New architectures for solid-state quantum batteries: from theory to quantum simulation

Batteries are fundamental components of nowadays technologies and play a crucial role in our daily lives. Varying greatly in size and capacity, they are devices capable of storing energy, supplied from an external system, and releasing it in a controlled manner to a user system. Despite the impressive technological improvements over the past two centuries, the batteries we currently use still rely on the electrochemical principles exploited by A. Volta at the end of the 18th century. However, the constant miniaturization of electronic devices calls for the realization of increasingly smaller batteries, down to sizes comparable to those of molecules and atoms. At these scales, quantum effects must be taken into account. It is therefore necessary to reconsider energy manipulation within the framework of quantum thermodynamics, a research field that aims to extend the laws of classical thermodynamics and non-equilibrium statistical physics to systems where quantum effects become significant. In this context, the possibility to properly characterize the energetics of miniaturized thermal machines represented a major boost for the development of quantum technologies devoted to energy storage and manipulation. This Thesis explores solid-state quantum batteries, bridging theoretical models with experimental simulations. Key contributions include the simulation of few-level QBs on IBM quantum hardware, demonstrating the viability of superconducting circuits for energy tasks. The work introduces a cyclic QB model where quantum correlations enable efficiencies exceeding 50%, and examines a harmonic oscillator battery where non-Markovian dynamics facilitate ultra-fast charging. Finally, a novel implementation based on Graphene Josephson Junctions is proposed to realize a Dicke quantum battery. These results highlight the potential of quantum technologies for the future of miniaturized energy storage.