Scientists from the RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing and Huazhong University of Science and Technology have carried out a theoretical study showing how a “topological quantum battery” could be efficiently designed. This innovative concept uses the topological characteristics of photonic waveguides and the quantum behavior of two-level atoms to store and transfer energy…….Continue story…
By: Cheng Shang
Source: ScienceDaily
.
Critics:
A quantum battery is a type of electric battery that uses the principles of quantum mechanics to store energy. They have the potential to be more efficient and powerful than traditional batteries. Quantum batteries are in the early stages of development. The concept of quantum batteries was first proposed in 2013. The amount of work that can be produced by a quantum battery is called ergotropy.
By making the battery and the device being powered inseparable, such as by using quantum entanglement, more battery output than that having been stored is possible. The first model proposed for a quantum battery was the Dicke model in 2018. Initially, the Dicke quantum battery appeared to show a quantum advantage in charging power. However, in 2020, it was demonstrated that the battery’s Hamiltonian needed to be adjusted.
Researchers found that the Dicke quantum battery, in fact, does not provide any quantum advantage. The SYK quantum battery, proposed in 2020, is the first many-body quantum battery that shows a quantum advantage in the charging process. Experiments on quantum batteries are in their infancy, and to date, there is no fully functional quantum battery. The Dicke quantum battery uses the Dicke model to store energy.
This battery was first proposed due to its relation with superradiant emission and its practical feasibility. The Dicke model describes the collective interaction of an ensemble of N two-level atoms (TLSs) with a single mode of the cavity field. Cavities are typically composed of two or more mirrors that reflect light back and forth, creating a standing wave of electromagnetic radiation, with frequencies determined by the cavity’s geometry.
Batteries come in many shapes and sizes, from miniature cells used to power hearing aids and wristwatches to, at the largest extreme, huge battery banks the size of rooms that provide standby or emergency power for telephone exchanges and computer data centers. Batteries have much lower specific energy (energy per unit mass) than common fuels such as gasoline. In automobiles, this is somewhat offset by the higher efficiency of electric motors in converting electrical energy to mechanical work, compared to combustion engines.
In the United States, the Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act of 1996 banned the sale of mercury-containing batteries, enacted uniform labeling requirements for rechargeable batteries and required that rechargeable batteries be easily removable. California and New York City prohibit the disposal of rechargeable batteries in solid waste. The rechargeable battery industry operates nationwide recycling programs in the United States and Canada, with dropoff points at local retailers.
The Battery Directive of the European Union has similar requirements, in addition to requiring increased recycling of batteries and promoting research on improved battery recycling methods. In accordance with this directive all batteries to be sold within the EU must be marked with the “collection symbol” (a crossed-out wheeled bin). This must cover at least 3% of the surface of prismatic batteries and 1.5% of the surface of cylindrical batteries. All packaging must be marked likewise.
In response to reported accidents and failures, occasionally ignition or explosion, recalls of devices using lithium-ion batteries have become more common in recent years. On 9 December 2022, the European Parliament reached an agreement to force, from 2026, manufacturers to design all electrical appliances sold in the EU (and not used predominantly in wet conditions) so that consumers can easily remove and replace batteries themselves.
Leave a Reply