An atomic battery, also known as a nuclear battery, radioisotope battery, or radioisotope generator, is a device that uses energy from the decay of a radioactive isotope to generate electricity. The purpose of an atomic battery is to provide a long-lasting, low-power source of electricity that requires minimal external maintenance. Atomic batteries are lightweight, independent of sunlight, and unaffected by radiation belts in space, making them ideal for space missions lasting several years or for power generation in remote locations.
Atomic batteries use radioisotopes that produce low energy beta particles or sometimes alpha particles of varying energies. Low energy beta particles are needed to prevent the production of high energy penetrating Bremsstrahlung radiation that would require heavy shielding. Radioisotopes such as tritium, nickel-63, promethium-147, and technetium-99 have been tested, while plutonium-238, curium-242, curium-244, and strontium-90 have been used.
Atomic batteries are already being used in devices such as moon landers, satellites, and the Perseverance Mars rover. They have potential uses in wireless sensors, low power electronics, oil well monitoring, and other exciting applications. In the field of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), nuclear engineers have explored the possibilities of producing minuscule batteries which exploit radioactive nuclei of substances such as polonium or curium to produce electric energy. These micro-batteries are very light and deliver enough energy to function as power supply for use in MEMS devices and further for supply for nanodevices.
Atomic batteries have only proliferated slowly primarily due to their prohibitive cost compared to traditional batteries and public health concerns regarding radioactivity. Nonetheless, they serve an important purpose in providing long-lasting, low-power sources of electricity for a variety of applications.
