Quantum batteries are an exciting area of research, because they bring battery science and quantum physics closer together. Breaking news hints at charging quantum batteries with light, but first we need to unpack how quantum batteries work.
Quantum Batteries May Someday Charge Differently
Quantum batteries are still largely at the theoretical stage. However, there are early signs they may someday charge, by using the unusual behaviour of particles at quantum level.
One of the most interesting ideas behind quantum batteries, is that groups of quantum particles can sometimes work together, in ways that are impossible for everyday objects.
Scientists believe this could allow quantum batteries to charge much faster than conventional batteries. In theory, a large quantum battery might charge more efficiently than a small one, as more particles become linked through quantum effects.
Not Too Much Light At The End of The Tunnel
Quantum batteries remain experimental right now. Scientists may have demonstrated some of the basic principles in laboratories, but practical quantum batteries for phones, cars, and homes do not yet exist.
There’s no actual evidence either, that we have seen, that charging quantum batteries with light is practical. Scientists must first overcome many technical challenges, before the technology becomes commercially useful.
Charging Quantum Batteries With Light Closer
Researchers at Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) in Australia, have probed the possibility of wireless energy transfer. Their experimental device absorbs energy from light, rather than through a physical charging cable.
They have also demonstrated that collective quantum effects can improve the capture of light energy, and increase electrical power transfer even under low-light.
While the study does not prove that long-distance charging is practical, it does hint at the possibility that charging quantum batteries with light is possible.
This could eventually contribute to wireless charging for specialized sensors, photonic circuits, and other miniature electronic systems. But at the moment we shall have to wait and see what happens next.
More Information
First Working Quantum Battery Tested
Quantum Batteries And Energy From Light
