Nano-mirror induced three-level quantum heat engine

TL;DR

This paper presents a theoretical model of a three-level quantum heat engine coupled with a nanomirror, demonstrating how photon distributions and temperature differences influence its output and efficiency.

Contribution

It introduces a novel integration of a three-level quantum heat engine with a vibrating nanomirror, analyzing its thermodynamic behavior and output characteristics.

Findings

Output gain increases with photon distribution in baths.

Greater temperature difference enhances engine performance.

Efficiency decreases as photon number in hot reservoir increases.

Abstract

We propose a theoretical model that integrates a three-level $\Lambda$-type quantum heat engine with a vibrating nanomirror, where the connection is established via a laser field. In the presence of both hot and cold thermal photonic baths, the atom interacts with the laser field, generating photons as output, mimicking the operation of a heat engine driven by nanomirror vibrations. Using a semiclassical approach, we observe that the classical output or gain of the quantum heat engine is maximized as the photon distribution in the baths increases, provided that the coupling strength between the nanomirror and the engine is minimized. The model suggests that a greater temperature difference between the hot and cold reservoirs results in a more effective positive gain in the output. Thermodynamic analysis of the proposed model indicates that the total energy absorbed by the atomic system is equal to the energy released by the system, thus satisfying the first law of thermodynamics. The efficiency of the proposed engine decreases with an increasing photon distribution number in the hot reservoir, with a more pronounced decrease observed at higher values of atom-mirror coupling strength.