CV

Dr. Shigeto R. Nishitani

Apr.2004- Professor of Department of Informatices, Kwansei Gakuin University.
Oct.2000- Associate Professor of Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kyoto University.

Educations:

Apr.1979-Mar.1983	
		Department of Materials Science and Technology,
		Kyoto University(Bachelor of Engineer)
Apr.1983-Mar.1985	
		Department of Materials Science and Technology,
		Kyoto University(Master Course)
Apr.1985-Mar.1988
		Department of Materials Science and Technology,
		Kyoto University(Doctor Course)
Jul.1988	Doctor of Engineering, Kyoto University

Research experience:

Apr.1988-Sep.2000	
		Instructor of Department of Materials Science and Technology,
		Kyoto University.
	Dec.1991-Oct.1992
		Invited researcher, Department of Mathematics,
		Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine,
		University of London.
	Oct.1992-May.1993
		Invited researcher, Department of Materials,
		Oxford University.
Oct.2000-Mar.2004
		Associate Professor of Department of Materials Science,
		Kyoto University.
Apr.2004-
		Professor of Department of Informatics,
		Kwansei Gakuin University.

Activities:

Apr.2000-Mar.2001
		Coordinator of Kwansai branch, Japan Institute of Metals
Apr.2002-Mar.2004
		Council member of Acadmic Center for Computing and Media Studies,
		Kyoto University
Mar.2002-Apr.2003
		Coordinator of Session(Lattice Defects), The Physcial Society of Japan 

Award:

1991		Young Scientists of Japan Institute of Metals (Processing)

Major Research Activities(2011/11/29)

His primary interest is the computational materials sciences, which is using computers and computer sciences for developing novel alloys and processes for the solid state materials. For such a purpose, he has the strong back grounds of materials sciences especially on phase diagrams and lattice defects, as well as the skills for software development with Ruby and Maple.

His successful current projects are on two fields. The first one is the nucleation free energy in Fe-Cu system, which is main target for the high-strengthened steel. The free energy is obtained by the precise cluster enthalpy calculations by the ab-initio method, and the entropy estimations from the statistical mechanics. The second one is the metastable solvent epitaxy for the solution growth method of SiC, which is the promising semiconductor for the next generation of the power devices. The mechanism of the novel synthetic process of 4H SiC has been explained by the double phase diagram.

He is also exploring the internet communication technologies for the educations, especially, on learning management, portal and portfolio systems. He is now a deputy director of center for reseach into and promotion of higher education in Kwansei Gakuin University. He is now advising a development group of KGportal, an original portal application on iPhone for the students in Kwansei Gakuin University.

Major Research Career(2011/11/15)

He started his scientific career at the experimental approaches of Materials sciences, especially metastable Ni3C phase, quasi-crystals in Al base systems, and TiAl intermetallic compounds. Then he started the researches on tight binding recursion methods, which are very powerful tool for bridging the gap between electronic and lattice scale phenomena in multi-scale simulations. He is now focusing on the modeling of the atomistic level mechanism of the nucleation and growth processes. He has achieved the first principles calculations on the activity energy of precipitate nucleation in Fe-Cu system, and the mechanism of metastable solution growth of 4H-SiC, which is the promising material for the next generation power devices. He is also exploring the internet communication technologies, especially, on learning management, portal and portfolio systems. He is now advising a development group of KGportal, an original portal application on iPhone for Kwansei Gakuin University students.

CV for KG

Research achievements

I started my research in the field of experimental work on the development of new materials using the processes under inequilibrium conditions. The targets were quasicrystals, intermetallics, and transition metal nitrides.

After working with David, I have been researching on tight binding recursion methods, which is very powerful tool for simulating electron scale and lattice scale phenomena and bridging the gap between them. Using originally developed parallel code I have published papers on the basic phenomena of lattice defects in metallic materials.

Now using a variety of methods ranging from empirical potentials to fully ab initio calculations, I am revealing the controlling mechanisms of physical properties in advanced battery materials.

Objectives of future research

Enhanced material performance and low-cost materials processing are essential for post-industrial society. The intermediate length scale between electron level and microstructure level are particularly exciting new frontiers, where there exists the gap.

The gap is not only in the length scale but also in the point of view between theoretical physicists and material scientists. For controlling the physical properties of materials, material scientists use phase diagrams and microstructures, which correspond thermodynamics and lattice defects respectively by physicists.

I want to contribute the future development of computational codes in these scales. Using reliable and stimulating tools, designing new materials with revealing the basic mechanisms should be accelerated drastically. The experience of experimental work, the knowledge of fundamental physics, and the ability of computer programming are indispensable for leading the projects on implementing virtual laboratory widely in the workplace of product and process innovation.

Objectives of future teaching

Young scientists will be trained to think and work from electronic to the bulk levels, and the divisions between disciplines (first principles theory to continuum mechanics) will start to dissolve. I will contribute the education on the following topics:

1. fundamentals of materials sciences and quantum chemistry,
2. programming on atomistic simulations such as molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo methods, and on parallel computations, and
3. basics and applications of analytical and mathematical computation code (Maple).

The ability of handling these knowledge is required for the researchers in focused industrial R&D. The discipline through these lectures should give an intuitive view on the wide spread research fields not only computational materials science but also experimental researches or other computer applications.