Quantum heat machines enabled by twisted geometry

TL;DR

This paper explores how twisted geometries in a quantum system can enable novel heat engine operations, manipulating energy levels through geometric deformations to alter performance and mode of an Otto cycle heat machine.

Contribution

It introduces a quantum heat machine based on a twisted 2D electron gas, demonstrating how geometry-induced quantum potentials can control thermodynamic performance.

Findings

Energy quantization and geometric deformation affect machine efficiency.

Incompressible samples can realize unconventional Otto cycles.

Effective quantum potentials enable novel thermodynamic control.

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze the operation of an Otto cycle heat machine driven by a non-interacting two-dimensional electron gas on a twisted geometry. We show that due to both the energy quantization on this structure and the adiabatic transformation of the number of complete twists per unit length of a helicoid, the machine performance in terms of output work, efficiency, and operation mode can be altered. We consider the deformations as in a spring, which is either compressed or stretched from its resting position. The realization of classically inconceivable Otto machines with an incompressible sample can be realized as well. The energy-level spacing of the system is the quantity that is being either compressed or stretched. These features are due to the existence of an effective geometry-induced quantum potential which is of pure quantum-mechanical origin.