Underdamped stochastic thermodynamic engines in contact with a heat bath with arbitrary temperature profile

TL;DR

This paper analyzes underdamped stochastic thermodynamic engines operating with arbitrary periodic heat bath temperature profiles, deriving bounds and optimal protocols for maximum power and efficiency.

Contribution

It provides explicit bounds and optimal control protocols for thermodynamic engines with arbitrary temperature profiles in the underdamped, low-friction regime.

Findings

Derived bounds on power and efficiency.

Identified optimal control protocols.

Applicable to engines with arbitrary temperature variations.

Abstract

We study thermodynamic processes in contact with a heat bath that may have an arbitrary time-varying periodic temperature profile. Within the framework of stochastic thermodynamics, and for models of thermo-dynamic engines in the idealized case of underdamped particles in the low-friction regime, we derive explicit bounds as well as optimal control protocols that draw maximum power and achieve maximum efficiency at any specified level of power.