Want a battery that recharges insanely fast and can hold more than ten times the energy of a lithium-ion battery? Then get in line for one of the digital quantum batteries that are being developed discussed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. And don't forget to pack a lunch, because these packs won't be ready for a while. Perhaps in time for the 2030 Tesla Model Z.

Called "digital quantum batteries," the ides is that to pack ultra-tiny nanoscale capacitors into a small space with only 10 nanometers (100 atoms) of space between them. When they're this close together, quantum effects would affect the energy storage capability of the capacitors, resulting in charge and discharge times that are orders of magnitude faster than today's technology and storage capacities that are anywhere from 2x to 10x what today's li-ion cells can hold. Alfred Hubler, the researcher who came up with the theoretical batteries, says that the batteries "would far surpass anything we have today." We'll take two, thanks. Thanks to Mike for the tip!


[Source: MIT's Technology Review]