Strategies for optimal design for electrostatic energy storage in quantum multiwell heterostructures

TL;DR

This paper investigates optimal design strategies for quantum multiwell heterostructures to maximize electrostatic energy storage, revealing that tailored potentials can significantly enhance energy density.

Contribution

It introduces three novel design strategies for quantum heterostructures that optimize energy storage capacity based on quantum response modeling.

Findings

Energy density can be increased by over 400 times with optimization.

Efficiency depends on temperature and electron level broadening.

Three main strategies identified for maximizing stored energy.

Abstract

The physical principles are studied for the optimal design of a quantum multiwell heterostructure working as an electrostatic energy storage device. We performed the search for an optimal multiwell trapping potential for electrons that results in the maximum static palarizability of the system. The response of the heterostructure is modeled quantum mechanically using nonlocal linear response theory. Three main design strategies are identified, which lead to the maximization of the stored energy. We found that the efficiency of each strategy crucially depends on the temperature and the broadening of electron levels. The energy density for optimized heterostructures can exceed the nonoptimized value by a factor more than $400$. These findings provide a basis for the development of new nanoscale capacitors with high energy density storage capabilities.