A Quantum Battery That Never Runs Out
A Quantum Battery That Never Runs Out
Physicists have shown that a quantum battery—basically, a quantum system such as a qubit that stores energy in its quantum states—can theoretically be charged at a faster rate than conventional batteries. This « quantum speedup » arises from quantum entanglement among multiple qubits, which essentially provides a shortcut between the qubits’ uncharged and charged states, allowing for faster charging.
The physicists, Felix C. Binder, et al., have published a paper on the quantum battery, which they call « quantacell, » in a recent issue of the New Journal of Physics.
« There has been much interest in the question if quantum physics can provide any advantage in thermodynamic processes (thermodynamics being the study of work and heat and their interconversion), » Binder, a physicist at the University of Oxford, told Phys.org. »
The scientists investigated a quantum battery made of qubits, which can take a variety of physical forms, such as ions, neutral atoms, photons, etc. Qubits can exist in either one of two states or a superposition of both states at once. In a quantum battery, the two states represent different energy levels. Charging a quantum battery means changing a qubit’s state from a lower energy level to a higher energy level, while using (discharging) the battery does the reverse. The scientists call these particular qubits « work qubits » (or simply « wits ») because they can store energy that can later be used to do work.
