Professor Bob Buckley has undertaken research in a wide range of materials including amorphous semiconductors, zeolites, ionic conductors, sea ice and since their discovery in 1987, high temperature superconductors (HTS). More recently his research activities has been extended to optical spectroscopy studies of Heusler alloys and correlated electron systems including the rare earth nitrides.

He was a key investigator in the synthesis and discovery of a range of HTS materials. Bob is a co-inventor of Bi-2223, a foundation compound for the manufacture of HTS wires

Bob has led the transition from the materials discovery phase through HTS wire development and on to the development of HTS machines including magnets, transformer and MRI systems

Bob’s PhD in physics is from Victoria University of Wellington