Related papers: Three-terminal heat engine and refrigerator based …
Self-heating effects can significantly degrade the performance in nanoscale devices. We investigate self-heating effects in such devices based on two-dimensional materials using ab-initio techniques. A new algorithm was developed to allow…
We propose using a phonon pumping mechanism to transfer heat from a cold to a hot body using a propagating modulation of the medium connecting the two bodies. This phonon pump can cool nanomechanical systems without the need for active…
In traditional thermodynamics the Carnot cycle yields the ideal performance bound of heat engines and refrigerators. We propose and analyze a minimal model of a heat machine that can play a similar role in quantum regimes. The minimal model…
We review recent theoretical work on thermoelectric energy harvesting in multi-terminal quantum-dot setups. We first discuss several examples of nanoscale heat engines based on Coulomb-coupled conductors. In particular, we focus on quantum…
Thermoelectric devices are heat engines, which operate as generators or refrigerators using the conduction electrons as a working fluid. The thermoelectric heat-to-work conversion efficiency has always been typically quite low, but much…
In the present work, we study heat transport through a one dimensional time-dependent nanomechanical system. The microscopic model consists of coupled chains of atoms, considering local and non-local interactions between particles. We show…
Heat transport in bulk materials is well described using the Debye theory of 3D vibrational modes (phonons) and the acoustic match model. However, in cryogenic nanodevices, phonon wavelengths exceed device dimensions, leading to confinement…
Heat conduction of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) isotope-superlattice is investigated by means of classical molecular dynamics simulations. Superlattice structures were formed by alternately connecting SWNTs with different masses.…
We theoretically show how structural modifications and controlling quantum coherency can enhance linear and nonlinear thermoelectric performance in graphene nanostructure heat engines. Although graphene has emerged as a promising material…
We investigate the heat transport properties of a three-level system coupled to three thermal baths, assuming a model based on superconducting circuit implementations. The system-bath coupling is mediated by resonators which serve as…
Thin film devices have the advantage of being extremely compact, operate in a continuous mode, dissipate little power, and can easily be integrated in cryogenic detectors. Motivated by such possibilities, we investigate the phonon deficit…
The wave-like nature of electrons leads to the existence of upper bounds on the thermoelectric response of nanostructured devices [R. S. Whitney, Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 130601 (2014); Phys. Rev. B 91, 115425 (2015)]. This fundamental result,…
We calculate the phonon thermal conductivity of various moir\'e bilayer systems using a continuum approach and the semiclassical transport theory. When the twist angle is close to 0, we observe a significant reduction of thermal…
We discuss a quantum thermal machine that generates power from a thermally driven double quantum dot coupled to normal and superconducting reservoirs. Energy exchange between the dots is mediated by electron-electron interactions. We can…
It is known that the figure of merit ($ZT$) of thin nanowires can be significantly enhanced at room temperature due to the reduction of phonon thermal conductance arising from the increase of boundary scattering of phonons. It is expected…
Brownian heat engines use local temperature gradients in asymmetric potentials to move particles against an external force. The energy efficiency of such machines is generally limited by irreversible heat flow carried by particles that make…
The phonon thermal conductivity of semiconducting periodic solids can be obtained using the lattice dynamics calculations along with the Boltzmann transport equation and with input from density functional theory calculations. These…
We analyze a heat engine based on a hot cavity connected via quantum wells to electronic reservoirs. We discuss the output power as well as the efficiency both in the linear and nonlinear regime. We find that the device delivers a large…
We present the spin quantum Otto machine under different optimization criterion when function either as a heat engine or a refrigerator. We examine the optimal performance of the heat engine and refrigerator depending on their efficiency,…
Beta-Ga2O3 has emerged as a promising candidate for electronic device applications because of its ultra-wide bandgap, high breakdown electric field, and large-area affordable substrates grown from the melt. However, its thermal conductivity…