Work measurement in a quantum heat engine

ORAL

Abstract

We consider an optomechanical quantum heat engine operating on an Otto cycle for photon-phonon polaritons, the working substance of the engine [1]. We discuss both the average value and quantum fluctuations of its work output, concentrating in particular on the effects of quantum non-adiabaticity due to the finite duration of the cycle. We also determine the quantum back-action of both absorptive and dispersive continuous measurements of the work, and quantify their impact on the Curzon-Ahlborn engine efficiency at maximum power and its fluctuations.\\[4pt] [1] Keye Zhang, F. Bariani, and P. Meystre, ``A Quantum Optomechanical Heat Engine,'' Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 112}, 150602 (2014).

*We ackowledge financial support from National Basic Research Program of China, NSF, ARO and the DARPA QuaSAR programs

–

Authors

  • Francesco Bariani

    • College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
    • University of Arizona

  • Keye Zhang

    • Quantum Institute of Light and Atoms, Department of Physics, East China Normal University, Shanghai, P.R. China

  • Ying Dong

    • College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

  • Pierre Meystre

    • College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA