Related papers: On the exploitability of thermo-charged capacitors

We demonstrate experimentally an autonomous nanoscale energy harvester that utilises the physics of resonant tunnelling quantum dots. Gate defined quantum dots on GaAs/AlGaAs high-electron-mobility transistors are placed on either side of a…

A general axion-electrodynamic formalism is presented on the phenomenological level when the environment is dielectric (permittivity and permeability assumed to be constants). Thereafter, a strong and uniform magnetic field is considered in…

A thermal current, generated by a temperature gradient between two reservoirs coupled to a carefully designed photonic or (micro-) electromechanical circuit, might induce non-conservative forces that impulse a mechanical degree of freedom…

While Carnot's model engines demonstrate ideal performances regarding conversion efficiency, they cannot be actually used as energy converters since they are non causal systems. Such an unphysical behavior indeed restrains the working…

Nonlinear elements in a rectifying circuit can be used to harvest energy from thermal fluctuations either steadily or transitorily. We study an energy harvesting system comprising a small variable capacitor (e.g., free standing graphene)…

The impact of thermally activated electrons on superconductivity within the realm of narrow energy gap semiconductors is investigated, unveiling the potential emergence of room-temperature superconductivity without the necessity for…

A model of a conducting cylinder with a radial temperature gradient which creates an electric field that increases with time in the surrounding vacuum is examined. The conditions under which this model functions are pointed out. An electric…

Thermoelectricity is the direct conversion of temperature gradient to electric voltage, and vice-versa. There are several potential applications of thermoelectricity, ranging from clean noiseless cooling, to waste-power harvesting in…

We consider a generalisation of thermodynamics that deals with multiple conserved quantities at the level of individual quantum systems. Each conserved quantity, which, importantly, need not commute with the rest, can be extracted and…

Nowadays the world is facing a prominent paradox regarding thermal energy. The production of heat accounts for more than 50% of global final energy consumption while the waste heat potential analysis reveals that 72% of the global primary…

The second law of thermodynamics prohibits spontaneous heat from a cold to a hot body. However, it has been theoretically and experimentally shown that energy can flow from a cold to a hot body if the bodies are initially correlated. We…

Studies of emerging photovoltaics, such as organic and perovskite solar cells, have recently shown that the separation of photo-generated charge carriers is correlated with non-thermal, coherent oscillations within the illuminated device.…

A first principle reciprocating quantum refrigerator is investigated with the purpose of determining the limitations of cooling to absolute zero. We find that if the energy spectrum of the working medium possesses an uncontrollable gap,…

Although classical thermal machines power industries and modern living, quantum thermal engines have yet to prove their utility. Here, we demonstrate a useful quantum absorption refrigerator formed from superconducting circuits. We use it…

We show that a cyclic unitary process can extract work from the thermodynamic equilibrium state of an engineered quantum dissipative process. Systems in the equilibrium states of these processes serve as batteries, storing energy. The…

We report that electricity can be generated from limitless thermal motion of ions by two dimensional (2D) surface of silicon wafer at room temperature. A typical silicon device, on which asymmetric electrodes with Au and Ag thin films were…

The phenomenon described by our title should surprise no one. What may be surprising though is how easy it is to produce a quantum system with this feature; moreover, that system is one that is often used for the purpose of showing how…

Thermodynamics is a branch of science blessed by an unparalleled combination of generality of scope and formal simplicity. Based on few natural assumptions together with the four laws, it sets the boundaries between possible and impossible…

We have observed thermal gating, i.e. electrostatic gating induced by hot electrons. The effect occurs in a device consisting of two capacitively coupled quantum dots. The double dot system is coupled to a hot electron reservoir on one side…

We present an analysis of the availability and maximum extractable work of quantum batteries in the presence of charge and/or heat steady-state currents. Quantum batteries are modelled as non-interacting open quantum systems (mesoscopic…