Although "quantum battery" may seem out of reach, it is likely to revolutionize the energy storage industry in the future. Recently, a team of scientists from the University of Adelaide in Australia successfully proved for the first time the quantum mechanics principle of "super absorption", which is a key idea supporting quantum cells and indicates that quantum cells may become a reality.
The concept of "quantum battery" was first proposed in August 2015. In theory, the "quantum acceleration" caused by the entanglement of multiple qubits can provide a shortcut to charging, so charging with a quantum battery is faster than a conventional battery.
"Super absorption is a quantum collective effect, and the transition between molecular states can cause constructive interference," said James Quach, the study's correspondent author. "constructive interference occurs in all kinds of waves (light, sound, waves on the water), and occurs when different waves add up to be more effective than any one wave itself. Crucially, this allows combined molecules to absorb light more effectively than when each molecule acts alone. "
In quantum cells, superabsorption will have a very obvious advantage. That is, the more energy storage molecules they have, the more effectively they can absorb energy. In other words, the bigger the battery, the faster the charging speed. At least in theory. Superabsorption has not been proven on a scale large enough to make quantum batteries, but the new study has done so.
To build their test equipment, the researchers placed an active light-absorbing molecular layer-a dye called Lumogen-F Orange-in a microcavity between two mirrors. The results show that the charging time decreases with the increase of the size of the microcavity and the number of molecules, which proves the role of super absorption.
The researchers say this is a major breakthrough and could pave the way for practical quantum batteries. In addition, it will have a significant impact on energy capture and storage in renewable energy and micro-electronic devices. Of course, the study is still in its early stages. The above research results have been published in the journal Progress of Science recently.
"this idea is a proof of principle that it is possible to enhance light absorption in such a device," Quach said. But the key challenge is how to build a bridge between the proof of principle of small equipment and the proof of principle of large equipment. The next step is to explore how to combine it with other ways to store and transmit energy to provide a practical device. "
