An Interaction-Driven Many-Particle Quantum Heat Engine: Universal Behavior

Abstract

A quantum heat engine (QHE) based on the interaction driving of a many-particle working medium is introduced. The cycle alternates isochoric heating and cooling strokes with both interaction-driven processes that are simultaneously isochoric and isentropic. When the working substance is confined in a tight waveguide, the efficiency of the cycle becomes universal at low temperatures and governed by the ratio of velocities of a Luttinger liquid. We demonstrate the performance of the engine with an interacting Bose gas as a working medium and show that the average work per particle is maximum at criticality. We further discuss a work outcoupling mechanism based on the dependence of the interaction strength on the external spin degrees of freedom.

6+6pp, 3+2 figures