Motoaki BAMBA

My interest is in discovering and elucidating unexplored phenomena caused by the interaction between light and matter. I am conducting research from the standpoint of theoretical physics.
Although industrial and applied research on light is flourishing nowadays, we still have to pursue the principles of the phenomena involved with light. The discovery of new phenomena can open new horizons in physics. Even if it does not have immediate applications, we engage in research with the belief that finding and elucidating new phenomena can broaden the horizons of science and lead the innovation.

◆Themes currently being explored

Among the subjects I am currently engaged in, I am most interested in the phenomenon called super-radiant phase transition. Although super-radiant phase transition was theoretically proposed in 1973, it has not been observed despite approximately 50 years of research.

However, in 2018, in collaboration with experimental researchers, we discovered that a magnetic material could show the super-radiant phase transition if spin waves in that material are captured as light. After a more detailed analysis, we showed in 2022 that the super-radiant phase transition of spin waves is indeed taking place.

◆Themes we wish to explore in the future

The potential of super-radiant phase transition, which has so far been shrouded in mystery, is gradually emerging through our current studies. We wish to undertake the observation of unexplored physical phenomena such as laser light emission simply by heating, generation of quantum squeezing under thermal equilibrium, and discovery of materials that undergo super-radiant phase transition of light as originally predicted in 1973. To this end, in collaboration with experimental researchers, we are constructing new analytical methods that connect quantum electromagnetics and thermodynamics.

◆Wanted! Future collaborators

Students and theoretical or experimental researchers who wish to collaborate on the various phenomena that occur as a result of light-matter interactions and the above-mentioned topics are always welcome. One's current designation or academic position is irrelevant. People who want to hear directly about our research and any topics related to light are also welcome. Please feel free to contact me via the following email address.

bamba.motoaki.y13 (at) kyoto-u.jp 

◆Activities that connect science and society — The establishment of the non-profit organization, Japanese Association for the Advancement of Science (JAAS) —

I served as the founding representative of the Japanese Association for the Advancement of Science (JAAS), a non-profit organization established on February 22, 2022.

Transcending the boundaries of disciplines, organizations, jobs/job classification, nationalities/ethnicities, and generations, JAAS, with its slogan “To Accelerate Science in Japan,” is a bottom-up organization that welcomes the participation of all people involved with science.

https://jaas.science/