Sean Cadogan
Encyclopedia
Dr. John M. Cadogan is Professor of Physics
and Astronomy
at the University of Manitoba
and a Canada Research Chair in Advanced Materials.
He studies rare earth materials, which is a bit of misnomer since the rare-earth elements
are neither rare nor ‘earths’. Indeed, they are abundant and vital to many technologies and Dr. Cadogan studies their properties so that industry can harness their full potentials.
Dr. Cadogan’s research involves using advanced nuclear techniques to study the magnetic compounds formed between rare-earth and transition elements. His research is providing new information about rare-earth based compounds, which have a wide range of magnetic properties.
Materials with magnetic properties have played a central role in the development of modern technology (think of any computer), and they are at the heart of many of the devices we use every day. Rare-earth materials promise magnetic properties far beyond the capabilities of those used in the past and so are essential to the continued evolution and development of new technologies.
By exploring the fundamental magnetism and crystallography
of compounds that are formed between rare-earth and transition elements, Dr. Cadogan is opening the door to new compounds that can form the basis of high-temperature superconductors and the world's strongest permanent-magnet materials. They also have the potential for unprecedented energy efficiency in applications ranging from advanced motors to new refrigeration technologies, while greatly reducing the environmental side effects of current technology.
Dr. Cadogan also uses nuclear techniques to explore "soft-magnetic" materials based on iron and other elements, which are important in applications like transformer cores used by the electrical power industry. His research is providing valuable new knowledge about these important materials, and will ultimately allow us to take full advantage of their potential for advancing technology in the 21st century.
, earning his PhD in 1983 from the University of New South Wales
. In 1984 he left for Dublin, Ireland
, where he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Pure and Applied Physics at Trinity College, Dublin
. He then returned to Australia in 1987 and began his teaching and research career in earnest.
Dr. Cadogan has authored well-over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, has been awarded peer-reviewed research funding of over $5 million, and was elected to Fellowship of the Australian Institute of Physics in 2001. He is a regular referee of research papers submitted for publication to ten international scientific journals and he has served as an Associate Editor for a special 2-volume edition of the Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, for example.
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and Astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
at the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
and a Canada Research Chair in Advanced Materials.
He studies rare earth materials, which is a bit of misnomer since the rare-earth elements
Chemical element
A chemical element is a pure chemical substance consisting of one type of atom distinguished by its atomic number, which is the number of protons in its nucleus. Familiar examples of elements include carbon, oxygen, aluminum, iron, copper, gold, mercury, and lead.As of November 2011, 118 elements...
are neither rare nor ‘earths’. Indeed, they are abundant and vital to many technologies and Dr. Cadogan studies their properties so that industry can harness their full potentials.
Dr. Cadogan’s research involves using advanced nuclear techniques to study the magnetic compounds formed between rare-earth and transition elements. His research is providing new information about rare-earth based compounds, which have a wide range of magnetic properties.
Materials with magnetic properties have played a central role in the development of modern technology (think of any computer), and they are at the heart of many of the devices we use every day. Rare-earth materials promise magnetic properties far beyond the capabilities of those used in the past and so are essential to the continued evolution and development of new technologies.
By exploring the fundamental magnetism and crystallography
Crystallography
Crystallography is the experimental science of the arrangement of atoms in solids. The word "crystallography" derives from the Greek words crystallon = cold drop / frozen drop, with its meaning extending to all solids with some degree of transparency, and grapho = write.Before the development of...
of compounds that are formed between rare-earth and transition elements, Dr. Cadogan is opening the door to new compounds that can form the basis of high-temperature superconductors and the world's strongest permanent-magnet materials. They also have the potential for unprecedented energy efficiency in applications ranging from advanced motors to new refrigeration technologies, while greatly reducing the environmental side effects of current technology.
Dr. Cadogan also uses nuclear techniques to explore "soft-magnetic" materials based on iron and other elements, which are important in applications like transformer cores used by the electrical power industry. His research is providing valuable new knowledge about these important materials, and will ultimately allow us to take full advantage of their potential for advancing technology in the 21st century.
Personal Background
Dr. Cadogan became a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair at the University of Manitoba in July, 2007. He began his formal training in his homeland of AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, earning his PhD in 1983 from the University of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. In 1984 he left for Dublin, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, where he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Pure and Applied Physics at Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
. He then returned to Australia in 1987 and began his teaching and research career in earnest.
Dr. Cadogan has authored well-over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, has been awarded peer-reviewed research funding of over $5 million, and was elected to Fellowship of the Australian Institute of Physics in 2001. He is a regular referee of research papers submitted for publication to ten international scientific journals and he has served as an Associate Editor for a special 2-volume edition of the Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, for example.