Room-temperature quantum effect could enable battery-free electronics

Researchers demonstrate that the nonlinear Hall effect in a topological insulator can convert ambient alternating signals into direct current, remaining stable at room temperature and tunable by temperature. The mechanism shifts from defect-dominated at low temperatures to phonon-driven at higher temperatures, with the signal direction potentially reversing. This could enable battery-free electronics like self-powered sensors and wearables, though practical devices are years away.