Thermodynamic universality of quantum Carnot engines
Open accessAbstract
The Carnot statement of the second law of thermodynamics poses an upper limit on the efficiency of all heat engines. Recently, it has been studied whether generic quantum features such as coherence and quantum entanglement could allow for quantum devices with efficiencies larger than the Carnot efficiency. The present study shows that this is not permitted by the laws of thermodynamics-independent of the model. We will show that rather the definition of heat has to be modified to account for the thermodynamic cost of maintaining non-Gibbsian equilibrium states. Our theoretical findings are illustrated for two experimentally relevant examples.
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References 56 · Cited by 139
Research works printed but not linked: 6
- J. Gemmer, M. Michel, and G. Mahler, Quantum Thermody- namics (Springer, Berlin, 2009).
- P. Muratore-Ginanneschi and K. Schwieger, arXiv:1504.02541v1. · arXiv
- A. Dechant, D. A. Kessler, and E. Barkai, arXiv:1412.5402. · arXiv
- K. Yamamoto and N. Hatano, arXiv:1504.05682v1. · arXiv
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- Authors
- Gardas, B., & Deffner, S.
- Affiliations
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (US)
- Venue
- Physical Review E
- Publisher
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Published
- 2015-10-12
- Volume
- 92
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 042126-042126
- ISSN
- 1539-3755 (ISSN-L)
- 1550-2376
- OpenAlex
- W2155068770
- Cited by
- 139
- References
- 56
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 3
- FWCI
- 11.14
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Physical Review E (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- arXiv (Cornell University) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) (submittedVersion)
- Maryland Shared Open Access Repository (USMAI Consortium) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Digital Repository at the University of Maryland (University of Maryland College Park) (public-domain)
- Funders
- Ministerstwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego (1060/MOB/2013/0)
- U.S. Department of Energy
- Los Alamos National Laboratory
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Statistical and Nonlinear Physics › Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Advanced Thermodynamic Systems and Engines
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › Quantum Information and Cryptography
- Keywords
- second law of thermodynamics, thermodynamic efficiency, quantum coherence, quantum entanglement, heat engines, quantum thermodynamics, universality
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