Scientist is honored for neutron scattering research on quantum materials
Andrew Christianson, a distinguished staff scientist at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was recently named a fellow of the Neutron Scattering Society of America (NSSA).
Started in 2005, the NSSA Fellows Program honors scientists who have made significant contributions to the neutron scattering community in North America. Christianson was recognized specifically for “sustained neutron scattering studies that have advanced understanding of quantum materials, including quantum magnetism, unconventional superconductivity and emergent spin textures,” according to NSSA.
Neutron scattering, a technique pioneered at ORNL in the 1940s, uses beams of neutrons to probe the structure and behavior of materials. By analyzing how neutrons scatter after interacting with a sample, scientists can determine the arrangement of atoms and investigate magnetic properties that are difficult to study with other techniques. ORNL is home to the Spallation Neutron Source and the High Flux Isotope Reactor, both DOE Office of Science user facilities and two of the world’s premier neutron-scattering facilities.
Christianson joined ORNL in 2006 through the Clifford G. Shull Fellowship program as a researcher using neutron scattering to study strongly correlated superconducting materials. Since then, he has expanded his research interests to encompass a broad range of quantum materials, including superconductors, quantum magnetism and novel spin textures. He currently leads DOE’s Materials Science and Engineering Program for ORNL.
Christianson earned a bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Northern Iowa and a doctorate in physics from Colorado State University.
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science. – Greg Cunningham
