Molecular heat pump

TL;DR

This paper introduces a molecular device functioning as a heat pump, using external modulation of molecular levels to transfer heat against a thermal gradient, with analysis of its performance under various conditions.

Contribution

It presents a novel molecular heat pump design that leverages external periodic modulation to control heat flow between reservoirs with different spectral properties.

Findings

Effective heat pumping achieved through external modulation.

Performance optimized by adjusting modulation parameters.

Analysis covers slow and fast modulation regimes.

Abstract

We propose a novel molecular device that pumps heat against a thermal gradient. The system consists of a molecular element connecting two thermal reservoirs that are characterized by different spectral properties. The pumping action is achieved by applying an external force that periodically modulates molecular levels. This modulation affects periodic oscillations of the internal temperature of the molecule and the strength of its coupling to each reservoir resulting in a net heat flow in the desired direction. The heat flow is examined in the slow and fast modulation limits and for different modulation waveforms, thus making it possible to optimize the device performance.