New Quantum Battery Could Revolutionize Energy Storage

Scientists have designed a topological quantum battery that can charge efficiently without losing energy, using the unique properties of quantum mechanics and topology.  Their research suggests dissipation, long considered harmful, might actually boost power in these next-generation batteries.

Scientists from the RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing and Huazhong University of Science and Technology have developed a new theoretical model that explains how a “topological quantum battery” could be designed with high efficiency. 

This concept combines the topological properties of photonic waveguides with the quantum behavior of two-level atoms to create a device capable of advanced energy storage. T

heir study, published in Physical Review Letters, suggests that such batteries could have major applications in nanoscale power storage, optical quantum communication, and distributed quantum computing networks.

READ MORE...

Quaantum Batteries Providing Instant Power

THE battery, as US comedian Demetri Martin pointed out, is one technology that we personify. “Other things stop working or they break,” he said. “But batteries – they die.” The observation is keener than it may at first appear. 

So beholden are some of us to smartphones, tablets and other digital technology, that our lives pretty much go on hold when they run out of juice. Even if it is just 30 minutes, we are apt to mourn the time lost to recharging.

If that seems like a laughable reaction, there is a serious side to this when it comes to the batteries that power electric vehicles. The fact that it usually takes hours to charge them is a major stumbling block to decarbonising transport, which is among the biggest global emitters of greenhouse gases. 

For humanity’s sake, charging times need to be slashed. Yet, with the fundamentals of battery science the same as they were half a century ago, the prospect of a drastic improvement looks slim.

Slim, but not impossible. Now, quantum physics could ride to our rescue. By leveraging the strange behaviour of subatomic particles, a quantum battery could charge itself much faster than any conventional device. As a handy bonus, the bigger a quantum battery, the better it performs. 

Although the concept is in its infancy, a recent experimental demonstration and some theoretical advances suggest that a world of uninterrupted portable power isn’t so far-fetched. One day, dead batteries could spring back to life in an instant.  READ MORE...