Researchers at the University of Genoa have unveiled a new kind of battery that leverages the principles of quantum mechanics involving the spins of electrons in the quantum realm. The so-called quantum battery offers the potential to be far more compact, efficient, and faster charging than conventional batteries.
The team’s findings, recently published in Physical Review Letters, showcase a design based on quantum spin systems that could revolutionize how we store and use energy.
“Our results can play a relevant role in the design of stable solid-state quantum batteries,” the team wrote in their paper.
A Quantum Battery Without an External Charger
Unlike traditional batteries that rely on external fields to charge, the quantum battery developed by the team at the University of Genoa uses an innovative internal mechanism. This design, led by senior researcher Dario Ferraro and his colleagues, exploits the spin degrees of freedom of particles—one of the fundamental properties of quantum systems.
“Our quantum battery can be seen as the intercalation of two collections of ½-spins, the simplest possible quantum systems,” explained Ferraro in a recent statement. “By properly changing the interaction between the elements of the two chains, for example, by shifting one with respect to the other, it becomes possible to trap energy into the quantum battery in a stable way.”
This internal charging method eliminates the need for an external field, simplifying the design and enhancing stability.
The project began as a collaboration between different areas of expertise within the University of Genoa’s quantum condensed matter theory group, led by Maura Sassetti.
“Quantum many-body theory and non-equilibrium physics are traditional topics in our group,” Ferraro said. “In this framework, my officemate Niccolò Traverso Ziani focuses on studying analytically solvable quantum spin chains, while I study quantum batteries—miniaturized devices able to store energy exploiting quantum mechanical principles. We thought that the master’s thesis of Riccardo Grazi could be a good excuse to combine our research interests.”
Their collaborative efforts led to the successful design of a spin quantum battery that could operate with a much larger number of elements than previously possible. This advancement marks a significant step forward in developing practical quantum batteries.
A Glimpse into the Future
The team’s results have sparked excitement in the field, as the new charging protocol simplifies the process and is shown to be robust against minor inaccuracies in real-time operation. The researchers see vast potential for their work to influence other quantum technologies.
“We think that this will open new and interesting perspectives in the study of quantum batteries, including the possibility to realize them using systems such as neutral atoms, which are currently among the leading platforms in the race towards large-scale quantum computers,” Ferraro said.
Batteries like this could play a pivotal role in advancing quantum computers, a technology poised to revolutionize computing by solving problems intractable for classical computers. Unlike traditional energy sources, quantum batteries are designed to harness the same quantum principles—such as superposition and entanglement—that power quantum computers. Their ability to charge rapidly and efficiently could provide the stable and precise energy needed to operate quantum processors, which are notoriously sensitive to environmental disruptions.
Looking ahead, the researchers plan to investigate how environmental factors like temperature and long-range interactions affect the charging process of these quantum batteries.
“Our primary goal is to identify a general framework, applicable to a wide range of systems, to determine if they are suitable candidates for implementation as quantum batteries,” added Ferraro.
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry is the Science Communicator at JILA (a world-leading physics research institute) and a science writer at The Debrief. Follow and connect with her on BlueSky or contact her via email at kenna@thedebrief.org