Simple scheme for extracting work with a single bath

Abstract

We propose a simple protocol exploiting the thermalization of a $\text{storage}$ bipartite system $S$ to extract work from a $\text{resource}$ system $R$. The protocol is based on a recent work definition involving only a single bath. A general description of the protocol is provided without specifying the characteristics of $S$. We quantify both the extracted work and the ideal efficiency of the process also giving maximum bounds for them. Then, we apply the protocol to two cases: two interacting qubits and the Rabi model. In both cases, for very strong couplings, an extraction of work comparable with the bare energies of the subsystems of $S$ is obtained and its peak is reached for finite values of the bath temperature, $T$. We finally show, in the Rabi model at $T=0$, how to transfer the work stored in $S$ to an external device, permitting thus a cyclic implementation of the whole work-extraction protocol. Our proposal makes use of simple operations not needing fine control.

13 pages, 9 figures. Updated version close to the published one

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Cited by in corpus (4)

• Quantum Thermodynamics and Quantum Coherence Engines
• Generation of minimum energy entangled states
• Energy bounds for entangled states
• Extraction of Work via a Thermalization Protocol