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New capacitor with 19-times energy density


Electric cars and laptop batteries could charge up much faster and last longer thanks to a new structure that can be used to make much better capacitors in the future.

Researchers have developed capacitors from new "heterostructures" with a novel property that reduces the speed at which energy dissipates without affecting their ability to charge quickly. The new discovery — which the scientists say was unintended and builds off novel electronics work — could be the foundation for better battery life across consumer devices such as laptops or smartphones, as well as more flexibility in grid-scale energy storage. By accident, the researchers found that a tiny gap in the core increases the relaxation time — a term used to describe the period over which the capacitor loses charge.

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New capacitor