Cooperative many-body enhancement of quantum thermal machine power

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that cooperative many-body effects in quantum thermal machines can significantly enhance their power and cooling capabilities by leveraging collective atomic behaviors.

Contribution

It introduces the concept that SU(2) symmetry in many-body quantum systems can be exploited to boost the performance of heat engines and refrigerators.

Findings

Power output of quantum heat engines is increased through collective atomic effects.

Cooling power in refrigerators is enhanced by cooperative many-body interactions.

SU(2) symmetry enables faster energy exchange in many-body quantum systems.

Abstract

We study the impact of cooperative many-body effects on the operation of periodically-driven quantum thermal machines, particularly heat engines and refrigerators. In suitable geometries, $N$ two-level atoms can exchange energy with the driving field and the (hot and cold) thermal baths at a faster rate than a single atom due to their SU(2) symmetry that causes the atoms to behave as a collective spin-$N/2$ particle. This cooperative effect boosts the power output of heat engines compared to the power output of $N$ independent, incoherent, heat engines. In the refrigeration regime, similar cooling-power boost takes place.