Amanda Petford-Long facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Amanda Petford-Long FREng
Born	Amanda Karen Petford
Alma mater	University College London (BSc) University of Oxford (DPhil)
Scientific career
Institutions	Northwestern University Argonne National Lab Arizona State University
Thesis	Structural studies of various β-aluminas (1984)
Doctoral advisor	Colin Humphreys

Amanda Petford-Long is a brilliant scientist who studies materials. She is a Professor of Materials Science at Argonne National Laboratory and Northwestern University. She helps us understand how tiny materials work.

Her Journey in Science

Early Studies

Amanda Petford-Long started her science journey by studying physics. She went to University College London and finished her first degree in 1981. Later, she earned a special advanced degree called a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) from the University of Oxford in 1985. For her DPhil, she researched special materials called Beta-alumina solid electrolytes. Her teacher for this research was Colin Humphreys.

Working as a Professor

From 2002, Professor Petford-Long taught at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. She worked on new materials made by spraying tiny particles together. She also studied very small magnetic particles using a special tool called an atom probe. In 2005, she was the only woman chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. This is a very important honor for engineers.

Later in 2005, she moved to the Argonne National Laboratory. From 2010 to 2014, she was in charge of the Center for Nanoscale Materials. Here, she helped create new ways to study materials that are incredibly tiny, at the nanoscale.

Amazing Discoveries and Research

Exploring Tiny Materials

Professor Petford-Long has explored how tiny structures and magnetic fields work together in special materials. She also works with another scientist, Jacqueline Johnson, on a type of glass called fluorozirconate glass. They use a method called pulsed laser deposition to make very thin layers of these materials.

She has shown that when tiny particles in glass ceramics form crystals, it changes how light passes through them. Using pulsed laser deposition, she can control how special elements like europium are placed in the materials. This research can help make better solar cells. She even talked about her work on NPR in 2018.

Seeing the Invisible

Professor Petford-Long also develops special ways to look at magnetic materials using a powerful microscope called a transmission electron microscopy (TEM). This allows her to see how magnetic thin films behave. She has even created tiny, swirling magnetic patterns called skyrmions. These patterns have no electric charge and can be used to store information. She showed that patterns that don't repeat, like those in quasicrystals, could also be used to store information.

Helping Others in Science

Professor Petford-Long is a leader in the science community. From 2018 to 2019, she was the chair of a group called the American Physical Society Division of Materials Physics. She also helps guide research at other science centers. She is a strong supporter of women in engineering and works to inspire young girls to study engineering in college.

Awards and Special Honors

Professor Petford-Long has received many awards for her important work. She is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, the Royal Microscopical Society, and the Royal Academy of Engineering. She was also named a Distinguished Fellow at Argonne National Laboratory, which is a very high honor.