Quantum and classical dynamics of a three-mode absorption refrigerator

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the quantum and classical behaviors of a three-mode system functioning as an absorption refrigerator, highlighting rapid equilibration, transient cooling enhancement, and the classical replicability of quantum features.

Contribution

It demonstrates that key quantum features of a three-mode absorption refrigerator can be fully reproduced within a classical framework, clarifying the role of quantum effects.

Findings

Rapid effective equilibration of energies and correlations

Transient enhancement of cooling performance

Classical models replicate quantum dynamics features

Abstract

We study the quantum and classical evolution of a system of three harmonic modes interacting via a trilinear Hamiltonian. With the modes prepared in thermal states of different temperatures, this model describes the working principle of an absorption refrigerator that transfers energy from a cold to a hot environment at the expense of free energy provided by a high-temperature work reservoir. Inspired by a recent experimental realization with trapped ions, we elucidate key features of the coupling Hamiltonian that are relevant for the refrigerator performance. The coherent system dynamics exhibits rapid effective equilibration of the mode energies and correlations, as well as a transient enhancement of the cooling performance at short times. We find that these features can be fully reproduced in a classical framework.