Tomohiro KitaView profile
Professor
Professor Tomohiro Kita is a distinguished faculty member at Tohoku University's School of Advanced Science and Engineering, specializing in silicon photonics and semiconductor laser technology. With a Doctor of Engineering in Materials from Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Hokuriku, he has established himself as a leading researcher in integrated photonics and optical communication systems. His research interests span semiconductor engineering, optical engineering, photon science, silicon photonics, nonlinear optical effects, and semiconductor lasers. Professor Kita's work focuses on developing innovative photonic integrated circuits including wavelength tunable laser diodes, optical phased arrays, and high-speed optical switches. His research group has pioneered techniques for passive optical beam scanning, ultrafast thermo-optic switching, and hybrid integration of quantum dot technology with silicon photonics. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on practical applications of silicon photonics for optical communications, lidar systems, and optical neural networks. His work demonstrates consistent innovation in overcoming key challenges such as thermal crosstalk in integrated devices, spectral linewidth narrowing, and expanding wavelength tuning ranges. Notably, his group has achieved record-breaking performance metrics including a 145 nm wavelength tuning range and sub-microsecond switching times. Best Paper Award 2023 for Silicon Based High Resolution Passive Optical Phased Array Consisting of Multi-Mode Waveguides Ishida Minoru Memorial Foundation Research Encouragement Award 2014 The 23rd Japan Society of Applied Physics Presentation Encouragement Award 2007 Professor Kita actively mentors students including Yamato Misugi, Kissho Iwanaga, and Yuga Tomimura, who frequently appear as first authors on his publications. He serves on multiple program committees including the IEEE International Semiconductor Laser Conference and Microoptics Conference. His research has attracted significant media attention, with coverage in Laser Focus World, Photonics Spectra, and major Japanese business publications. His laboratory focuses on developing practical photonic integrated circuits for next-generation optical communication systems and sensing applications, with strong industry collaboration particularly with Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology.


