The University of Adelaide researchers and their international partners have made quantum batteries a reality. They have proved super absorption, an important idea that underpins quantum batteries.
“Quantum batteries which employ quantum mechanical principles to increase their capabilities require less charging time as they get larger,” Dr. James Q. Quach (a Ramsay Fellow at the University of Adelaide’s School of Physical Sciences and Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing) said.
Theoretically, quantum batteries can charge faster than their size. This could open up new possibilities for charging.
The team created several microcavities that looked like wafers to prove super absorption. They published their findings in the Science Advances journal. Each one was charged with a laser.
“The active layer in the microcavity is made up of organic semiconductor materials, which store energy. Dr. Quach explained that quantum superposition is the basis of quantum batteries’ super absorbing effect.
The charging time decreased as the size of the microcavity increased, and the molecules became larger.
“This is a significant breakthrough and marks a major milestone for the development of the quantum batteries.”
The quantum battery concept has the potential to significantly impact energy storage and capture in renewable energy, as well as in small electronic devices.
People’s energy consumption by 2040 is expected to increase by 28 percent over 2015. Most energy will continue to come from fossil fuels, which are extremely harmful to the environment. A battery capable of simultaneously harvesting and storing light energy would be a significant cost-savings while reducing the unpredictable nature of solar energy.
The team’s efforts could open up new possibilities in battery technology thanks to quantum mechanics.
“The ideas that Dr. Quach has developed opens up the possibility of new classes of energy-storing devices,” stated Professor Peter Veitch of the University of Adelaide, Head of the School of Physical Sciences.
Next, we will develop a prototype of a fully functional quantum battery.