Thermoelectric efficiency of critical quantum junctions
Statistical Mechanics
2013-10-31 v2 Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Mathematical Physics
math.MP
Quantum Physics
Abstract
We derive the efficiency at maximal power of a scale-invariant (critical) quantum junction in exact form. Both Fermi and Bose statistics are considered. We show that time-reversal invariance is spontaneously broken. For fermions we implement a new mechanism for efficiency enhancement above the Curzon-Ahlborn bound, based on a shift of the particle energy in each heat reservoir, proportional to its temperature. In this setting fermionic junctions can even reach at maximal power the Carnot efficiency. The bosonic junctions at maximal power turn out to be less efficient then the fermionic ones.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1310.2392,
title = {Thermoelectric efficiency of critical quantum junctions},
author = {Mihail Mintchev and Luca Santoni and Paul Sorba},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1310.2392},
year = {2013}
}
Comments
4.5 pages, 4 figures, 2 references and some clarifying remarks added