Single-piston quantum engine

Abstract

A single-piston quantum engine based on a harmonic oscillator acting as the working fluid is proposed. Using the fact that the interaction between the piston and the oscillator depends on the extent of the oscillator wave function, one can control this interaction by modifying the oscillator temperature. By retracting the piston when the interaction is weak (hot oscillator) and returning it to the original position when the coupling is strong (cold oscillator), useful work can be performed assuming the interaction is attractive. The cycle of the engine is simulated numerically using two different powering protocols: bath and measurement. Using the collision model for the baths, the engine is shown to reach a steady state with positive work output. Published by the American Physical Society 2024