Shortcut-to-adiabaticity Otto engine: A twist to finite-time thermodynamics

TL;DR

This paper investigates a quantum Otto engine enhanced with shortcut-to-adiabaticity techniques, analyzing its efficiency and power, and establishing bounds on performance at maximum power considering finite-time effects.

Contribution

It introduces a finite-time quantum Otto engine utilizing STA methods and derives bounds on efficiency at maximum power considering realistic finite-time constraints.

Findings

Time-averaged efficiency and power are effective performance metrics.

Established a bound on efficiency at maximum power for STA-driven cycles.

Demonstrated the impact of finite-time and work fluctuations on engine performance.

Abstract

We consider a finite-time Otto engine operating on a quantum harmonic oscillator and driven by shortcut-to-adiabaticity (STA) techniques to speed up its cycle. We study its efficiency and power when internal friction, time-averaged work, and work fluctuations are used as quantitative figures of merit, showing that time-averaged efficiency and power are useful cost functions for the characterization of the performance of the engine. We then use the minimum allowed time for validity of STA protocol relation to establish a physically relevant bound to the efficiency at maximum power of the STA-driven cycle.