Thomas Coussens Email & Phone Number

I earned my PhD from the University of Sussex, specialising in the development of optically pumped magnetometer (OPM) arrays for magnetic imaging and, have since then, continued my work as a research fellow. OPMs are able to achieve state of the art magnetic field sensitivities whilst remaining low-power, compact and portable. I am interested in understanding how this technology can apply to a variety of real-world problems:For healthcare, our highly sensitive magnetic field sensors can be arranged over a person’s head to detect magnetic fields associated with biological currents in the brain, an imaging technique known as magnetoencephalography (MEG). This technique is valuable tool for neuroscience research, particularly in studying neurodegenerative diseases, improving diagnosis and treatment, and aid the planning of brain surgeries.Navigation is another application area I am interested in. Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) enables precise route planning and tracking for vehicles, ships, and aircraft, but it has limitations. GNSS signals are susceptible to jamming and spoofing, and they need a clear line of sight to the sky, making them ineffective underground. A 24-hour GNSS outage could result in a £1.4 billion loss to the UK economy. Sensitive magnetic field measurements can be used for positioning utilising prior magnetic maps without any reliance on external satellite infrastructure. We are working with London Underground to understand how this technology can improve positioning of trains in underground tunnels.Accurate assessment of battery’s state of health and performance is pivotal for efficient and scalable production of electric vehicles. We are developing a new imaging technique which offers a non-contact assessment of battery state of health and performance by measuring the magnetic fields arising from small currents created by local defects. This technology provides new insights into the function of batteries by directly imaging current distributions.