Researchers Disha Verma, Indrajith VS, and R. Sankaranarayanan from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras have published a study in the journal Physical Review Letters exploring the dynamics of a graphene-based quantum battery. Their work delves into the behavior of these batteries under various conditions, providing insights that could potentially enhance the performance of energy storage technologies.
The study focuses on a graphene quantum battery modeled as a four-level spin valley system. This system is charged using a Gaussian pulse and then allowed to evolve under different types of energy loss and environmental interactions. The researchers examined the effects of amplitude damping, dephasing, and both Markovian and non-Markovian reservoirs on the battery’s performance.
Amplitude damping, which typically causes energy loss, surprisingly stabilizes non-passive steady states with finite ergotropy—the usable energy stored in the battery. This means that even as energy is lost, the battery can maintain a state from which work can still be extracted. In contrast, pure dephasing, which suppresses coherence (a quantum property essential for certain technologies), eliminates the possibility of work extraction.
The study also highlights the role of non-Markovian memory, a phenomenon where information flows back into the system from its environment. This backflow slows down the loss of ergotropy and enables partial recovery of the battery’s energy storage capacity. This finding suggests that harnessing non-Markovian effects could be a key strategy for improving the long-term performance of quantum batteries.
For the energy industry, these insights could lead to the development of more efficient and stable energy storage solutions. By understanding and controlling the dissipative dynamics in quantum batteries, researchers may be able to design systems that maintain higher energy storage capacities over longer periods. This could have practical applications in renewable energy storage, where maintaining stable and efficient energy storage is crucial for integrating intermittent energy sources like solar and wind into the grid.
The research was published in the journal Physical Review Letters, a prestigious publication known for its high-impact studies in the field of physics. The findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge on quantum technologies and their potential applications in the energy sector.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.