Quantum thermal absorption machines: refrigerators, engines and clocks

Abstract

The inexorable miniaturisation of technologies, the relentless drive to improve efficiency and the enticing prospect of boosting performance through quantum effects are all compelling reasons to investigate microscopic machines. Thermal absorption machines are a particularly interesting class of device that operate autonomously and use only heat flows to perform a useful task. In the quantum regime, this provides a natural setting in which to quantify the thermodynamic cost of various operations such as cooling, timekeeping or entanglement generation. This article presents a pedagogical introduction to the physics of quantum absorption machines, covering refrigerators, engines and clocks in detail.

arXiv commentFinal author version

References in corpus (143)

• Nonequilibrium dynamics of closed interacting quantum systems
• Quantum Resource Theories
• Quantum many-body systems out of equilibrium
• Thermodynamic uncertainty relation for biomolecular processes
• Equilibration, thermalisation, and the emergence of statistical mechanics in closed quantum systems
• Quantum Thermodynamics
• The role of quantum information in thermodynamics --- a topical review
• Open Quantum Systems. An Introduction
• The maximum speed of dynamical evolution
• Quantum Thermodynamics
• Fundamental limitations for quantum and nano thermodynamics
• Fluctuation theorems: Work is not an observable
• Dissipation bounds all steady-state current fluctuations
• Fundamental aspects of steady-state conversion of heat to work at the nanoscale
• Maximal work extraction from quantum systems
• Vibrations, Quanta and Biology
• Quantum heat engines and refrigerators: Continuous devices
• Efficient simulation of strong system-environment interactions
• How small can thermal machines be? The smallest possible refrigerator
• Work extraction and thermodynamics for individual quantum systems
• Quantum Equivalence and Quantum Signatures in Heat Engines
• Universal trade-off between power, efficiency, and constancy in steady-state heat engines
• Efficient non-Markovian quantum dynamics using time-evolving matrix product operators
• A quantum-dot heat engine operating close to the thermodynamic efficiency limits
• Universal trade-off relation between power and efficiency for heat engines
• On the Local and Global Approaches to Quantum Transport and Violation of the Second-law of Thermodynamics
• Quantum-enhanced absorption refrigerators
• Markovian master equations for quantum thermal machines: local vs global approach
• Proof of the Finite-Time Thermodynamic Uncertainty Relation for Steady-State Currents
• Markovian Master Equations: A Critical Study
• Universal bounds on current fluctuations
• The Quantum Absorption Refrigerator
• Non-perturbative treatment of non-Markovian dynamics of open quantum systems
• Reconciliation of quantum local master equations with thermodynamics
• Quantum absorption refrigerator with trapped ions
• Truly work-like work extraction
• A spin heat engine coupled to a harmonic-oscillator flywheel
• Finite-time generalization of the thermodynamic uncertainty relation
• Modeling heat transport through completely positive maps
• Environmental dynamics, correlations, and the emergence of noncanonical equilibrium states in open quantum systems
• Entanglement enhances cooling in microscopic quantum fridges
• Virtual qubits, virtual temperatures, and the foundations of thermodynamics
• Thermoelectric efficiency at maximum power in low-dimensional systems
• Correlation-dependent coherent to incoherent transitions in resonant energy transfer dynamics
• Nonequilibrium thermodynamics in the strong coupling and non-Markovian regime based on a reaction coordinate mapping
• Quantum Refrigerator and the III-law of Thermodynamics
• Testing the validity of the local and global GKLS master equations on an exactly solvable model
• Performance bound for quantum absorption refrigerators
• Thermodynamics of precision in quantum non equilibrium steady states
• Performance of a quantum heat engine at strong reservoir coupling
• Cost and Precision of Brownian Clocks
• The thermodynamic cost of driving quantum systems by their boundaries
• The role of quantum coherence in non-equilibrium entropy production
• Cycling tames power fluctuations near optimum efficiency
• Thermodynamic Bounds on Precision in Ballistic Multi-Terminal Transport
• The work value of information
• Coherence-assisted single-shot cooling by quantum absorption refrigerators
• Microcanonical and resource-theoretic derivations of the thermal state of a quantum system with noncommuting charges
• Unified thermodynamic uncertainty relations in linear response
• Quantum thermodynamic cooling cycle
• On the validity of the thermodynamic uncertainty relation in quantum systems
• Thermodynamics of quantum systems with multiple conserved quantities
• The role of coherence in the non-equilibrium thermodynamics of quantum systems
• Perturbative treatment of inter-site couplings in the local description of open quantum networks
• Minimal Self-Contained Quantum Refrigeration Machine Based on Four Quantum Dots
• Autonomous Quantum Refrigerator in a Circuit-QED Architecture Based on a Josephson Junction
• Preservation of Positivity by Dynamical Coarse-Graining
• Strong coupling corrections in quantum thermodynamics
• Out of equilibrium open quantum systems: a comparison of approximate Quantum Master Equation approaches with exact results
• Autonomous quantum thermal machine for generating steady-state entanglement
• Fully quantum fluctuation theorems
• Quantum thermodynamics of general quantum processes
• Non-additive dissipation in open quantum networks out of equilibrium
• Coherence-enhanced constancy of a quantum thermoelectric generator
• The smallest refrigerators can reach maximal efficiency
• Strongly coupled quantum heat machines
• Decision Making in the Arrow of Time
• Small quantum absorption refrigerator in the transient regime: time scales, enhanced cooling and entanglement
• Dynamics and thermodynamics of linear quantum open systems
• Steady-state coherences by composite system-bath interactions
• Heat-machine control by quantum-state preparation: from quantum engines to refrigerators
• Quantum measurement and the first law of thermodynamics: the energy cost of measurement is the work value of the acquired information
• A short note on passivity, complete passivity and virtual temperatures
• Autonomous Rotor Heat Engine
• Single atom energy-conversion device with a quantum load
• Local effective dynamics of quantum systems: A generalized approach to work and heat
• A phenomenological position and energy resolving Lindblad approach to quantum kinetics
• Phonon-phonon interactions due to non-linear effects in a linear ion trap
• Work and energy gain of heat-pumped quantized amplifiers
• A measure of majorisation emerging from single-shot statistical mechanics
• Performance of autonomous quantum thermal machines: Hilbert space dimension as a thermodynamic resource
• Realising a quantum absorption refrigerator with an atom-cavity system
• Absorption refrigerators based on Coulomb-coupled single-electron systems
• Quantum refrigerator driven by current noise
• A mathematical theorem as the basis for the second law: Thomson's formulation applied to equilibrium
• Adding dynamical generators in quantum master equations
• Coherence and decoherence in quantum absorption refrigerators
• Bath induced coherence and the secular approximation
• Quantum optomechanical piston engines powered by heat
• Thermodynamic consistency of the optomechanical master equation
• Quantum Flywheel
• Cavity losses for the dissipative Jaynes-Cummings Hamiltonian beyond Rotating Wave Approximation
• Optimal performance of endoreversible quantum refrigerators
• Introducing one-shot work into fluctuation relations
• Internal dissipation and heat leaks in quantum thermodynamic cycles
• Refrigeration beyond weak internal coupling
• Clock-Driven Quantum Thermal Engines
• Multi-stage quantum absorption heat pumps
• Effects of system-bath entanglement on the performance of light-harvesting systems: A quantum heat engine perspective
• Thermodynamic deficiencies of some simple Lindblad operators
• Environmental non-additivity and Franck-Condon physics in non-equilibrium quantum systems
• Work production of quantum rotor engines
• Two coupled qubits interacting with a thermal bath: A comparative study of different models
• Autonomous thermal machine for amplification and control of energetic coherence
• Current fluctuations in quantum absorption refrigerators
• A small quantum absorption refrigerator with reversed couplings
• Quantum statistics of a single-atom Scovil-Schulz-DuBois heat engine
• Quantum interference between independent reservoirs in open quantum systems
• Qubit absorption refrigerator at strong coupling
• Optimal work extraction from quantum states by photo-assisted Cooper pair tunneling
• Effects of noise-induced coherence on the performance of quantum absorption refrigerators
• Heralded generation of maximal entanglement in any dimension via incoherent coupling to thermal baths
• Unifying paradigms of quantum refrigeration: fundamental limits of cooling and associated work costs
• Nonequilibrium quantum absorption refrigerator
• Quantum and classical dynamics of a three-mode absorption refrigerator
• Interplay of different environments in open quantum systems: Breakdown of the additive approximation
• Conservation law of operator current in open quantum systems
• Quantum work statistics and resource theories: bridging the gap through Renyi divergences
• The smallest absorption refrigerator: the thermodynamics of a system with quantum local detailed balance
• Quantum clocks and their synchronisation - the Alternate Ticks Game
• Classical emulation of quantum-coherent thermal machines
• An autonomous single-piston engine with a quantum rotor
• Quantum clocks are more precise than classical ones
• Quasi-autonomous quantum thermal machines and quantum to classical energy flow
• Relation between topology and heat currents in multilevel absorption machines
• Synchronizing quantum clocks with classical one-way communication: Bounds on the generated entropy
• Entropy production in a photovoltaic cell
• Thermodynamic indistinguishability and field state fingerprint of quantum optical amplifiers
• Performance of stochastic clocks in the Alternate Ticks Game
• The thermodynamics of time
• Revealing the work cost of generalized thermal baths
• Decomposition of radiation energy into work and heat
• Quantum Rotor Engines

Cited by in corpus (128)

• Colloquium: Quantum Batteries
• Quantum Coherence and Ergotropy
• Quantum thermodynamic devices: from theoretical proposals to experimental reality
• Using dark states to charge and stabilise open quantum batteries
• Thermodynamics of precision in quantum non equilibrium steady states
• Quantum thermodynamic uncertainty relation for continuous measurement
• Charging a quantum battery with linear feedback control
• Landauer vs. Nernst: What is the True Cost of Cooling a Quantum System?
• Quantum Engines and Refrigerators
• A thermodynamically consistent Markovian master equation beyond the secular approximation
• Quantum advantage in charging cavity and spin batteries by repeated interactions
• Tensor-network method to simulate strongly interacting quantum thermal machines
• Signatures of Liouvillian exceptional points in a quantum thermal machine
• Thermally driven quantum refrigerator autonomously resets superconducting qubit
• Quantum thermodynamically consistent local master equations
• Quantum heat statistics with time-evolving matrix product operators
• Thermodynamics of precision in quantum nano-machines
• Optimal Quantum Control of Charging Quantum Batteries
• Reinforcement learning approach to non-equilibrium quantum thermodynamics
• Measuring the thermodynamic cost of timekeeping
• Coherences and the thermodynamic uncertainty relation: Insights from quantum absorption refrigerators
• Universal Bounds on Fluctuations in Continuous Thermal Machines
• Entanglement and thermokinetic uncertainty relations in coherent mesoscopic transport
• Hybrid Thermal Machines: Generalized Thermodynamic Resources for Multitasking
• Three-qubit refrigerator with two-body interactions
• Quasiperiodic quantum heat engines with a mobility edge
• Stroboscopic two-stroke quantum heat engines
• Quantum machines powered by correlated baths
• Critical heat current for operating an entanglement engine
• The thermodynamics of clocks
• Thermodynamic uncertainty relations for coherently driven open quantum systems
• Using the Environment to Understand non-Markovian Open Quantum Systems
• Collective effects on the performance and stability of quantum heat engines
• Collective advantages in finite-time thermodynamics
• Tensor network simulation of chains of non-Markovian open quantum systems
• Roles of quantum coherences in thermal machines
• Ergotropy from quantum and classical correlations
• Quantum and classical Otto engine for a 2-D material: the case of a graphene quantum dot
• Operational definition of the temperature of a quantum state
• Roadmap on Quantum Thermodynamics
• Thermodynamic Computing via Autonomous Quantum Thermal Machines
• Extending the laws of thermodynamics for arbitrary autonomous quantum systems
• Two-body quantum absorption refrigerators with optomechanical-like interactions
• Power maximization of two-stroke quantum thermal machines
• The Passivity Deformation Approach for the Thermodynamics of Isolated Quantum Setups
• Autonomous implementation of thermodynamic cycles at the nanoscale
• OQuPy: A Python package to efficiently simulate non-Markovian open quantum systems with process tensors
• Comparative study of heat-driven and power-driven refrigerators with Coulomb-coupled quantum dots
• Autonomous Temporal Probability Concentration: Clockworks and the Second Law of Thermodynamics
• Cyclic quantum engines enhanced by strong bath coupling
• Operational nonclassicality in minimal autonomous thermal machines
• Effect of Measurement Backaction on Quantum Clock Precision Studied with a Superconducting Circuit
• Quantum Thermodynamics and Quantum Coherence Engines
• Quantum thermal transistors: Operation characteristics in steady state versus transient regimes
• Enhancing the performance of coupled quantum Otto thermal machines without entanglement and quantum correlations
• Effects of noise-induced coherence on the fluctuations of current in quantum absorption refrigerators
• Driven quantum harmonic oscillators: A working medium for thermal machines
• Quantum Otto cycle under strong coupling
• Cooling condition for multilevel quantum absorption refrigerators
• Thermodynamic uncertainty relation for quantum first passage process
• Key Issues Review: Useful autonomous quantum machines
• Variational quantum algorithm for ergotropy estimation in quantum many-body batteries
• Dissipation, quantum coherence, and asymmetry of finite-time cross-correlations
• Trade-offs between precision and fluctuations in charging finite-dimensional quantum batteries
• Quantum engines with interacting Bose-Einstein condensates
• Reliable quantum advantage in quantum battery charging
• Designing Robust Quantum Refrigerators in Disordered Spin Models
• Autonomous Quantum Devices: When Are They Realizable without Additional Thermodynamic Costs?
• Dissipation suppression for an Unruh-DeWitt battery with a reflecting boundary
• Extractable work in quantum electromechanics
• Thermodynamic analysis of quantum error correcting engines
• Periodically refreshed quantum thermal machines
• Impact of non-Markovian evolution on characterizations of quantum thermodynamics
• Bounds on fluctuations for ensembles of quantum thermal machines
• Exact finite-time correlation functions for multi-terminal setups: Connecting theoretical frameworks for quantum transport and thermodynamics
• Autonomous quantum clocks using athermal resources
• Bath-induced interactions and transient dynamics in open quantum systems at strong coupling: Effective Hamiltonian approach
• Steady-state entanglement production in a quantum thermal machine with continuous feedback control
• Dicke superradiant enhancement of the heat current in circuit QED
• Heat current and entropy production rate in local non-Markovian quantum dynamics of global Markovian evolution
• Exploring the role of asymmetric-pulse modulation in quantum thermal machines and quantum thermometry
• Beam splitter as quantum coherence-maker
• Speed limits and thermodynamic uncertainty relations for quantum systems governed by non-Hermitian Hamiltonian
• Quantum Carnot thermal machines re-examined: Definition of efficiency and the effects of strong coupling
• Time-resolved Stochastic Dynamics of Quantum Thermal Machines
• Catalytic enhancement in the performance of the microscopic two-stroke heat engine
• Three qubits in less than three baths: Beyond two-body system-bath interactions in quantum refrigerators
• Entropy Production in Quantum Is Different
• Maximal steady-state entanglement in autonomous quantum thermal machines
• Spectral Bounds on Entropy and Ergotropy via Statistical Effective Temperature in Classical Polarization and Quantum Thermal States
• Resource engines
• Information geometry of transitions between quantum nonequilibrium steady states
• Quantum thermodynamics of driven-dissipative condensates
• Quantum refrigeration powered by noise in a superconducting circuit
• Non-Markovian Quantum Heat Statistics with the Reaction Coordinate Mapping
• Upper bound for quantum entropy production from entropy flux
• Optimal performance of a three stroke heat engine in the microscopic regime
• Optimal qubit-mediated quantum heat transfer via noncommuting operators and strong coupling effects
• A Thermodynamic Framework for Coherently Driven Systems
• Thermoelectric efficiency in multiterminal quantum thermal machines from steady-state density functional theory
• Multiparty Spohn's theorem for a combination of local Markovian and non-Markovian quantum dynamics
• Proposal of a computational approach for simulating thermal bosonic fields in phase space
• Transient effects in quantum refrigerators with finite environments
• Autonomous Quantum Processing Unit: An Autonomous Thermal Computing Machine & its Physical Limitations
• Thermodynamics of hybrid quantum rotor devices
• Optimal quantum sensing of the nonlinear bosonic interactions using Fock states
• Introduction to Quantum Thermodynamics (Lecture Notes)
• Current noise in quantum dot thermoelectric engines
• Finite-time dynamics of an entanglement engine: current, fluctuations and kinetic uncertainty relations
• Stochastic Thermodynamics at the Quantum-Classical Boundary: A Self-Consistent Framework Based on Adiabatic-Response Theory
• Counting observables in stochastic excursions
• Minimizing Dissipation via Interacting Environments: Quadratic Convergence to Landauer Bound
• Modelling mechanical equilibration processes of closed quantum systems: a case-study
• Enhancing the Performances of Autonomous Quantum Refrigerators via Two-Photon Transitions
• Cooling a Qubit using n Others
• Framework for fluctuating times and counting observables in stochastic excursions
• Optimal Manipulation Of Correlations And Temperature In Quantum Thermodynamics
• Lower Bound on Irreversibility in Thermal Relaxation of Open Quantum Systems
• Implementation of a two-stroke quantum heat engine with a collisional model
• Locally controlled arrested thermalization
• Quantum Heat Transformers
• Quantum refrigerator embedded in spin-star environments: Scalings of temperature and refrigeration time
• A Temperature Change can Solve the Deutsch-Jozsa Problem : An Exploration of Thermodynamic Query Complexity
• The qutrit as a heat diode and circulator
• Photonic Negative Differential Thermal Conductance Enabled by NIS Junctions
• Work and heat exchanged during sudden quenches of strongly coupled quantum systems
• Finite-time thermal refrigerator in interacting Bose-Einstein Condensates
• Quantum detectors as autonomous machines: assessing the nonequilibrium thermodynamics of information acquisition