Is this the world’s first quantum battery? Australian scientists say so

Australian scientists have developed what they say is the world’s first proof-of-concept quantum battery. Quantum batteries use the principles of quantum mechanics to store energy and could be more efficient than conventional batteries. The prototype is charged wirelessly with a laser; “It’s the first prototype which does a full cycle of a battery: in other words, you charge it, you store energy, and you can discharge it,” said Dr James Quach of the CSIRO.

Unlike conventional batteries, where charge time increases with size, quantum batteries can charge faster as they grow because of a feature known as “collective effects”, in which quantum cells charge faster when there are more cells involved. Quach and his colleagues first demonstrated this property in 2022 but had no way to extract energy from that prototype.

The new device, detailed in the journal Light: Science & Applications, took femtoseconds to charge and stored the energy for nanoseconds — about six orders of magnitude longer.

Australia

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