sensors, etc.), f) diagnosis and treatment using nanoarchitectonics, g) transmission electron microscopes that can observe electrical, mechanical, and optical properties under high-resolution structural observation, and h) multiple-probe scanning probe microscopes that can measure electrical conductivity at the nanoscopic scale. Over 50% of the researchers at MANA are non-Japanese, making it the most internationalized research center in Japan. MANA has succeeded in creating an almost perfect environment in that it expeditiously provides administrative and technical support to all MANA researchers, including non-Japanese researchers. MANA can give back to NIMS the obtained knowhow and experience of management an international research center. For example, English-language support for non-Japanese researchers within NIMS as a whole has been greatly improved. In addition to the WPI program’s four pillars, MANA has one extra pillar of its own: the cultivation of young researchers. MANA’s systems of independent researchers (approx. 20% of permanent researchers), who pursue their own research topics without belonging to any specific group, and ICYS researchers (approx. 20% of post-doctoral scholars) have attained remarkable achievements. Since FY 2012, MANA has been defined as one of NIMS’s three research arms, and it is becoming a permanent presence within the NIMS research organization. NIMS also provides salaries for approximately 90 permanent staff and otherwise provides comprehensive support for MANA in many ways, something that will continue on into the future. II. Items 1. Overall Image of our Center <Vision and background> When MANA was launched eight and a half years ago, nanotechnology (and the nanoscience on which it is based) was in a state of rapid development and becoming an essential pillar of materials science. It was in this context that we designed MANA with the intention of cultivating a world-class research center that would effectively employ nanotechnology to make powerful advances in the research and development of new materials. We were strongly aware of the common mistake of considering nanotechnology to be a continuation of conventional NIMS - 1 MANA microtechnology, and moreover that nanotechnology’s true power cannot be effectively harnessed unless nanotechnology is properly recognized as being qualitatively different from microtechnology. Thus, we established MANA’s guiding vision as “Pioneering a new paradigm of nanotechnology to create a research hub for the best new materials development in the world.” In order to concisely express this new technology paradigm, we coined the concept of nanoarchitectonics. This concept is described in more detail in the “Progress Report,” but it serves to distinguish MANA’s research from other nanotechnology research institutions. We at MANA are pleased to see that the nanoarchitectonics concept has begun to gain approval throughout the world. <MANA today> MANA was founded on research in four fields—Nano-Materials, Nano-System, Nano-Power, and Nano-Life—but in FY 2016 it established a new field, Nano-Theory. At present, MANA houses 25 principal investigators, 2 associate principal investigators, 75 permanent researchers, 72 post-doctoral researchers, and 36 students who conduct research in 5 fields. These researchers are supported by 29 administrative and technical staff. The present state of MANA can be summarized by the following five points: ★ Achieved world-class research activities ★ True international center with over half of researchers being of foreign nationality ★ Active fusion research that combines nanotechnology and other fields ★ Steadily fulfilling its responsibility to reform its host institution, NIMS ★ Training excellent young researchers who work throughout the world <Future outlook> Building on eight and a half years of experience and confidence, MANA pursues interdisciplinary, fusion research centered around the fusion of “theoretical research and experimental research,” and the fusion of “nanotechnology (nanoarchitectonics) and life science.” Our final objective is to develop through innovative technologies new materials that will shake up the world. There is tremendous potential for this goal to be realized. 2. Research Activities <Remarkable research accomplishments> As explained above, MANA’s research is conducted in five fields (Nano-Materials, Nano-System, Nano-Power, Nano-Life, and Nano-Theory.) Below are the main accomplishments of each field of research. A) Inventing nanosheet-based new materials: MANA developed and implemented creative nanosheet methods used to create a variety of new materials with novel and useful properties. The next step is to use these methods to create metamaterials and new superconductors. B) Development of atomic switches and related devices/systems: The atomic switch operated by a completely different principle than traditional semiconductor devices. MANA invented the atomic switch and moved it toward practical application, where it brought innovation to things like AI and IoT. It was also discovered that atomic switches display functionality similar to synapses in the brain, and hence the next step is to create neutral network circuits made out of atomic switches. C) Best high-efficiency artificial photosynthesis in the world: As an example of this, MANA has succeeded in achieving the artificial photosynthesis of methane. The next step is to use a variety of nanoarchitectonic systems to dramatically improve the efficiency of artificial photosynthesis. D) High-sensitivity / parallel molecular sensors (membrane-type surface stress sensor (MSS)): MANA developed a molecular sensor that is a hundred times more sensitive than traditional molecular sensors, capable of distinguishing between healthy individuals and cancer patients by analyzing their exhaled breath. MANA is currently researching such applications. E) Development of a revolutionary method of nanoscale measurement: MANA developed a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) that can measure electrical, mechanical, and optical properties in high resolution. MANA also developed multiple-probe (2/3/4 probes) scanning tunneling microscope (STM), atomic force microscope (AFM), and Kelvin probe force microscope that can measure electrical conductivity at the nanoscopic scale. <MANA’s three Grand Challenge research topics> MANA has posted three Grand Challenge research topics: NIMS - 2 MANA ★ Artificial brains based on nanoarchitectonics ★ Room-temperature superconductivity ★ Practical artificial photosynthesis These are long-term research targets, but interesting results are already being achieved. Themes 1 and 3 were touched upon lightly in sections B and C on the previous page. Theme 2 has seen achievement in attempts to create superconductivity by introducing electrons and holes into insulators and semiconductors using field effects. In these attempts, researchers succeeded in metalizing diamond. Separately, it has been theorized that when heavy atoms such as gold are formed into a two-dimensional buckled honeycomb lattice and an electric field is applied perpendicularly, current will flow along its edge with zero resistance, even at high temperatures up to 600 K. Experiments are underway in an attempt to verify this theory. <Applications of research achievements> Most of MANA’s fundamental research has led to research into applications conducted in cooperation with a variety of companies