The bottleneck of traditional batteries and the dawn of quantum batteries
Amid the global wave of energy transition, battery technology has consistently remained the critical bottleneck constraining industrial advancement. Although lithium-ion batteries have steadily improved in energy density and accelerated in charging speed over the past two decades, they are increasingly approaching their physical limits. Current mainstream fast-charging technology still requires about 30 minutes to charge from 30% to 80%, and public complaints about "charging anxiety" have never ceased. More fundamentally, traditional batteries follow a seemingly unshakable physical law: the larger the battery, the slower it charges. This explains why charging a mobile phone takes only an hour, while an electric vehicle requires an entire night.
However, in the microscopic quantum world, this law is being overturned. In March 2026, a research team from Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) announced that they had successfully developed the world's first working quantum battery prototype, achieving full verification of the "charge-store-discharge" process. This battery exhibits a counterintuitive property: the larger it is, the faster it charges—a macroscopic manifestation of the "collective effect" in the quantum realm, marking the official entry of battery technology into the new era of "femtosecond charging, nanosecond energy storage."
Figure 1 quantum battery prototype
In-depth analysis of quantum batteries
Quantum batteries are not a new concept. They have been extensively studied for quite some time.
What is a quantum battery? Principles, characteristics, and performance
A quantum battery is a novel energy storage device designed based on the principles of quantum mechanics. Its core lies in leveraging quantum phenomena such as superposition, entanglement, and collective effects to fundamentally surpass the charging speed limits of conventional electrochemical batteries.
Working principle: Unlike conventional batteries that rely on electrochemical reactions, quantum batteries store energy through the interaction between photons and matter. Their core structure consists of an optical microcavity with highly reflective mirrors on the inner walls, filled with organic semiconductor molecules. When a laser is directed into the microcavity, photons bounce back and forth between the mirrors, forming "polaritons" with the molecules inside the cavity—a hybrid quantum state that is part light, part matter. In this state, molecules no longer absorb light energy independently; instead, they begin to behave as a single quantum entity, capturing energy collectively.
Core characteristic: The most striking feature of quantum batteries is their "collective effect." Under appropriate conditions, the energy storage units within a quantum battery cease to act individually and instead cooperate collectively. This means that if a quantum battery has N storage units, and each unit takes 1 second to charge individually, then through the collective effect, all units charging simultaneously require only 1/√N seconds per unit. In other words, the larger the battery, the faster it charges—a logic completely opposite to that of conventional batteries.
Figure 2 schematic diagram of collective effects in quantum batteries based on the Dicke Superradiance model [1]
Performance data: Currently, quantum batteries remain at the laboratory prototype stage. The latest prototype operates at room temperature, with the charging process completing in approximately 200 femtoseconds (1 femtosecond = 10-15 seconds). The excited state then transitions into a triplet state—a slowly decaying electronic state—extending the storage time to tens of nanoseconds, approximately one million times longer than the charging pulse itself. The peak discharge power density is approximately 10 to 40 microwatts per square centimeter, still far below that of commercial batteries, but sufficient to demonstrate the viability of the concept. The research team tested eight different versions of the device, all exhibiting consistent behavior, validating the reproducibility of the experimental results.
Figure 3 schematic diagram of quantum battery component composition and test data [2]
The development history of quantum batteries
The concept of quantum batteries was first proposed in 2013 by Robert Alicki from the University of Gdańsk in Poland and Mark Fannes from KU Leuven in Belgium. Over the following decade, this field remained primarily in the realm of theoretical simulation, with scientists exploring the possibilities of quantum energy storage within theoretical frameworks such as the Dicke model and the Tavis-Cummings model.
In 2022, a team led by James Quach, in collaboration with colleagues from the United Kingdom and Italy, constructed the first quantum battery prototype, confirming the existence of the "larger equals faster" collective effect, where charging time decreases according to the 1/√N law as the number of molecules increases. However, this early prototype had a critical flaw—it could not effectively extract the stored energy.
In March 2026, Quach's team published their latest findings in the journal Light: Science & Applications, achieving controlled energy extraction for the first time by adding an additional charge transport layer to the device, thereby completing the full cycle from charging to discharging. This represents a key milestone in the transition of quantum batteries from theoretical concepts to practical devices. Professor Andrew White, director of the Quantum Technology Laboratory at the University of Queensland, commented that the achievement "elegantly demonstrates that quantum batteries are no longer just an idea, but have become a functional prototype."
Figure 4 University of Queensland quantum technology laboratory
Meanwhile, a research team at RMIT University in Australia achieved a breakthrough in extending the energy storage time of quantum batteries. By introducing molecular triplet states, they extended the energy retention time from the nanosecond scale to approximately 40 microseconds—an improvement of 1,000 times. These advancements are collectively pushing quantum batteries closer to practical application.
The impact of quantum batteries on the battery market and future scenarios
If quantum batteries achieve commercialization, they will have a disruptive impact on multiple industries.
Electric vehicles: Traditional electric vehicles require overnight charging, whereas the charging speed of quantum batteries increases with size—meaning larger battery packs can actually charge faster. Quach envisions that once the technology matures, electric vehicles may no longer need to be parked for charging; instead, they could be wirelessly replenished with laser energy while in motion. Drones could also be continuously charged during missions, overcoming range limitations.
Figure 5 schematic diagram of electric vehicles wirelessly recharging via laser
Quantum computing: Industry experts believe that in the short term, the most promising application of quantum batteries is not replacing traditional lithium batteries, but rather powering quantum computers. Quantum computing systems are extremely sensitive to the precision and disturbance of energy supply; quantum batteries can deliver energy in a "coherent" manner, significantly reducing noise and enhancing system stability.
Renewable energy integration: Quantum batteries can significantly improve the energy capture efficiency of solar cells, especially under low-light conditions. Their collective absorption property enables them to more efficiently capture scarce photons, offering a new pathway for all-weather photovoltaic power generation and integrated storage.
Future scenario concept: Imagine this: your electric vehicle pulls into a charging spot, and within minutes, the battery level jumps from 10% to 90%; on an overcast day, your photovoltaic energy storage system can still operate efficiently; micro-sensors continue working continuously in harsh environments without needing battery replacements—all of these could become realities made possible by quantum batteries.
How to test quantum batteries
The operating principle of quantum batteries is fundamentally different from that of traditional batteries, requiring entirely new designs for testing equipment.
What kind of testing equipment do quantum batteries require?
Ultrafast time-resolved measurement: The charging process of quantum batteries occurs on the femtosecond (10-15 seconds) timescale, while energy storage lasts for tens of nanoseconds. Testing equipment must be equipped with ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy systems capable of capturing optical absorption, energy transfer, and discharge processes within extremely short time windows.
Figure 6 Pump-Probe spectroscopy system
High-precision electrical measurement: The discharge power density of quantum batteries is currently only at the microwatt-per-square-centimeter level. Testing equipment must possess high-precision weak current measurement capabilities, capable of accurately recording current signals at the nanoampere level or even lower.
Figure 7 ultra-high precision battery testing equipment
Optical-electrical coupled test system: Quantum batteries use lasers as their charging energy source. Testing equipment must integrate tunable laser light sources, microcavity alignment systems, and photoelectric conversion efficiency measurement modules to achieve integrated testing of optical charging and electrical discharging.
Room temperature and low temperature Dual-Mode operation: Most quantum effects require extremely low-temperature environments to be maintained, but the latest prototypes have achieved room-temperature operation. Testing equipment must support both temperature modes to enable comprehensive evaluation of quantum battery performance.
Nanoscale spatial resolution: The failure and inhomogeneity of electrode particles within batteries significantly affect battery performance. Advanced quantum sensing technologies, such as sensor systems based on diamond nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers, can achieve nanoscale spatial resolution (1 nm to 1 μm) and enable in-situ, non-destructive monitoring of the electrochemical evolution processes of individual particles within electrodes, demonstrating high sensitivity to physical parameters such as temperature, stress, and magnetic fields.
Figure 8 quantum sensing technology based on NV centers
Current challenges with testing equipment
Quantum battery testing is still in its infancy, and existing equipment faces multiple challenges
Lack of standardized testing protocols: There are currently no industry testing standards specifically for quantum batteries. Different research teams employ varying testing methods and metric definitions, making it difficult to compare experimental results across studies.
Insufficient time resolution: The charging speed of quantum batteries has already reached the femtosecond scale, while most commercial testing equipment has time resolution that remains at the nanosecond or even microsecond level, failing to capture the complete charging dynamics process.
Room temperature stability issues: Quantum effects are highly susceptible to thermal noise interference at room temperature, leading to decoherence. Testing equipment must maintain room temperature conditions while fully isolating external factors such as vibration and temperature fluctuations, imposing extremely stringent requirements on equipment design.
Lack of scalable testing capability: Current quantum battery prototypes are extremely small in size, with each test evaluating only a single microcavity. Should arrayed quantum batteries require testing in the future, existing equipment lacks the multi-channel parallel testing capability.
High cost: Core components such as ultrafast laser systems, cryostats, and high-precision probe stations are prohibitively expensive. A complete quantum battery testing system can cost several million yuan, significantly hindering the widespread adoption of research in this field.
The future of quantum batteries
The journey from laboratory to practical implementation requires collaborative efforts across multiple industries. Quantum battery research has crossed the theoretical threshold, but a long path remains before true commercial application.
Current progress: The first working prototype has successfully demonstrated the "collective effect" and a complete charge-discharge cycle at room temperature. Eight different versions of the device exhibited consistent behavior, confirming the reproducibility of the results. The research team is exploring various materials and structural configurations to further refine the prototype design.
Core challenges: Energy storage time remains at just tens of nanoseconds, leaving a significant gap compared to the second or minute-level storage required for practical applications. Discharge power density is only at the microwatt-per-square-centimeter level, far below the milliwatt or watt level of commercial batteries. The manufacturing process demands nanometer-scale precision to ensure that the microcavities resonate at the appropriate optical frequencies.
A collaborative path across industries: Transitioning quantum batteries from laboratory to practical implementation requires coordinated efforts across multiple fields, including the battery industry, testing equipment manufacturing, materials science, and quantum optics.
The materials science industry needs to develop new organic molecules and inorganic materials capable of maintaining quantum coherence at room temperature. The RMIT team in Australia has already demonstrated that molecular triplet states can extend energy storage time to the microsecond scale, laying the groundwork for further improvements.
The battery industry needs to design microcavity array structures suitable for large-scale production, enabling the transition from individual microcavities to battery packs. The research team has noted that planar arrays with shared electrodes would allow multiple cavities to operate in parallel.
The testing equipment industry needs to develop standardized, cost-effective quantum battery testing systems to support quality validation during research and development as well as mass production. Drawing on existing research achievements, such as quantum sensing technology based on diamond NV centers, enables in-situ, non-destructive, high-resolution monitoring of internal battery states.
The semiconductor and optoelectronics industry needs to provide high-precision micro/nano fabrication capabilities to manufacture structurally consistent quantum battery units.
CSIRO is already seeking "potential development partners" to advance this technology to higher levels. As Dr. James Quach stated: "My ultimate aspiration is a future where we can charge electric vehicles much faster than refueling gasoline cars, or wirelessly charge devices over long distances." Achieving this vision requires concerted efforts across the entire industry.
The emergence of quantum batteries marks the entry of battery technology into a new era of "femtosecond charging, nanosecond energy storage"—and this revolution is just beginning. The Wright brothers' first aircraft flew for only a few seconds, yet the aviation industry subsequently transformed the world. The same holds true for quantum batteries; progress will take time, but they have already come clearly into our view.
Reference
[1] Masson S J, Asenjo-Garcia A. Universality of Dicke superradiance in arrays of quantum emitters[J]. Nature Communications, 2022, 13(1): 2285.
[2] Hymas K, Muir J B, Tibben D, et al. Superextensive electrical power from a quantum battery[J]. Light: Science & Applications, 2026, 15(1): 168.
