These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Catalysis of heat-to-work conversion in quantum machines.
    Author: Ghosh A, Latune CL, Davidovich L, Kurizki G.
    Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A; 2017 Nov 14; 114(46):12156-12161. PubMed ID: 29087326.
    Abstract:
    We propose a hitherto-unexplored concept in quantum thermodynamics: catalysis of heat-to-work conversion by quantum nonlinear pumping of the piston mode which extracts work from the machine. This concept is analogous to chemical reaction catalysis: Small energy investment by the catalyst (pump) may yield a large increase in heat-to-work conversion. Since it is powered by thermal baths, the catalyzed machine adheres to the Carnot bound, but may strongly enhance its efficiency and power compared with its noncatalyzed counterparts. This enhancement stems from the increased ability of the squeezed piston to store work. Remarkably, the fraction of piston energy that is convertible into work may then approach unity. The present machine and its counterparts powered by squeezed baths share a common feature: Neither is a genuine heat engine. However, a squeezed pump that catalyzes heat-to-work conversion by small investment of work is much more advantageous than a squeezed bath that simply transduces part of the work invested in its squeezing into work performed by the machine.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]