Special CMSM Seminar No.308

Gallium-based liquid metals (LMs), typified by galinstan, are attracting attention as unique materials that combine high electrical and thermal conductivity with fluidity. This talk comprehensively introduces the liquid-metal research conducted in our laboratory, from the elucidation of fundamental physical properties to device applications. In this presentation, I focus on material characteristics such as the control of liquid-metal properties, fine patterning, and interface design with dissimilar materials, and then detail how this materials-science approach enables next-generation flexible devices, including stretchable electronics and thermal-interface materials. Representative examples include stretchable hybrid devices that integrate rigid inertial sensors via stepwise stiffness gradients, achieving stable measurement beyond 150% elongation and machine-learning recognition of knots, handwriting, and sign language [1]; a soft electromyography interface that uses LM interconnects for machine-learning-enabled silent speech recognition and real-time drone control [2]; and nanolayer-encapsulated biphasic LM sheets that reach high thermal conductivity (>40 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹) and retain 96% of their performance under 100% strain for thermal management [3]. Together, these examples illustrate how controlling liquid-metal materials underpins the next generation of soft, wearable devices.

References
[1] Y. Isano et al., "Soft intelligent systems based on stretchable hybrid devices integrated with machine learning," Device 2, 100496 (2024).
[2] Y. Kurotaki et al., "Soft active electromyography interface for machine learning-enabled silent speech recognition," Adv. Intell. Syst. (2026). DOI: 10.1002/aisy.70440.
[3] D. Kuse et al., "Nanolayer-encapsulated stretchable liquid-metal sheets for thermal management," Adv. Funct. Mater. (2026). DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202527281.

Ken-ichi Uchida
Research Center for Magnetic and Spintronic Materials
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