The modern battery has come a long way in its 224-year history.
But what is the ceiling of the devices currently on the market?
What is the future of energy storage?
Household batteries produce electrical energy via the flow of electrons through a circuit.
Okay, forget the battery.
What the heck is quantum?
Lets quickly review quantum physics in broad strokes.
Particles enter quantum states under extreme conditions: very cold temperatures and in vacuums.
These atoms are quantum bits, or qubits.
But quantum operations are delicate.
The moment any value in a quantum system is made certain, the operation falls apart.
The entire systemfor example, atoms in an arrayis then back in a classical state.
Quantum states can persist for a long time.
Quantum batteries, as currently imagined
Like normal batteries, quantum batteriesas they are imaginedstore energy.
But thats where the similarities end.
The challenge is how to maintain the quantum properties for a long time.
Therefore it seems natural to seek thermodynamic quantum advantages in quantum systems that are driven out of equilibrium.
Their findingspublishedin Physical Review Lettersposited that a charging system with ICO could outperform conventional charging protocols.
We saw huge gains in both the energy stored in the system and the thermal efficiency.
So…when can I get a quantum battery?
Quantum battery research is gaining traction, but its still very much in its infancy.
Though their promise is remarkable, what the ultimate design of the technology will be remains an open question.
Thats but a twinkle in the eye of the most business-minded physicist at the moment.
The chief issue remains getting quantum systems to stay in a quantum state when they scale up.
Though many a skeptical reporter is loathe to admit it, Id love to eat my words.
Given humanitys obviousreliance on electricity, energy storage could use a quantum leap.
