Quantum batteries could one day charge electronics much quicker than standard ones thanks to the odd quantum phenomenon of being able to be in two places at once.
Electrochemical batteries, including those that power remotes and cars, store energy from chemical reactions between metals. But quantum batteries would be built from quantum bits, or qubits, and extract energy from quantum processes, such as those involved in moving particles of light or atoms. Physicists expect that full-fledged quantum batteries could charge extremely quickly in the future 鈥� even powering up electric vehicles within minutes.
But so far, it remains unclear how such quantum batteries should be built, as does the best way to charge them. To determine the speediest charging process, at National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan and his colleagues modelled several techniques.
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They created a mathematical model for a quantum battery that uses qubits, which have two energy states 鈥� these simulate a quantum battery鈥檚 uncharged state and its more energetic charged state. The quantum batteries would 鈥渃harge鈥� by entering cavities that trap energy-carrying electromagnetic radiation.
If an electrochemical battery encountered multiple such cavities or multiple entry points into a single cavity, it could only take one path at a time. But a quantum battery could speed things up by taking all possible routes when in a superposition, which would allow it to exist in various places or states at once.
Chen and his colleagues calculated that sending a quantum battery through two different entry points of a charging cavity at once could achieve a 鈥減erfect charging result鈥�, according to the paper, where all energy gained by the battery becomes immediately available for transfer to another device, without inadvertent losses.
The researchers also simulated their charging protocol on two different quantum computers made from actual qubits. This confirms that their idea could work in future experiments on real devices, says Chen.
聽at the University of Hong Kong says future experimental tests are much needed, because the simulated qubits could not charge like they would in a functioning quantum battery. Experiments with practical quantum batteries may not arrive for five or 10 years, he says, but theoretical studies like this help us grasp the principles involved.
鈥淭his is a new application of an idea that, in a sense, defines the essence of quantum mechanics,鈥� says Chiribella.
Journal reference:
Physical Review Research,
