【特集】2014年ノーベル物理学賞受賞
Special contents - The Recipients of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics

2014年度ノーベル物理学賞を受賞される赤﨑勇先生，天野浩先生，中村修二先生に心からお祝い申し上げます．今回の受賞理由は「高輝度・低消費電力白色光源を可能とした高効率青色LEDの発明」で，まさに応用物理学分野からの受賞であり，会員である赤﨑先生，天野先生，中村先生が受賞されたことは，応用物理学会にとって大きな栄誉であり誇りです．

スウェーデン王立科学アカデミーが受賞の根拠として16本の論文を挙げていますが，そのうち10本がJJAP掲載論文です（これらの論文は応用物理学会のHPからIOP Publishingのサイトへのリンクで無料公開していますので，ぜひご覧ください）．これら以外にも，先生方の論文はこれまでJJAPに212本，APEXに47本掲載されており，先生方は応用物理学会を主な舞台としてご活躍されています．先生方のご業績により窒化物半導体分野には多くの研究者・技術者が参入し，応用物理学会の講演会や論文誌は活況を呈しています．特に，APEXは窒化物半導体分野で世界的な評価を得ています．

青色LEDは高輝度，低消費電力，小型，軽量，長寿命などの優れた性能により，大容量光記録装置，フルカラーディスプレイ，液晶バックライトや照明器具などに革命をもたらしました．また，窒化物半導体は高速，高耐圧，低消費電力のパワー半導体としても環境技術の主役として，家電，自動車，電車，電力網などへの応用が期待されており，応用物理学会を舞台にして，精力的な研究開発が行われています．

赤﨑先生，天野先生，中村先生は高効率青色LEDや高輝度白色光源の基礎から応用・製品化まで，発明・開発に直接関わり，日本発の世界に誇るイノベーションをもたらしました．応用物理学会では学生や若い研究者が，応用物理学会という舞台で，大きな業績を挙げられた先生方を偉大な目標として切磋琢磨することで，第二，第三のノーベル賞受賞者が現れることを期待しています．

I sincerely congratulate Professors Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura on their being awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for “the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes which has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources”. The Japan Society of Applied Physics (JSAP) is truly honored that Professors Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura are members of JSAP and that the Prize was awarded for work in the field of applied physics.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences cited 16 papers as the scientific background of this award. Ten out of the 16 papers were published in the Japanese Journal of Applied Physics (JJAP). (These papers can be found on the IOP Publishing website and are accessible from the JSAP website free of charge.) In addition to the 16 papers, 212 papers written by the three laureates were published in JJAP and 47 papers were in Applied Physics Express (APEX), attesting to the fact that JSAP is their main forum of activity. After their scientific achievements, nitride compound semiconductors attracted the interest of many researchers and engineers, and conferences and journals on nitride compound semiconductors sponsored by JSAP have been filled with enthusiasm. In particular, APEX has garnered international acclaim in the field of nitride compound semiconductors.

Blue LEDs revolutionized high-capacity optical recording devices, full-color displays, backlighting for liquid crystal displays, and lighting apparatuses through their excellent performance such as high brilliance, lower power consumption, small size, light weight, and long lifetime. In addition, nitride compound semiconductors are expected to be applied in home electronics, automobiles, electric trains, and power grids as power semiconductors with high-speed operation, high voltage resistance, and energy saving that play a major role in environment-related technologies. Vigorous research and development has been carried out by many JSAP members.

Professors Akasaki, Amano, and Nakamura were directly involved in the discovery and development of highly efficient blue LEDs and high-brilliance white light sources, from the basics to applied research and commercialization. Their work has led to world-class innovation in this field. JSAP expects these achievements to stimulate students and young researchers to further themselves through friendly competition with others on the JSAP stage, aiming at achieving groundbreaking results worthy of the Nobel Prize, like those of Professors Akasaki, Amano, and Nakamura, in the future.