Joseph Poon

Joseph Poon is the William Barton Rogers Professor of Physics at the University of Virginia, with a courtesy appointment in Materials Science and Engineering. He leads a research group focused on experimental and computational studies of condensed matter physics, particularly in thermoelectric materials, magnetic skyrmions, and high-entropy alloys. His work spans advanced materials design, spintronic applications, and data-driven materials discovery.

Education: Ph.D. and B.S. from California Institute of Technology (1978 and 1974).

Research Interests:

• Thermoelectric properties of semiconductors/semimetals near topological phase transitions
• Skyrmionic states in amorphous ferrimagnetic heterostructures
• High-entropy alloy design in high-dimensional composition space

His recent work emphasizes machine learning for alloy phase prediction, magnetic skyrmion dynamics, and optimizing thermoelectric performance in half-Heusler compounds.

Recent Research Trends: Focus on multi-functional materials combining mechanical strength, corrosion resistance, and electronic/magnetic properties. Key contributions include demonstrating ultrafast skyrmion switching in Mn4N-based systems and designing refractory B2 high-entropy alloys with exceptional strength-ductility synergy.

Grants/Advising: While specific grants are not listed, his research group's activities imply significant funding in materials science and spintronics. No advisee names are explicitly provided in the text.

Labs/Teams: Operates a multidisciplinary lab integrating experimental synthesis, computational modeling, and data science for materials innovation. Collaborates extensively on projects involving skyrmionics and high-entropy alloys.