Active energy transport and the role of symmetry breaking in microscopic power grid

TL;DR

This paper investigates energy transfer in microscopic power grids composed of coupled oscillators, revealing a nonequilibrium phase transition influenced by symmetry breaking that impacts coherent energy transport in quantum and classical regimes.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of a symmetry-breaking driven phase transition in active quantum networks affecting energy transport, bridging classical and quantum regimes.

Findings

Energy transfer is governed by a nonequilibrium phase transition.

Symmetry breaking plays a crucial role in transport regimes.

Results have implications for quantum-limited energy distribution channels.

Abstract

We study the transfer of energy through a network of coupled oscillators, which represents a minimalmicroscopic power grid connecting multiple active quantum machines. We evaluate the resulting energy currentsin the macroscopic, thermal, and quantum regime and describe how transport is affected by the competitionbetween coherent and incoherent processes and nonlinear saturation effects. Specifically, we show that thetransfer of energy through such networks is strongly influenced by a nonequilibrium phase transition between anoise-dominated and a coherent transport regime. This transition is associated with the formation and breakingof spatial symmetries and is identified as a generic feature of active networks. Therefore, these findings haveimportant practical consequences for the distribution of energy over coherent microwave, optical, or phononicchannels, in particular close to or at the quantum limit