The 21st century has been called the age of photonic and quantum technology. In this new age, photonic and quantum phenomena are combined to enable a wide range of increasingly important technologies, including light detection and ranging (LiDAR) for autonomous automobiles and robots and smartphone facial recognition, high-power lasers for smart material processing, advanced (thermal) photovoltaics, and even quantum information processing.
At our laboratory, we aim to harness the power of photonic and quantum phenomena for this new age through the development of “photonic crystals” and “photonic nanostructures.” From fundamental physics to real-world applications, we are implementing various innovative photonic and quantum technologies and are applying these technologies in fields of energy, environmental science, light-based manufacturing, and advanced information and telecommunications. Through these efforts, we are aiming to contribute to the realization of the “super-smart society,” Society 5.0 (proposed by the Japanese government as a future society).