Researcher Introduction
Optical Single Crystals Group, Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science Element Strategy Initiative Postdoctoral Researcher Fu Xiuwei

Motivation for Becoming a Researcher

My desire to become a researcher was originally triggered by the Ph.D. project I worked on between 2013 and 2016. This project focused on the technological and scientific aspects of leading-edge Ca3TaGa1.5Al1.5Si2O14 (CTGAS) crystals for high-temperature piezoelectric sensors. I successfully advanced the dimensions and quality of CTAS crystals to a world-leading level. I was thrilled and quite proud of this achievement, and the experience kindled my passion for scientific research.

Your Greatest Strengths

One of my greatest strengths is my expertise in bulk crystal growth. I was able to achieve world-leading dimensions of CTAS piezoelectric crystal up to 57 mm in width. In addition, I have had extremely fruitful experiences in the field of langasite piezoelectric single crystals for high-temperature sensor applications.

What Makes Your Research Interesting or Worthwhile

The goal of my research is to develop high-performance novel Pb-free piezoelectric single crystals. As we know, Pb-based ceramics are currently the dominant piezoelectric materials in the market. These materials contain a large toxic Pb content. Thus, there is increasing demand to develop high-performance Pb-free piezoelectric materials. Substituting single crystals for ceramics is a desirable strategy for maximizing piezoelectric performance. Therefore, my research on the development of Pb-free piezoelectric single crystals has great significance for the world.

Other Research That Interests You

K1-xNaxNbO3 lead-free compounds, commonly called KNN, are being investigated for their relatively high piezoelectric coefficient and high Curie temperature. They are considered potential candidates to replace Pb-based piezoelectric ceramics in various applications. So far, most reports concerning KNN series are based on the common ceramic synthesis of piezoelectric materials. The development of high performance Pb-free KNN single crystals will be of great interest and importance.

Interests Other Than Research You Would Like to Pursue

It is undoubtedly Chinese Chess. I love to play Chinese Chess and hope to join a Chinese Chess team in the future so that I can have a better chance to improve my skills and enjoy this game in my daily life.

Fu Xiuwei

Optical Single Crystals Group, Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science Element Strategy Initiative Postdoctoral Researcher

Principal Work History:

I joined the Waseda University – NIMS Joint Graduate Program as a Junior Researcher in 2013. I graduated from the Department of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering at Waseda University and in September of 2016 received my Ph.D. degree from Waseda University, supervised by Prof. Kiyoshi Shimamura. Since October 2016, I have pursued further development as an Element Strategy Initiative Postdoctoral Researcher. My research involves the exploration of novel lead-free piezoelectric single crystals for various applications. I successfully developed the world’s best Ca3TaAl3Si2O14 (CTAS) single crystal, and demonstrated that CTAS single crystal is at present the most promising langasite-type oxide for high-temperature piezoelectric sensors.

Notable Articles:

  • [1] Xiuwei Fu*, Encarnación G. Víllora, Yoshitaka Matsushita, Yuuki Kitanaka, Yuji Noguchi, Masaru Miyayama, Kiyoshi Shimamura and Naoki Ohashi. “Piezoelectric Ca3TaAl3Si2O14 (CTAS): High quality 2-in. single-crystal growth and electro-elastic properties from room to high (650℃) temperature.” Journal of Crystal Growth, 501 (2018): 38-42.
  • [2] Xiuwei Fu*, Encarnación G. Víllora, Yoshitaka Matsushita, Yuuki Kitanaka, Yuji Noguchi, Masaru Miyayama, Kiyoshi Shimamura and Naoki Ohashi. “Influence of oxygen partial pressure during growth on optical and electrical properties of Ca3TaAl3Si2O14 single crystals.” Crystal Growth and Design, 16 (2016): 2151-2156.

E-mail Address

FU.Xiuwei(at)nims.go.jp
*Please change the (at) to @.