Performance of shortcut-to-adiabaticity quantum engines

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the performance of a quantum harmonic Otto engine using shortcut-to-adiabaticity techniques, showing that these methods enhance efficiency and power in finite-time cycles.

Contribution

It compares three shortcut-to-adiabaticity methods, demonstrating their effectiveness in improving quantum engine performance over traditional approaches.

Findings

All three shortcut methods increase efficiency and power in fast cycles.

Shortcut techniques outperform traditional heat engines.

Energetic costs of shortcuts are explicitly considered.

Abstract

We consider a paradigmatic quantum harmonic Otto engine operating in finite time. We investigate its performance when shortcut-to-adiabaticity techniques are used to speed up its cycle. We compute efficiency and power by taking the energetic cost of the shortcut driving explicitly into account. We analyze in detail three different shortcut methods, counterdiabatic driving, local counterdiabatic driving and inverse engineering. We demonstrate that all three lead to a simultaneous increase of efficiency and power for fast cycles, thus outperforming traditional heat engines.