Dr Thomas Chaffey
Thomas Chaffey is a lecturer in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, specialising in nonlinear control theory, and its intersection with optimisation, circuit theory and learning. Dr Chaffey joined the school in 2025. He obtained his PhD from the University of Cambridge in 2022, and from 2022 to 2025 held the Maudslay-Butler Fellowship in Engineering at Pembroke College, University of Cambridge.
Dr Chaffey's research interests lie at the intersection of nonlinear control theory, convex optimisation, circuit theory and machine learning. He is interested in using theoretical tools from control theory and optimisation to analyse and design neuromorphic systems which exhibit behaviours reminiscent of biological nervous systems.
Particular interests include graphical methods for nonlinear stability and robustness analysis; learning in analog and neuromorphic hardware and hardware simulation via convex optimisation.
Best Student Paper Award, 2021 European Control Conference, for the paper Monotone RLC Circuits.
Outstanding Student Paper Award, 2021 IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, for the paper Scaled Relative Graphs for System Analysis.
Publications
Journals
- Chaffey, T., Sepulchre, R. (2024). Monotone One-Port Circuits. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 69(2), 783-796. [More Information]
- van den Eijnden, S., Chaffey, T., Oomen, T., Heemels, (. (2024). Scaled graphs for reset control system analysis. European Journal of Control, 80. [More Information]
- Chaffey, T., Banert, S., Giselsson, P., Pates, R. (2023). Circuit analysis using monotone+skew splitting. European Journal of Control, 74. [More Information]
Conferences
- Chaffey, T., Van Waarde, H., Sepulchre, R. (2023). Relaxation Systems and Cyclic Monotonicity. 62nd IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, CDC 2023, United States: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. [More Information]
- Che, W., Chaffey, T., Forni, F. (2022). Analog Cross Coupled Controller for Oscillations: Modeling and Design via Dominant System Theory. Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. [More Information]
- Chaffey, T., Padoan, A. (2022). Circuit Model Reduction with Scaled Relative Graphs. Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. [More Information]
2024
- Chaffey, T., Sepulchre, R. (2024). Monotone One-Port Circuits. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 69(2), 783-796. [More Information]
- van den Eijnden, S., Chaffey, T., Oomen, T., Heemels, (. (2024). Scaled graphs for reset control system analysis. European Journal of Control, 80. [More Information]
2023
- Chaffey, T., Banert, S., Giselsson, P., Pates, R. (2023). Circuit analysis using monotone+skew splitting. European Journal of Control, 74. [More Information]
- Chaffey, T., Forni, F., Sepulchre, R. (2023). Graphical Nonlinear System Analysis. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 68(10), 6067-6081. [More Information]
- Chaffey, T., Van Waarde, H., Sepulchre, R. (2023). Relaxation Systems and Cyclic Monotonicity. 62nd IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, CDC 2023, United States: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. [More Information]
2022
- Sepulchre, R., Chaffey, T., Forni, F. (2022). 25th IFAC Symposium on Mathematical Theory of Networks and Systems, MTNS 2022. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 55(30), 290-294. [More Information]
- Chaffey, T. (2022). A rolled-off passivity theorem. Systems and Control Letters, 162. [More Information]
- Che, W., Chaffey, T., Forni, F. (2022). Analog Cross Coupled Controller for Oscillations: Modeling and Design via Dominant System Theory. Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. [More Information]
2021
- Chaffey, T., Sepulchre, R. (2021). 57203663229. 2021 European Control Conference, ECC 2021, United States: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. [More Information]
- Chaffey, T., Forni, F., Sepulchre, R. (2021). Scaled relative graphs for system analysis. 60th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, CDC 2021, Piscataway: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). [More Information]
2018
- Chaffey, T., Manchester, I. (2018). Control Contraction Metrics on Finsler Manifolds. 2018 American Control Conference (ACC 2018), Piscaway: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). [More Information]
In the media
Dr Chaffey was interviewed for the Control Systems magazine PhDs in Control column in 2023.