Charging your phone or laptop in a fraction of the usual time is still a lab idea, but Australian researchers say they have taken a first step.

Scientists from the CSIRO, the University of Melbourne and RMIT have built what they say is the world’s first fully functioning proof-of-concept quantum battery, according to Lab Worldwide.

The team successfully developed and tested a quantum battery prototype. The CSIRO said the work points to fast, scalable charging and room-temperature energy storage.

Unlike conventional batteries, which store and release energy through chemical reactions, a quantum battery works under the rules of quantum mechanics. Its main advantage is “superabsorption,” where the system takes in light in a single, large collective event rather than through slower, individual ones.

The researchers also found the charging effect becomes stronger as the system grows.

If the technology can scale beyond the lab, it could cut charging times for electric vehicles, phones and laptops, and help backup energy systems refill faster before or after a storm.

More efficient and scalable energy storage can also support cleaner power systems by making it easier to capture and use renewable electricity when it is available. Over time, that could help utilities manage spikes in demand, improve resilience during blackouts or extreme weather, and lower costs linked to energy waste and slow charging cycles.

The researchers say the work is still at an early stage and is not a commercial product.

Dr James Quach, a science leader at the CSIRO and leader of the team that engineered the prototype, said: “While there’s still much work to be done in quantum battery research, we’ve made an important move towards realising the possibilities. The next step right now for quantum batteries is extending their energy storage time.”

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