In the vast emptiness of space, Voyager 1 has been faithfully whispering its secrets back to Earth since 1977. But in a little over two decades, its nuclear-powered heart is expected to go dark. What if, instead, it could keep humming for thousands of years?
A team of British scientists and engineers have crafted a battery that could make such a thing possible. Their device — a carbon-14 diamond battery — is a strange fusion of radioactive decay, synthetic diamonds, and plasma chemistry. The result is a power source that could outlive generations of human civilization.
A Battery Like No Other
At its core, the diamond battery thrives on decay — specifically, the decay of the carbon-14 isotope. Carbon-14 is best known for its role in radiocarbon dating, but now, it’s poised to enter the energy storage game.
Encased within a synthetic diamond, carbon-14 undergoes beta decay, releasing electrons that the diamond then converts into electricity. The entire process is surprisingly similar to how solar panels convert sunlight into power, but with a crucial difference. Instead of capturing photons from the sun, the diamond captures electrons emitted from within.
With a half-life of 5,700 years, carbon-14 can last longer than our oldest pyramids. That means a diamond battery could, theoretically, keep providing power for thousands of years — many times over the lifecycle of any engineering project. There’s a catch, though. It’s not designed for high-drain devices like smartphones or laptops. But for low-power applications — think medical implants, sensors, and satellites — the possibilities are staggering.
“Diamond batteries offer a safe, sustainable way to provide continuous microwatt levels of power,” explained Sarah Clark, Director of Tritium Fuel Cycle at the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). “They are an emerging technology that use a manufactured diamond to safely encase small amounts of carbon-14.”
Space, Medicine, and More
The practical uses for a thousand-year battery are almost limitless. Spacecraft and satellites, like the aging Voyager 1, could maintain communication far longer than they currently can. Tom Scott, a professor in materials at the University of Bristol, imagines a future where such batteries are a mainstay of deep-space exploration.
“Our micropower technology can support a whole range of important applications from space technologies and security devices through to medical implants,” said Scott. “We’re excited to be able to explore all of these possibilities, working with partners in industry and research, over the next few years.”
Closer to home, the implications are equally profound. Imagine a pacemaker that never needs replacement or a hearing aid that works for decades without a new battery. For patients, this means fewer surgeries and less discomfort. For hospitals and healthcare systems, it promises fewer logistical headaches and reduced costs.
Neil Fox, from the University of Bristol’s School of Chemistry, says this battery is completely safe. “Carbon-14 was chosen as a source material because it emits short-range radiation, which is quickly absorbed by any solid material. This would make it dangerous to ingest or touch with your naked skin, but safely held within diamond, no short-range radiation can escape.”
In fact, diamond is the hardest known natural material. The radiation stays locked inside, harmless to the user.
From Fusion to Diamonds
The diamond battery is an unexpected offshoot of fusion research. At UKAEA’s Culham Campus, where scientists are striving to harness fusion energy, the same expertise has fueled innovation in materials science.
Using a plasma deposition rig — a specialized apparatus for growing synthetic diamonds — the team successfully created the delicate diamond shell needed to contain carbon-14. The carbon itself came from graphite blocks, a byproduct of nuclear fission reactors.
While the concept of diamond batteries first surfaced in 2016, the recent advancements mark a significant step toward practical use. Researchers are now exploring industrial partnerships to bring the technology to market. Previously, ZME Science reported on another diamond battery, one powered by nuclear waste rather than carbon-14, which can last 28,000 years.
Scott remains optimistic about the road ahead. “The decade ahead is about improving power performance and upscaling production,” he said.
