Universal Coherence-Induced Power Losses of Quantum Heat Engines in Linear Response

Brandner, Kay; Bauer, Michael; Seifert, Udo

Abstract

© 2017 American Physical Society. We identify a universal indicator for the impact of coherence on periodically driven quantum devices by dividing their power output into a classical contribution and one stemming solely from superpositions. Specializing to Lindblad dynamics and small driving amplitudes, we derive general upper bounds on both the coherent and the total power of cyclic heat engines. These constraints imply that, for sufficiently slow driving, coherence inevitably leads to power losses in the linear-response regime. We illustrate our theory by working out the experimentally relevant example of a single-qubit engine.

Citation

Brandner, K., Bauer, M., & Seifert, U. (2017). Universal Coherence-Induced Power Losses of Quantum Heat Engines in Linear Response. Physical Review Letters, 119(17), Article 170602. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.170602

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 27, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Oct 25, 2017
• Publication Date: Oct 25, 2017
• Deposit Date: Feb 26, 2020
• Journal: Physical Review Letters
• Print ISSN: 0031-9007
• Electronic ISSN: 1079-7114
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 119
• Issue: 17
• Article Number: 170602
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.170602
• Keywords: General Physics and Astronomy
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4040066
• Publisher URL: https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.170602