Phase-space interference in extensive and non-extensive quantum heat engines

TL;DR

This paper investigates how quantum interference in many-body systems influences the performance of quantum heat engines, revealing the importance of the medium's size for optimizing work output and efficiency.

Contribution

It demonstrates the role of quantum interference in non-classical engine features and identifies optimal sizes of many-body working media for enhanced performance.

Findings

Quantum interference affects work output in quantum heat engines.

Performance depends on the extensive nature of the working medium.

Optimal size of quantum working media maximizes efficiency.

Abstract

Quantum interference is at the heart of what sets the quantum and classical worlds apart. We demonstrate that quantum interference effects involving a many-body working medium is responsible for genuinely non-classical features in the performance of a quantum heat engine. The features with which quantum interference manifests itself in the work output of the engine depends strongly on the extensive nature of the working medium. While identifying the class of work substances that optimize the performance of the engine, our results shed light on the optimal size of such media of quantum workers to maximize the work output and efficiency of quantum energy machines.