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Microstructure Analysis Group

Advancing metallic materials research through state-of-the-art microstructural characterization
using electron microscopy and atom probe tomography

News

  • お知らせ

    New publication in Materials Science and Engineering A

    "Evaluation of ductility-dip cracking under elevated-temperature loading in Inconel 738LC fabricated via laser powder bed fusion"
    Christopher Mercer, Taisuke T. Sasaki, Yuka Hara, Toru Hara, Masahiro Kusano, Sukeharu Nomoto, Makoto Watanabe, Materials Science and Engineering A, 977 (2026) 151108.

    This study investigates ductility-dip cracking in additively manufactured Inconel 738LC during high-temperature tensile deformation. This work was conducted in collaboration with the Additive Manufacturing Group at NIMS.

  • お知らせ

    Tung-Yu Chang has joined our group as a graduate student.

    Tung-Yu is a Ph.D. student in Prof. An-Chou Yeh’s group at National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, and will conduct research at NIMS for one year through the International Cooperative Graduate Program (ICGP). Welcome, Tommy!

  • お知らせ

    Dr. Hemant Kumar has joined our group as a postdoctoral researcher.

    Hemant will conduct research on nanoscale microstructural characterization using electron microscopy and three-dimensional atom probe (3DAP). Welcome, Hemant!

  • お知らせ

    Kazuki Okamura has joined our group as an internship student

    Kazuki Okamura, a third-year undergraduate student at Kagoshima University, will be working in the group for about one month through the NIMS Internship Program. Welcome, Kazuki!

  • お知らせ

    New publication in Materials Transactions

    "Multi-Dimensional Quantitative Analysis of Precipitates in the Hot-Rolled Al-1%Mn Alloy"
    Seiichiro Ii, Ken-ichi Ikeda, Toru Hara, MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS, 67 (2026) 1462-1468.

    This study individually measured the sizes of precipitates in a three-dimensionally characterized Al alloy and evaluated their size distribution using a statistical approach. This work was conducted in collaboration with Prof. Ikeda at Hokkaido University.

  • お知らせ

    Visit of Prof. Honma and Hanaoka-san from NUT

    From August 25 to 28, Prof. Tomoyuki Homma and Mr. Ryoya Hanaoka from Nagaoka University of Technology (NUT) will be staying with our group through the NIMS Collaborative Research Center Program. During their stay, we will discuss our collaborative research and work on atom probe data analysis.

  • お知らせ

    New publication in Materials Science and Engineering A

    "Nanoscale oxide-mediated grain-boundary stabilization enables simultaneous strength and ductility in an additively manufactured high-entropy alloy"
    P.-H Chou, H.-R. Xie, T.-W. Chen, T.N. Palleda, M. Saha, T.T. Sasaki, K. Kakehi, H. Murakami, A.-C. Yeh, Materials Science and Engineering A, 975 (2026) 150952.

    This work is the result of a collaboration with Prof. An-Chou Yeh’s group at National Tsing Hua University. Saha and Sasaki worked with Po-Heng and Tso-Wei, who stayed at NIMS through the International Cooperative Graduate Program (ICGP), to characterize the microstructure of a high-entropy superalloy fabricated by metal additive manufacturing using 3DAP and TEM.

  • お知らせ

    The 12th Pacific Rim International Conference on Advanced Materials and Processing (PRICM12)

    Taisuke Sasaki participated in The 12th Pacific Rim International Conference on Advanced Materials and Processing (PRICM12), held in Gold Coast, Australia, from August 10 to 14 and delivered an invited talk entitled:
    "Developing strong and formable magnesium alloys utilizing deformation-induced G.P. zone precipitation"

  • New publication in Materials Transactions

    "Mapping Trace Hydrogen by 3D Atom Probe: Optimizing Experimental Workflows"
    Mainak Saha, Zehao Li, Yasuo Shimizu, Yuji Tanaka, Takaaki Tanaka, Kazuki Endoh, Yuhei Ogawa, Osamu Takakuwa, Rintaro Ueji, Akinobu Shibata, Tadakatsu Ohkubo, Taisuke T. Sasaki, Materials Transactions, In Press.

    Based on our group’s previous studies on hydrogen visualization using 3DAP, we systematically investigated and established a workflow for hydrogen mapping using atom probe tomography, which Saha has compiled into a paper.

  • お知らせ

    New publication in Journal of Nuclear Materials

    "Multi-axis atom-probe tomography of α' precipitation in Fe–Cr–Al alloys: Thermal aging, ion irradiation, and pre-aging effects"
    Y. Abe, T.T. Sasaki, S. Yamashita, N. Ohkubo, S. Ukai, Journal of Nuclear Materials, 632 (2026) 156940.

    This study systematically investigated the effects of ion irradiation and Al concentration on the precipitation of the α' phase, which is responsible for the hardening and embrittlement of Fe–Cr–Al accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) cladding.

  • お知らせ

    Mr. Kittipon Amornprasertkij, who had been in our group since June 12, has returned to Thailand.
    We sincerely thank him for his contributions during his stay and wish him every success in his future endeavors!

  • お知らせ

    New publication in Acta Materialia

    "A unified predictive framework for α' precipitation in Fe–Cr–Al alloys based on effective diffusion length: From dense-cascade irradiation to thermal aging"
    Yosuke Abe, Taisuke T. Sasaki, Shinichiro Yamashita, Nariaki Ohkubo, Shigeharu Ukai, Acta Materialia, 317 (2026) 122580.

    This study employs machine learning to quantitatively predict the precipitation behavior of the α' phase in Fe–Cr–Al alloys using a dataset of precipitate characteristics quantified by atom probe tomography (APT). The research was conducted in collaboration with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA).

  • お知らせ

    New publication in Advanced Engineering Materials

    "Strain-Induced Martensitic Transformation During Uniaxial Tension and Low Cycle Fatigue in a 0.4% C Direct Quenched and Partitioned Martensitic Steel"
    Dipak Dhanke, Tanmayee Bhadange, Sushil K. Mishra, Mainak Saha, T. Sasaki, Sumit Ghosh, Mahesh C. Somani, Amol A. Gokhale, Advanced Engineering Materials, In Press..

    One of the outcomes of our collaborative research with Dr. Gokhale from IIT Bombay, who visited our group last year. Thank you for working with us, Amol!

  • お知らせ

    World Hydrogen Energy Conference 2026 (WHEC2026)

    Taisuke Sasaki participated in the World Hydrogen Energy Conference 2026 (WHEC2026), held in Singapore from June 22 to 26 and delivered an invited talk entitled:
    "Hydrogen Visualization by Atom Probe Tomography for Hydrogen Embrittlement Studies"

  • お知らせ

    Kittipon has joined our group as an internship student

    Kittipon (Bonus), a third-year undergraduate student at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, will be working in the group for about two months through the NIMS Internship Program. Welcome, Bonus!

  • お知らせ

    New publication in Physical Review Materials

    "Evaluation of spin mixing conductance in Co2⁢Fe⁢Ga0.5⁢Ge0.5/Pt bilayer and the effect of ultrathin Cu, Ni, Ru, Ta, or Cr insertion layers"
    Madhav M. Bhat, H. Suto, T.T. Sasaki, A. Perumal, A. Srinivasan, Y. Sakuraba, Physical Review Materials, 10 (2026) 0554414.

  • お知らせ

    New publication in Acta Materialia

    "Correlated microstructure and coercivity in 3T high-coercivity Nd–Fe–B sintered magnets with a low Tb content"
    Z. Wang, T.T. Sasaki, Y. Une, T. Ohkubo, Acta Materialia, 314 (2026) 122272.

    We achieved high coercivity in fine-grained initially HRE-free Nd–Fe–B sintered magnets through a two-step GBD process of Tb–Cu and Pr–Cu eutectic alloys, and clarified its microstructual origin using three-dimensional FIB-SEM analysis and nanoscale structural characterization by STEM.

  • お知らせ

    New publication in Physical Review B

    "Analysis of the mechanism of negative anomalous Nernst effect in Nodal line topological MnAlGe thin films"
    N. Gupta, R. Toyama, F. Makino, B. Bairagya, K. Masuda, W. Zhou, T.T. Sasaki, Y. Sakuraba, Physical Review B, 113 (2026) 184404.

  • お知らせ

    Extensive update of the group's website

    We will continue to enrich our group website and proactively disseminate information.