Related papers: Heat engine driven by photon tunneling in many-bod…
We analyze the heat transfer between two metals separated by a vacuum gap in the extreme near-field regime. In this cross-over regime between conduction and radiation, heat exchanges are mediated by photon, phonon and electron tunneling. We…
Carnot efficiency sets a fundamental upper bound on the heat engine efficiency, attainable in the quasi-static limit, albeit at the cost of completely sacrificing power output. In this Letter, we present a minimal heat engine model that can…
Certain solutions of Einstein's equations in anti-de Sitter spacetime can be engineered, using extended gravitational thermodynamics, to yield `holographic heat engines', devices that turn heat into useful mechanical work. On the other…
We discuss the efficiency of a heat engine operating in a nonequilibrium steady state maintained by two heat reservoirs. Within the general framework of linear irreversible thermodynamics we derive a universal upper bound on the efficiency…
We propose a quantum heat engine composed of two superconducting transmission line resonators interacting with each other via an optomechanical-like coupling. One resonator is periodically excited by a thermal pump. The incoherently driven…
We evaluate near-field thermophotovoltaic (TPV) energy conversion systems focusing in particular on their open-circuit voltage (Voc). Unlike previous analyses based largely on numerical simulations with fluctuational electrodynamics, here,…
According to the second law of thermodynamics the total entropy of a system is increased during almost any dynamical process. The positivity of the specific heat implies that the entropy increase is associated with heating. This is…
The realization of effective Hamiltonians featuring many-body interactions beyond pairwise coupling would enable the quantum simulation of central models underpinning topological physics and quantum computation. We overcome crucial…
We show that coupled two level systems like qubits studied in quantum information can be used as a thermodynamic machine. At least three qubits or spins are necessary and arranged in a chain. The system is interfaced between two split baths…
We establish a theory of optimal efficiency and power for three-terminal thermoelectric engines which have two independent output electric currents and one input heat current. This set-up goes beyond the conventional heat engines with only…
The Carnot engine sets an upper limit to the efficiency of a practical heat engine. An arbitrary irreversible engine is sometimes believed to behave closely as the Curzon-Ahlborn engine. Efficiency of the latter is obtained commonly by…
The transport of heat mediated by thermal photons in hyperbolic multilayer metamaterials is studied using the fluctuational electrodynamics theory. We demonstrate that in comparison to bulk materials the flux inside layered hyperbolic…
When two objects at different temperatures are separated by a vacuum gap they can exchange heat by radiation only. At large separation distances (far-field regime) the amount of transferred heat flux is limited by Stefan-Boltzmann's law…
The work provides an overview on some recent advances in the area of quantum thermodynamics and quantum heat engines. A particular emphasis is put on the possibility of constructing finite time quantum cycles and adiabatic shortcuts. We…
Although near-field radiative heat transfer was introduced in the 1950's, interest in the field has recently revived, as the effect promises improved performance in various applications where contactless temperature regulation in the…
We analyze the heat current traversing a quantum dot sandwiched between a ferromagnetic and a superconducting electrode. The heat flow generated in response to a voltage bias presents rectification as a function of the gate potential…
Producing useful electrical work in consuming chemical energy, the fuel cell have to reject heat to its surrounding. However, as it occurs for any other type of engine, this thermal energy cannot be exchanged in an isothermal way in finite…
While the emergent field of quantum thermodynamics has the potential to impact energy science, the performance of thermal machines is often classical. We ask whether quantum effects can boost the performance of a thermal machine to reach…
When two objects made of a material which supports surface modes are brought in close proximity to each other such that the vacuum gap between them is less than the thermal wavelength of radiation, then the coupling between the surface…
We propose a novel type of quantum heat engine based on the ultrafast dynamical control of the magnetic properties of a nano-scale working body. The working principle relies on nonlinear phononics, an example for dynamical materials design.…