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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Cooling an Optically Trapped Ultracold Fermi Gas by Periodical Driving

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Published on: March 30, 2017

Driven spin systems as quantum thermodynamic machines: fundamental limits.

Markus J Henrich¹, Günter Mahler, Mathias Michel

¹Institute of Theoretical Physics I, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, Stuttgart, Germany. markus.henrich@itp1.uni-stuttgart.de

Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics

|August 7, 2007

Summary

Coupled quantum systems, like qubits, can function as thermodynamic machines. Arranging at least three qubits in a chain allows them to operate as heat pumps or engines, with efficiency dependent on temperature and energy differences.

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Last Updated: Jul 13, 2026

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Scalable Quantum Integrated Circuits on Superconducting Two-Dimensional Electron Gas Platform

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Area of Science:

Quantum thermodynamics
Quantum information processing
Spin systems

Background:

Quantum systems, particularly qubits, are fundamental to quantum information processing.
Thermodynamic machines operate based on heat transfer and work extraction.
Understanding quantum behavior at thermodynamic scales is an active research area.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the potential of coupled two-level systems (qubits) as thermodynamic machines.
To determine the minimum requirements for such a quantum thermodynamic machine.
To analyze the operational modes (heat pump or engine) and efficiency factors.

Main Methods:

Modeling coupled two-level systems (qubits) arranged in a chain.
Interfacing the system between two thermal baths with a temperature difference (DeltaT).
Applying external driving to a central working spin.
Analyzing Carnot-type thermodynamic cycles.

Main Results:

A minimum of three coupled qubits arranged in a chain is necessary.
The quantum system can operate as either a heat pump or a heat engine.
The machine's performance is dependent on the temperature difference between baths (DeltaT) and the energy difference in the spin system (DeltaE).

Conclusions:

Coupled qubits can be engineered into functional thermodynamic machines.
The efficiency of these quantum machines is tunable via DeltaT and DeltaE.
This work bridges quantum information processing and quantum thermodynamics.