# Single-atom heat machines enabled by energy quantization

## TL;DR

This paper explores how energy quantization in quantum systems can enhance the performance of Otto cycle heat machines, enabling novel operation modes and improved efficiency, with potential experimental verification using trapped ions.

## Contribution

It demonstrates that energy quantization alone can significantly alter and improve quantum heat machine performance, including enabling machines with incompressible working fluids.

## Key findings

- Energy quantization can increase power and efficiency of heat machines.
- Quantum effects enable novel machine configurations not possible classically.
- Proposed experimental setup using laser-cooled trapped ions for validation.

## Abstract

Quantization of energy is a quintessential characteristic of quantum systems. Here we analyze its effects on the operation of Otto cycle heat machines and show that energy quantization alone may alter and increase machine performance in terms of output power, efficiency, and even operation mode. Our results demonstrate that quantum thermodynamics enable the realization of classically inconceivable Otto machines, such as those with an incompressible working fluid. We propose to measure these effects experimentally using a laser-cooled trapped ion as a microscopic heat machine.