Fons Group

Welcome to the Fons Research Group Homepage!

This is the home page of the Fons research group of Keio University Faculty of Science and Technology Yagami Campus. Welcome. On these pages, you will find an introduction ot the current and some past research. I am interested in a variety of different topics and always interesting in learning more about new things.

I would like to create an international environment for students working with me. Both English and Japanese languages are welcome. I will try my best to give students a different perspective filled with international collaborations. Please join me in learning more about the world.

Paul Fons

Paul Fons

Professor of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, School of Integrated Design and Engineering

Keio University

Biography

Paul Fons

Interests

  • Computational Materials Science
  • Machine Learning and Materials Informatics
  • The structure and function of amorphous solids
  • Monolayer materials for electronics applications (transition metal dichalcogenides)
  • Materials design for new functionality
  • 2D Materials (transition metal dichalcogenides)
  • Phase-change Materials

Education

  • PhD in Materials Science

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • MS in Physics

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • BSc in Physics

    Bates College, Lewiston ME

Skills

server

Computational Materials Science and Machine learning

Python-based programming

Use of Python-based APIs for ab-initio calculations and analysis

Synchrotron-based Material Science

Understanding the structure of crystalline and amorphous materials

Experience

 
 
 
 
 

Professor

Keio University

Apr 2020 – Present Hiyoshi, Kanagawa
Teaching materials science in the context of electronic engineering and researched semiconductor physics.
 
 
 
 
 

Chief Researcher

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

Apr 1993 – Mar 2020 Tsukuba, Japan

Responsibilities include:

  • Computational Materials Science
  • Synchrotron-based analysis
  • Systematic Materials Design

Projects

Current Research Themes

There are several ongoing themes present in the Fons research group some of which are listed below. The basic theme is to understand atomic level structure and use the resulting understanding to optimize functionality. This includes the use of synchrotron radiation to investigate the physical and electronic structure of solids using tools such as x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAFS) or high-energy photoemission spectroscopy. XAFS is a technique particular useful for understanding the structure of amorphous solids. Ultrafast dynamics has also been a topic of interest with collaborative efforts including using the free-electron laser SACLA at SPring-8, coherent phonon dynamics, or ab-initio molecular dynamics calculations. In addition to the use of ab-initio based computational techniques in recent years, the Fons group has used machine learning techniques both to predict good candidate materials for experiments such as selector materials as well as for the analysis of large datasets of molecular dynamic data. The use of machine learning techniques allows not only large improvements in the speed of analyzing large ab-initio computational datasets, but also large increases in the speed and size of molecular dynamics calculations by means of the use of machine-learned force fields based upon ab-initio calculations.

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Machine Learning-based Analysis of ab-initio MD

Using machine learning to analyze crystallization dynamics

Machine Learned Force Fields

Using machine learned force fields to speed-up molecular dynamics runs

Density-Functional Theory

ab-initio calculations of material properties, structure, and dynamics.

Ultrafast Dynamics

Using lasers and x-rays to probe ultrafast dynamics.

Phase-Change Materials

Materials whose structure is used for storage.

Structure of Amorphous Materials

Using synchrotron radiation to probe amorphous structure.

Meet the Team

Researchers

Avatar

Paul Fons

Professor of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, School of Integrated Design and Engineering

Computational Materials Science, Machine Learning and Materials Informatics, The structure and function of amorphous solids, Monolayer materials for electronics applications (transition metal dichalcogenides), Materials design for new functionality, 2D Materials (transition metal dichalcogenides), Phase-change Materials

Recent & Upcoming Talks

Important Publications

A complete list of (over 300) publications can be found at Google Scholar.

Google Scholar Paper List

Contact

  • 045 566 1534‬
  • 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku,, Yokohama, Kanagawa-ken 223-8522
  • Enter Building 23 and go to Office 313 on the third floor