Nonreciprocal quantum batteries exhibit remarkable capacities and efficiencies

In physics, nonreciprocity occurs when the response of a system changes depending on the direction in which waves or signals travel through it. This asymmetry arises from the breaking of the so-called time-reversal symmetry, which basically means that the processes observed in the system as it evolves over time will be different from the processes observed in the rewind.

Nonreciprocity is commonly used in the development of new quantum technologies, for example to allow signals to flow in a certain direction and to suppress noise. So far, however, it has rarely been applied to the development of quantum energy storage solutions.

Researchers from the University of Gdańsk in Poland and the University of Calgary in Canada recently explored the possibility of using non-reciprocity to optimize the charging dynamics of quantum batteries. Their work, published in Physical Review Letterspresents new nonreciprocal quantum batteries that perform remarkably well, both in terms of energy capacity and efficiency.

“Our recent paper arose from our ongoing investigation of nonreciprocity and its applications in quantum technologies,” Assistant Professor Shabir Barzanjeh, co-author of the paper, told Phys.org.

“The basic idea was inspired by the inherent advantages of non-reciprocal systems in directional signal flow and noise suppression, which are crucial for quantum information and computing. Our goal was to extend these advantages to the field of quantum batteries, especially focusing on optimizing energy storage and charging dynamics.”

The primary goal of the study by Barzanjeh and his colleagues was to successfully exploit non-reciprocity to improve the efficiency and capacity of quantum batteries, which could lead to innovations in how quantum technologies store energy.

The batteries they designed use time-reversal symmetry breaking to create a direct flow of energy from the quantum charger to the battery, preventing the energy from flowing backwards.

“This is achieved by designing tanks where a dissipative environment, such as an auxiliary waveguide, facilitates efficient energy transfer,” explained Barzanjeh.

“The nonreciprocal setup enhances energy storage through an interference-like process that balances dissipative interactions with coherent ones. This approach significantly increases stored energy, even in damped coupling regimes, and is straightforward to implement using current quantum circuits in photonics and superconducting systems.” “

The researchers evaluated the performance of their non-reciprocal quantum batteries by performing a series of calculations and achieved very promising results. In fact, they found that their non-reciprocal design resulted in a fourfold increase in energy storage efficiency compared to conventional quantum batteries.

“Our findings show that non-reciprocal quantum batteries can effectively overcome local dispersion and maintain a high energy transfer rate,” Barzanjeh said. “The practical implications are large-scale, potentially revolutionary energy storage in quantum technologies, enable more efficient quantum sensing, energy trapping, and even advance the study of quantum thermodynamics.”

Recent work by this research team opens exciting new avenues for using nonreciprocity to enhance the performance and reliability of both quantum batteries and other quantum systems.

In their next studies, Barzanjeh and his colleagues plan to continue evaluating the potential of non-reciprocal quantum batteries while optimizing their design and integrating their batteries into larger quantum systems.

“We are now looking to explore the interplay between non-reciprocity and other quantum sources such as entanglement and quantum catalysis to further increase the energy storage capacity,” Barzanjeh added.

“Additionally, we plan to experimentally implement our theoretical models in practical quantum circuits, verify our findings and refine the technology for real-world applications. This includes exploring the chiral and topological properties of lossy coupling systems, which could lead to new breakthroughs in quantum information processing and energy storage.”

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