Quantum Otto engine working with interacting spin systems: Finite power performance in stochastic thermodynamics

Power statistics of Otto heat engines with the Mpemba effect

The Mpemba effect is a counterintuitive relaxation phenomenon whereby a system with a higher initial temperature may cool down to the thermal state faster than an identical system that was initially prepared at a lower temperature. Here, we investigate heat and work in a Markovian state transition system with cyclic switching hot-cold temperatures, which operates as an Otto heat engine working in long but finite time, either with or without the Mpemba effect. Under the condition of the periodic steady state having been reached, the time durations of the heating and cooling relaxation processes are determined by exploring a distance-from-equilibrium equivalent to the Kullback-Leibler divergence. We then numerically evaluate and compare the averages and variances of both the work and the power output of two scenarios with and without the Mpemba effect. The results show that the Markovian Mpemba effect can enhance the machine performance by significantly increasing the power output for a given efficiency without sacrificing the stability.

Quantum Heat Engines with Complex Working Media, Complete Otto Cycles and Heuristics

Quantum thermal machines make use of non-classical thermodynamic resources, one of which include interactions between elements of the quantum working medium. In this paper, we examine the performance of a quasi-static quantum Otto engine based on two spins of arbitrary magnitudes subject to an external magnetic field and coupled via an isotropic Heisenberg exchange interaction. It has been shown earlier that the said interaction provides an enhancement of cycle efficiency, with an upper bound that is tighter than the Carnot efficiency. However, the necessary conditions governing engine performance and the relevant upper bound for efficiency are unknown for the general case of arbitrary spin magnitudes. By analyzing extreme case scenarios, we formulate heuristics to infer the necessary conditions for an engine with uncoupled as well as coupled spin model. These conditions lead us to a connection between performance of quantum heat engines and the notion of majorization. Furthermore, the study of complete Otto cycles inherent in the average cycle also yields interesting insights into the average performance.

Fluctuations in irreversible quantum Otto engines

We derive the general probability distribution function of stochastic work for quantum Otto engines in which both the isochoric and driving processes are irreversible due to finite time duration. The time-dependent work fluctuations, average work, and thermodynamic efficiency are explicitly obtained for a complete cycle operating with an analytically solvable two-level system. The effects of the irreversibility originating from finite-time cycle operation on the thermodynamic efficiency, work fluctuations, and relative power fluctuations are discussed.