Joe Paddison

Joe Paddison is a Neutron Scattering Scientist and Computational Instrument Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he has been working since 2024. Previously, he served as a Distinguished Staff Fellow & R&D Associate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (2019-2024), Junior Research Fellow at Churchill College, University of Cambridge, UK (2016-2019), and Postdoctoral Fellow at Georgia Institute of Technology, USA (2015-2016) under Prof. Martin Mourigal.

His educational background includes a DPhil (PhD) in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Oxford, UK (2011-2015), advised by Prof. Andrew Goodwin and Dr. Ross Stewart, and an MChem in Chemistry from the University of Oxford, UK (2007-2011).

Dr. Paddison's research focuses on understanding quantum materials where disorder of atoms and magnetic moments generates unconventional states of matter. He employs scattering experiments and atomistic modeling techniques to study material structures at the nanoscale. His work centers in the Neutron Diffraction section as part of the Basic Energy Sciences project 'Understanding Quantum Matter Beyond the Unit Cell.' He is the author of software packages Spinteract, Spinvert, and Scatty for modeling scattering data from spin liquids and disordered materials.

His publication record shows a consistent trajectory in quantum magnetism, with recent work focusing on spin liquids, skyrmion materials, and Kagome metals appearing in high-impact journals including Nature, Science, Physical Review Letters, and npj Quantum Materials. His research demonstrates increasing sophistication in both experimental techniques and computational modeling approaches.

• BTM Willis Prize (2021)
• European Physical Society Early Career Prize (2017)

Dr. Paddison actively mentors early-career researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and collaborates extensively with academic institutions worldwide. His current work leverages major user facilities including the High Flux Isotope Reactor and the Spallation Neutron Source, positioning him at the forefront of neutron scattering research for quantum materials.

He leads the development of computational approaches to analyze complex magnetic structures, with his software tools becoming increasingly adopted by the neutron scattering community. His current research directions include advancing methods for studying topological spin textures and developing new approaches for analyzing disordered quantum materials.