We’re One Step Closer to Ultra-Compact, Powerful Quantum Batteries.

Quantum Batteries Could Supercharge Renewable Energy Storage, Making Clean Energy More Practical and Powerful

A multi-disciplinary team of international scientists has advanced the effort of creating quantum batteries that could lead to the randevelance of charging of energy storage. In these batteries, scientists have shown for the first time that it is possible to achieve a phenomenon known as superabsorption which means that molecules in these batteries will be able to absorb energy in a manner that is extremely efficient. According to Dr. James Q. Quach, from the University of Adelaide, as the quantum battery gets larger its time taken to charge becomes even smaller. The result could be the development of large scale storage methods which are fast and efficient, which could help to foster the use of renewable energy and decrease the use of fossil fuels.

Quantum batteries will eventually enable portable, ultra-high capacity batteries that could help humanity ramp up the use of clean energy and slash global demand for oil and coal.

It is now as a result of an international team of scientists that a critical step towards these batteries has been developed. As reported by the University of Adelaide in the press release, the researchers have explained the existence of the necessary temperature, or, in other words, have proven the main phenomenon of superabsorption for the first time.

What is superabsorption?

The researchers were able to show superabsorption—a quantum mechanical event that may be useful for quantum computers and energy storage—in a line of lab experiments. Superabsorption, as well as many other quantum effects, can make what is impossible, possible by changing the molecules on the quantum level.

Gaining additional insight from NewAtlas, Dr. James Q. Quach, a researcher from the University of Adelaide that also participated in the experiment said, “Superabsorption is a quantum collective effect resulting from constructively interfering transitions between the states of the molecules. ”

He went on further to say “Constructive interference takes place in all sorts of waves such as light, sound as well as water waves and it is the combination of two waves to produce a greater effect than each one of them especially the ability of the molecules in a quantum energy storage device to be able to capture light more effectively than should they be acting alone, individually speaking. ” In layman’s term this simply means that the more molecules make up your

The larger the battery, the quicker it charges

These recent findings could therefore enable large storage systems with very short charging periods, which could unlock new possibilities of renewable electricity storage. According to the press release of the University of Adelaide, Dr. Quach said: “Quantum batteries that operate on quantum mechanical properties have been found to charge faster as the size of the battery increases. ” “In theory the charging power could expand exponentially and theoretically surpass the size of the battery and this could open up new avenues in charging. ”

The researchers, in their paper that appeared in the journal Science Advances, then optically pumped, via a laser, multiple layered microcavities of varying size and with differing amounts of the organic molecules. “The active layer of the microcavity is made from Organic semiconductor materials that store the energy, the concept of superabsorbing in quantum batteries is based on quantum cooperation of all the molecules through a property known as quantum superposition,” Dr. Quach stated.

“He further said that when size of the microcavity increased and number of molecules increased the charging time came down,” he said. “This is quite a breakthrough and indicates the major shift in the creation of the quantum batteries. ”

As the research team highlighted for these goals, this advancement is important in building a better long-term storage system for energy. Projections show that the global energy consumption by 2040 will increase by twenty-eight percent relative to twenty-fifteen. By being able to harvest and capture light energy at the same time, quantum batteries could let renewable energy providers save millions of dollars, the team reported. The next task for the researchers is to create a realistic quantum battery which also utilizes the superabsorption effect that the researchers discussed in the process of their proof-of-concept experiments.