English

Maximum-power quantum-mechanical Carnot engine

Statistical Mechanics 2015-05-20 v2 Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics Quantum Physics

Abstract

In their work [J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 33, 4427 (2000)], Bender, Brody, and Meister have shown by employing a two-state model of a particle confined in the one-dimensional infinite potential well that it is possible to construct a quantum-mechanical analog of the Carnot engine through the changes of both the width of the well and the quantum state in a specific manner. Here, a discussion is developed about realizing the maximum power of such an engine, where the width of the well moves at low but finite speed. The efficiency of the engine at the maximum power output is found to be universal independently of any of the parameters contained in the model.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1012.5583,
  title  = {Maximum-power quantum-mechanical Carnot engine},
  author = {Sumiyoshi Abe},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1012.5583},
  year   = {2015}
}

Comments

12 pages, 1 figure

R2 v1 2026-06-21T17:04:26.036Z