Quantum Batteries Break Expectations: Bigger Systems Charge Faster

By Emily Ma,

The Lawrenceville School, NJ

Imagine plugging in an electronic device and having it fully charged in seconds. With quantum batteries, this can become a reality. Researchers Rober Alicki and Mark Fannes, in 2013, proposed a method of storing and releasing energy with quantum mechanics that would allow batteries to be more efficient, durable, and convenient.

Instead of relying on chemical reactions like conventional lithium-ion batteries, quantum batteries utilize quantum systems (i.e., atoms, molecules, or qubits–the quantum equivalent of binary). Each unit would be charged by being pushed into a higher energy state and discharged by letting it go. This idea is built on Maxwell’s demon, a thought experiment by James Clerk Maxwell. The experiment imagines Maxwell’s demon to use knowledge of a particle’s location to do physical work, seemingly violating the universal rule where work has to be extracted with an increase in entropy: the second law of thermodynamics. This is solved by erasing the demon’s memory to release heat. When this is observed on a quantum level, the demon’s memory becomes entangled with the particle. Therefore, this correlation becomes a source of energy, which is the founding principle of quantum batteries. 

There are two effects of quantum mechanics that allow quantum batteries to store and release energy differently from other batteries: entanglement and superposition. Superposition is the ability of a quantum system to exist in multiple locations at the same time, while entanglement is when two or more quantum particles are linked in a way where the state of one instantly affects the other. Research conducted by Shi et al. (2022) provides evidence that entanglement allows batteries to store usable energy and reduces steps traveled between initial and fully charged states, which allows batteries to charge faster. In addition, superposition produces a quick charging effect, enhancing ergotropy–the maximum extractable work–so extractable energy becomes available almost instantaneously once charging begins. 

Quantum batteries show the possibilities of future technology. Electric vehicles that require hours of charging could become fully charged almost instantaneously. Furthermore, renewable energy could also be revolutionized with quantum batteries. Wind and solar sources produce power non-continuously, meaning that on more sunny or rainy days there will be excess power wasted; however, quantum batteries can store this energy and release it, making these energy sources more impactful.

Unfortunately, quantum batteries haven’t been able to integrate into real-world systems due to decoherence—quantum systems’ tendency to lose their quantum properties. Aging of quantum batteries stems from interactions with the external environment. Moreover, increasing the size of quantum batteries has also been established as a problem because adding more quantum units increases exposure to the environment, causing the dissipation of coherence and ergotrophy. While researchers are actively searching for ways to work around these issues, designs that preserve coherence at a manufacturable scale still prove to be difficult.

Despite this, in 2025, Hymas et al. were the first to demonstrate a fully functioning quantum battery at room temperature using a multilayered organic-microcavity design, shining hope on the development of this project. The battery was also unexpectedly discovered to demonstrate superextensive charging, meaning that it charged faster as it scaled up. Most importantly, it was able to complete a full charge and discharge cycle, showing that a future with quantum batteries has the potential to become a reality. 

References

Alicki, R., & Fannes, M. (2013). Entanglement boost for extractable work from ensembles of quantum batteries. Physical Review E, 87(4), 042123. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreve.87.042123

Hymas, K., Muir, J. B., Tibben, D., Van Embden, J., Hirai, T., Dunn, C. J., Gómez, D. E., Hutchison, J. A., Smith, T. A., & Quach, J. Q. (2026). Superextensive electrical power from a quantum battery. Light Science & Applications, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-026-02240-6

Julià-Farré, S., Salamon, T., Riera, A., Bera, M. N., & Lewenstein, M. (2020). Bounds on the capacity and power of quantum batteries. Physical Review Research, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevresearch.2.023113

Lai, P., Lin, J., Huang, Y., Jan, H., & Chen, Y. (2024). Quick charging of a quantum battery with superposed trajectories. Physical Review Research, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevresearch.6.023136

Quach, J., Cerullo, G., & Virgili, T. (2023). Quantum batteries: The future of energy storage? Joule, 7(10), 2195–2200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2023.09.003

Shi, H., Ding, S., Wan, Q., Wang, X., & Yang, W. (2022). Entanglement, Coherence, and Extractable Work in Quantum Batteries. Physical Review Letters, 129(13), 130602. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.129.130602

Yang, F., Wang, H., Maleki, Y., Munro, W. J., Agarwal, G. S., & Scully, M. O. (2026, May 17). Coherence-Enhanced Quantum Battery Charging with Ergotropy Stabilization. arXiv.org. https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.17700v1

Zhang, J., Liu, C., & Ai, Q. (2025). Suppressing degradation in quantum batteries by Electromagnetically‐Induced transparency. Annalen Der Physik, 537(12). https://doi.org/10.1002/andp.202500278