Quantum optomechanical straight-twin engine

TL;DR

This paper introduces a quantum heat engine using a hybrid microwave-optomechanical system with polariton modes, demonstrating quantum Otto cycles and noise suppression techniques, revealing quantum correlations that affect work extraction.

Contribution

It presents a novel quantum heat engine design employing polariton modes in a hybrid system, with a quasi-dark mode to reduce mechanical noise and analysis of quantum correlations affecting work.

Findings

Polariton modes operate as out-of-phase quantum Otto cycles.

A quasi-dark mode suppresses mechanical noise disturbances.

Quantum correlations reduce the extractable work compared to classical engines.

Abstract

We propose a realization of a quantum heat engine in a hybrid microwave-optomechanical system that is the analog of a classical straight-twin engine. It exploits a pair of polariton modes that operate as out-of-phase quantum Otto cycles. A third polariton mode that is essential in the coupling of the optical and microwave fields is maintained in a quasi-dark mode to suppress disturbances from the mechanical noise. We also find that the fluctuations in the contributions to the total work from the two polariton modes are characterized by quantum correlations that generally lead to a reduction in the extractable work compared to its classical version.