Related papers: Fundamental limits for cooling of linear quantum r…
We analyze the behavior of a network of quantum oscillators coupled with a number of external environments. We show that the dynamics is such that the quantum state of the network always obeys a local master equation with a simple…
We show that finite system-reservoir coupling imposes a distinct quantum limit on the performance of a non-equilibrium quantum heat engine. Even in the absence of quantum friction along the isentropic strokes, finite system-reservoir…
Some features of nonadiabatic electron heat pumps are studied and connected to general questions of quantum cooling. Inelastic reflection is shown to contribute to heating if the external driving signal is time-symmetric. The quantum of…
The quantum thermodynamic behavior of small systems is investigated in presence of finite quantum dissipation. We consider the archetype cases of a damped harmonic oscillator and a free quantum Brownian particle. A main finding is that…
The extension of thermodynamics into the quantum regime has received much attention in recent years. A primary objective of current research is to find thermodynamic tasks which can be enhanced by quantum mechanical effects. With this goal…
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 consider a question motivated by the third law of thermodynamics: can there be a local temperature arbitrarily close to absolute zero in a nonequilibrium quantum system? We consider nanoscale quantum conductors with the source reservoir…
The derivation of general performance benchmarks is important in the design of highly optimized heat engines and refrigerators. To obtain them, one may model phenomenologically the leading sources of irreversibility ending up with results…
A corollary of the third law of thermodynamics is that the heat capacities of a system approach zero as the temperature approaches absolute zero Kevin. Many have attempted to take the corollary as the third law, but two counterexamples has…
We demonstrate that a quantum absorption refrigerator can be realized from the smallest quantum system, a qubit, by coupling it in a non-additive (strong) manner to three heat baths. This function is un-attainable for the qubit model under…
We explore the fundamental limits on thermodynamic irreversibility when cooling a quantum system in the presence of a finite-size reservoir. First, we prove that for any non-interacting $n$-particle reservoir, the entropy production…
One general consequence of the Nernst theorem is derived, i.e., the various heat capacities of a thermodynamic system under different constraints approach zero as the temperature approaches absolute zero. The temperature dependence of the…
We establish the foundations of a nonequilibrium theory of quantum thermodynamics for noninteracting open quantum systems strongly coupled to their reservoirs within the framework of the nonequilibrium Green functions (NEGF). The energy of…
The Principle of Unattainability rules out the attainment of absolute zero temperature by any finite physical means, no matter how idealised they could be. Nevertheless, we clarify that the Third Law of Thermodynamics, as defined by…
Classical thermodynamics is built with the concept of equilibrium states. However, it is less clear how equilibrium thermodynamics emerges through the dynamics that follows the principle of quantum mechanics. In this paper, we develop a…
According to the Nernst theorem or, equivalently, the third law of thermodynamics, the absolute zero temperature is not attainable. Starting with an initial positive temperature, we show that there exist solutions to a Kelvin-Voigt model…
We investigate non-equilibrium transport of charge and heat through an interacting quantum dot coupled to a finite electron reservoir. Both the quantum dot and the finite reservoir are coupled to conventional electric contacts, i.e.,…
Non-equilibrium quantum thermodynamics is an intensively developing field with many existing applications. We study the dynamics of temperatures and chemical potentials of fermionic reservoirs coupled to an open quantum system. We show that…
For steady-state autonomous absorption refrigerators operating in the linear response regime, we show that there exists a hierarchy between the relative fluctuation of currents for cold, hot, and work terminals. Our proof requires the…
A quantum absorption refrigerator driven by noise is studied with the purpose of determining the limitations of cooling to absolute zero. The model consists of a working medium coupled simultaneously to hot, cold and noise baths. Explicit…