College of Science & Engineering

Professor Robert Hadfield of the University of Glasgow, School of Engineering is the winner of the 2013 Brian Pippard Prize.
Professor Hadfield was considered by the IoP Superconductivity Group's Prize Selection Panel, alongside a range of other strong contenders for the prize, to have made a very significant contribution to advances in superconductivity.

Professor David Cardwell (University of Cambridge), Chair of the selection panel, issued the following citation: "Robert Hadfield has very rapidly established an internationally-leading position in superconducting photon detectors in a relatively short period. His pioneering research on a new type of superconducting photon-counting detector based on niobium nitride nanowires offers excellent signal-to-noise and exquisite timing resolution, far outperforming conventional semiconductor devices at infrared wavelengths. Professor Hadfield has performed a series of compelling demonstrations with academic and industrial partners, bringing this superconducting technology forward into a host of new scientific fields, including quantum communications, remote sensing and laser medicine. He is awarded the
2013 Pippard Prize for sustained excellence over recent years and an outstanding contribution to the field of applied superconductivity."

The Prize, which from this year was renamed in honour of Professor Sir Brian Pippard, is awarded annually to a scientist working in the UK who has made important advances in the area of superconducting research in the last few years - with particular emphasis given to recent work. The prize consists of £250, a plaque and an invitation to give a prize lecture at a Superconductivity Group meeting later in 2014.

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First published: 13 January 2014