| Authorised form of name | Coey; John Michael David (1945-2025); experimental physicist |
| Dates | 1945-2025 |
| Nationality | Northern Irish |
| Place of birth | Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Date of birth | 24 February 1945 |
| Date of death | 06 October 2025 |
| Occupation | Experimental physicist |
| Research field | Materials Science |
| Engineering |
| Experimental Physics |
| Physics |
| Spintronics |
| Magnetism |
| Activity | Education:
University of Cambridge BA 1963-1966; Winnipeg, CA PhD 1968-1971
Career:
Sainik School Balachadi (1966-7); CNRS Grenoble, Rhône-Alpes, France (1971-1978); Research Professor (SFI), Professor of Experimental Physics, Trinity College, Dublin (1978-2025).
Memberships:
Royal Irish Academy
Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Sciences
Institute of Physics
Mineralogical Society of America
Awards/Medals:
Fulbright Fellowship
Charles Chree Medal of the Institute of Physics 1997
Gold Medal of the Royal Irish Academy 2005
RDS INTEL Prize Lecture on Nanoscience 2012
Humboldt 2013
Gutenberg 2015
Max Born Medal and Prize 2019
D.Sc. Trinity College Dublin (honorary) 2023 |
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 15/05/2003 |
| Age at election | 58 |
| Relationships | Parents: David Stuart Coey CF and Joan Elizabeth Newsam.
Spouse: (m. 1973) Wong May Coey, poet.
Children: James and Dominic. |
| PublishedWorks | RCN R71113 |
| OtherInfo | Worked in the field of magnetism and spintronics, seen as a world leader by the magnetism community. His work had important applications in areas such as increasing the efficiency of storing, processing and transferring information in computers.
Spintronics involves using the inherent spin magnetism of electrons to give them an increased ability to store binary data. These electronic magnets can either point up or down. An entrepreneur as well as physicist, Michael co-founded TEL Magnetic Solutions to create new magnetic processing tools for spin-based electronics. In addition, the Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin was his brainchild.
Described as a visionary with a unique gift for defining and conceptualising the key issues in magnetism, allowing him to discover new magnetic materials and make significant contributions to the future of magnetic technology. |
| Source | The Royal Society Fellows Directory, Professor Michael Coey FRS, [URL: https://royalsociety.org/people/michael-coey-11244/; last accessed: 21/10/2025]
ORCID, John Michael David Coey, [URL: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0053-8452; last accessed: 21/10/2025]
Trinity College Dublin, School of Physics, News, Prof Michael Coey, 20 October 2025, [URL: https://www.tcd.ie/physics/news-events/news/2025/prof-michael-coey/; last accessed: 21/10/2025]
The Irish Times, Obituaries, Appreciation: Prof Michael Coey, known for his engaging lectures and inquiring intellect, 10 October 2025, [URL: https://www.irishtimes.com/obituaries/2025/10/19/appreciation-prof-michael-coey-known-for-his-engaging-lectures-and-inquiring-intellect/; last accessed: 21/10/2025] |
| Code | NA8665 |
Archives associated with this Fellow
| RefNo | Title | Date |
| IM/001881 | Coey, John Michael David | 2003 |
| EC/2003/07 | Coey, John Michael David: certificate of election to the Royal Society | |