Quach Team Unveils First Quantum Battery Prototype, Extracting Current After 2026 Breakthrough
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Aug 25
Quach Team Unveils First Quantum Battery Prototype, Extracting Current After 2026 Breakthrough
1 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Aug 25
Summary
March 2026 brought what James Quach's team calls the first working quantum battery prototype, adding electrical current extraction to an earlier proof that the device could charge and hold energy briefly.
100-nanometre optical microcavities packed with organic dye molecules use laser-driven superabsorption, letting molecules act collectively so charging speeds rise as the battery gets larger.
The prototype charges in femtoseconds and stores only a few billion electron volts for nanoseconds, making it far from powering phones or vehicles despite operating at room temperature.
Quach says a hybrid follow-up design already stores energy longer and could help power quantum devices within a few years, while other researchers argue fragile quantum effects and hard-to-extract energy remain major barriers.
Scientists broadly see the nearer use case in quantum computing, where faster, more controlled energy delivery could cut errors and power use, while everyday applications remain highly contested.