Thomas’ story
Sussex is rooted in people who think differently and are genuinely down to earth. There’s a sense of community here that’s hard to find anywhere else.” Thomas Clarke
Quantum Information Science and Technologies PhD
“I’ve always been interested in how the world works and what becomes possible when we start to understand it.
After I’d finished my A Levels, I went to an event at Imperial where a bunch of academics were showcasing exciting developments in their research. One of them was Professor Winfried Hensinger, who presented some pretty wild ideas. At the time, I barely understood what a charged particle was, but I found his work absolutely fascinating.
After studying Physics at King’s College London and a Master’s at UCL, I began to think about where I wanted my career to take me. I knew I wanted to pursue quantum computing and happened to meet Professor Hensinger again at the UK National Quantum Technologies Showcase. I asked if he had any PhD vacancies – he said yes, gave me a beer and I was in!
Well, of course, it wasn’t that easy. I was invited to a couple of interviews, where I was asked to present my own work and one of the Sussex Quantum papers back to the team – but once I was accepted, the process was pretty smooth sailing.
My research sits at the intersection of physics, informatics and engineering, and asks: what does it mean for an ion to experience time? Humans make sense of time through moments, rhythms and changes in the world around us, while for an atom, the relationship between time, light and environment is very different. Understanding these interactions opens up fascinating possibilities for quantum computing and I feel privileged to be able to work with science in such an intimate, mathematical way.
Throughout my PhD, I’ve most enjoyed the moments where I’ve started to see plots: when weeks of writing and measuring have produced a 2D or 3D graph, and the thing I set out to do is actually happening. Even when the results don’t turn out quite as I’d expected, there’s still something to learn and share with others, which feels meaningful to me. I’m really passionate about teaching and this year, I’ve also had the fortune of supporting two incredible undergraduates. It’s been a privilege to see them produce extraordinary work in response to my experiments and has also underlined that teaching is the future path for me.
There’s a huge difference in the culture of Sussex compared to other universities, because it’s so open and welcoming. I grew up in London and became exhausted by how relentless everything is there. There’s so much traffic. There’s so much noise. Morning commutes can be a sensory nightmare. Sussex feels completely different: every day, I take the train in and watch the sea from the window. I head to campus in the South Downs, where everything is so green and it feels like you can breathe. I feel very lucky.
For me, Sussex is rooted in people who think differently and are genuinely down to earth. You can have a conversation with anyone about anything and that’s what I value most. There’s a sense of community here that’s hard to find anywhere else – and it’s somewhere I hope to stay for a long time to come.”
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+44 (0)1273 678416