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  • Open Access

Quantum Batteries: A Nonreciprocal Thermal Edge

Niaz Ali Khan1 and Dahai He1,2,*

  • 1Department of Physics, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
  • 2Shenzhen Research Institute of Xiamen University, Shenzhen 518057, China

  • *Contact author: dhe@xmu.edu.cn
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PRX Energy 5, 023003 – Published 23 April, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/ndlt-qszr

Abstract

Nonreciprocal quantum batteries (QBs) leverage engineered environments to impose unidirectional energy flow, achieving a fourfold enhancement in energy storage over conventional designs. In this work, we establish thermal-reservoir engineering as a powerful tool for controlling and optimizing the performance of QBs. We demonstrate that a thermal-reservoir-driven nonreciprocal QB achieves significantly enhanced charging, surpassing its vacuum-reservoir counterpart. Crucially, the nonreciprocal ergotropy is thermally invariant and coincides with the vacuum-reservoir energy, despite the temperature-dependent rise in total stored energy. This reveals a “thermally shielded” work potential, where nonreciprocity effectively decouples energy storage from energy quality, ensuring robust work extraction despite the thermal environment. Consequently, engineered thermal reservoirs emerge as a key resource for developing high-performance, noise-resilient quantum batteries.

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Popular Summary

Quantum batteries promise faster charging, higher energy densities, and enhanced extractable work compared to their conventional counterparts, yet practical implementation remains challenging. By engineering a nonreciprocal design using thermal reservoirs, the authors show that while the total stored energy rises with temperature, the extractable work remains unchanged. Strikingly, nonreciprocal thermal quantum batteries thus offer a pathway to robust, high-performance energy storage that operates reliably even in warm environments, marking a critical step toward practical quantum technologies.

Article Text

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PRX Energy 5, 023003– Published 23 April, 2026
  • Received 9 November 2025
  • Revised 1 March 2026
  • Accepted 26 March 2026
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