Sensor development

A PhD student with his optic set up

A key application area that we focus on is magnetic imaging based on quantum sensors for electric vehicle batteries, the human brain and navigation.  For this we have created a modular quantum magnetic sensor using an optically pumped magnetometer.  This is placed inside a magnetic shield to reduce environmental magnetic fields and ensure they are not being detected.  In simple terms, the sensor works by putting a vapour into a quantum state, shining a laser beam through it and using a photo detector to see how much light has gone through.  How the atomic vapour interacts with the laser light very sensitively depends on the magnetic field. We have had results using this sensor to image the human brain’s magnetic fields.