Dr. Yasuhiko Fujii left Graduate School of Science, Osaka University in 1970 (Doctor of Science received in 1973) and got a position of Research Associate of Neutron Scattering Group of the Institute for Solid State Physics (ISSP), The University of Tokyo. He worked mainly on structural phase transitions and soft phonon modes in perovskites in close collaboration with Dr. Gen Shirane's Group of Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in U.S.A.
In 1979 he moved to BNL to participate in construction of X-ray beam lines of its Physics Department PRT at National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS). In 1982 he came back to Japan as Associate Professor of Faculty of Engineering Science, Osaka University and started an intensive study of pressure-induced metallization and molecular-dissociation in solid halogens such as iodine and bromine analogous to hydrogen by using a full capability of synchrotron X-rays combined with an extreme high-pressure diamond-anvil cell. He found the highest pressure phase being face-centered cubic formed by monatomic iodine. This study later led to the discovery of superconductivity in it by Osaka University Group. In 1988 he became a professor of the Institute of Materials Science of Tsukuba University, and in 1992 he moved to ISSP as the first Chair of Neutron Scattering Laboratory of ISSP to take an initiative of the interuniversity users program based on the refurbished JRR-3 reactor in Tokai. He worked on strongly-correlated electron systems by complementary use of neutrons and synchrotron X-rays, particularly a spin-charge-lattice coupled system with a strong frustration in interactions. In 2004 he retired from ISSP (now Emeritus Professor of the University of Tokyo) and moved to Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) as the first Director of Neutron Science Research Center newly founded to promote neutron science and technology based on both JRR-3 reactor currently in full operation and Japan Spallation Neutron Source of J-PARC (Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex) under construction similar to the SNS Project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in U.S.A.
Since 1992 Dr. Fujii has served the Japanese representative for the Japan-US Cooperative Research Program on Neutron Scattering between MEXT and USDOE. He also served the first President of the Japanese Society for Neutron Science in 2001-2004.

 

 

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