The breakthrough battery, built by researchers at Ohio State University, works by taking ambient gamma radiation from spent nuclear fuel and converting it to light via scintillator crystals.
“We’re harvesting something considered as waste and by nature, trying to turn it into treasure,” said Raymond Cao, a professor in mechanical and aerospace engineering at Ohio State University, who led the research.
The technology is also being developed in China under the country’s 14th Five-Year Plan, with Beijing-based Betavolt saying last year that it is hoping to mass produce nuclear batteries for commercial applications like phones, drones and medical devices.
The working prototype built in Ohio, which is roughly the size of a sugar cube, is capable of producing 1.5 microwatts of power, though larger versions are expected to be able to produce significantly more electricity.
A team in the US has already tested the next-generation battery with a prototype device capable of harvesting enough nuclear radiation to power microchips.
