ICTQT Quantum Batteries Study Selected for “Quantum Frontiers” Collection by Physical Review Applied
We are pleased to announce that the paper “Superoptimal charging of quantum batteries via reservoir engineering: Arbitrary energy transfer unlocked” (https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.23.024010) has been selected for the Quantum Frontiers Collection of Physical Review Applied, published in honor of the International Year of Quantum (for details, see: https://journals.aps.org/prapp-quantum-frontiers).
This curated Collection highlights cutting-edge research at the intersection of quantum information science and emerging quantum technologies, spanning fundamental discoveries, practical methodologies, and real-world implementations.
About the paper
Quantum batteries are a rapidly developing concept for storing energy in quantum devices, where quantum effects can enable new charging strategies and performance advantages. In this work, the authors show that dissipation, normally viewed as a limitation, can be turned into a resource that improves charging performance.
The central idea is to replace the standard coherent charger-battery interaction with a dissipative interaction engineered through a shared reservoir (reservoir engineering). The paper demonstrates that collective effects in this engineered environment enable additional optimization and a super-optimal charging regime, where energy can be redistributed more efficiently and stored more effectively in the battery.
The results are directly relevant for realistic quantum hardware architectures and provide insight into practical energy storage and transfer mechanisms in quantum circuits.
International collaboration
The research is the result of a close collaboration between the International Centre for Theory of Quantum Technologies (ICTQT) and the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics University of Gdańsk, and the University of Calgary.
The author team includes Borhan Ahmadi and Paweł Horodecki, leader of the New Quantum Resources Group at ICTQT (https://ictqt.ug.edu.pl/pages/new-quantum-resources/), highlighting ICTQT’s contributions at the interface of quantum information theory and emerging quantum technologies.
Continuation of recognized research line
This recognition is a continuation of the same research line and collaboration. In 2024, the very same authors were recognized by Physical Review Letters for the paper “Nonreciprocal Quantum Batteries” (https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.210402), which was selected for the Physical Review Letters Collection of the Year 2024.
That work demonstrated how breaking time-reversal symmetry through reservoir engineering can create directional energy flow and significantly enhance quantum battery charging, even in the presence of dissipation. Together, these consecutive recognitions underscore a coherent and impactful research program focused on practical quantum technologies.
