The winner of the 2026 Peter Troughton Research Staff Prize is Dr Joseph Wilcox, former Research Fellow in the Department of Physics.

Joseph’s research is helping to unravel why a class of powerful “unconventional” superconductors can conduct electricity without energy loss. Superconductors already underpin technologies such as MRI scanners, particle accelerators and high-speed rail, but their widespread use is limited by the extremely low temperatures required for them to operate. Joseph’s research focuses on understanding the fundamental magnetic behaviour of these materials, with the long-term aim of enabling the development of higher-temperature, more sustainable superconductors that could transform future energy, transport and quantum technologies.

Using highly sensitive low-temperature experiments, Joseph has made several internationally recognised contributions to the field. His work has challenged long-held assumptions about key superconducting materials, provided important evidence supporting theoretical predictions, and achieved the first unambiguous observation of the long-sought “non-linear Meissner effect” – a phenomenon that had evaded researchers for decades. Techniques developed through this work have since been adopted by other research groups studying exotic superconductors. More recently, he led research uncovering new interactions between superconductivity and magnetism, revealing previously unknown behaviour in materials where these usually incompatible states coexist.

Whilst at the University of Bath, Joseph established himself as an independent and innovative researcher, leading major publications, securing access to highly competitive international research facilities, and building collaborations across the UK and abroad. Alongside his research achievements, he contributed to teaching, postgraduate supervision and research culture initiatives within the University, helping to support the next generation of physicists while advancing understanding of materials that could play a vital role in a more sustainable future.

After receiving the award, Joseph said “I am very grateful for this recognition for research spanning several years and many collaborators - this prize reflects their work as much as my own. The presentations from the other finalists were excellent, so it is a real honour to be chosen from among them."

The Peter Troughton Research Staff Prize is awarded on behalf of Senate by the Peter Troughton Research Staff Prize Committee to a postdoctoral member of research staff for outstanding research. Sponsor of the award, Peter Troughton, said, “Dr Wilcox and his team are at the forefront of this internationally important research into superconductivity. He also impressed the judges with the ease in which he explained the very advanced science involved: a worthy winner indeed at the University of Bath.”