Energetics of quantum correlations

TL;DR

This paper investigates a quantum heat engine powered by entangled atomic pairs, demonstrating that quantum correlations like discord can enhance efficiency beyond classical limits, highlighting their role as a resource in quantum thermodynamics.

Contribution

It introduces a photo-Carnot engine model where quantum discord influences efficiency, showing quantum correlations can be harnessed for improved thermodynamic performance.

Findings

Efficiency can surpass classical limits due to quantum discord.

Quantum correlations enable extraction of useful work.

Quantum discord is a valuable resource in quantum thermodynamics.

Abstract

We consider a photo--Carnot engine that consists of a single--mode radiation field in an optical cavity. One the heat reservoirs is made of a beam of thermally entangled pairs of two--level atoms that interact resonantly with the cavity. We express the thermodynamic efficiency of the engine in terms of the quantum discord of the atomic pair and find that it can exceed its classical value. Our results show that useful work can be extracted from quantum correlations, indicating that the latter are a valuable resource in quantum thermodynamics.