Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Atomic Nuclei: Types of Nuclear Relaxation01:28

Atomic Nuclei: Types of Nuclear Relaxation

Nuclear relaxation restores the equilibrium population imbalance and can occur via spin–lattice or spin–spin mechanisms, which are first-order exponential decay processes.
In spin–lattice or longitudinal relaxation, the excited spins exchange energy with the surrounding lattice as they return to the lower energy level. Among several mechanisms that contribute to spin–lattice relaxation, magnetic dipolar interactions are significant. Here, the excited nucleus transfers energy to a nearby...
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes01:23

Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes

In the absence of an external magnetic field, nuclear spin states are degenerate and randomly oriented. When a magnetic field is applied, the spins begin to precess and orient themselves along (lower energy) or against (higher energy) the direction of the field. At equilibrium, a slight excess population of spins exists in the lower energy state. Because the direction of the magnetic field is fixed as the z-axis,  the precessing magnetic moments are randomly oriented around the z-axis. This...
Deactivation Processes: Jablonski Diagram01:25

Deactivation Processes: Jablonski Diagram

Luminescence, the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed energy, is a process that involves the interaction of molecules with light. The energy-level diagram, or Jablonski diagram, is a graphical representation of these interactions, illustrating the various states and transitions a molecule can undergo. In a typical Jablonski diagram, the lowest horizontal line represents the ground-state energy of the molecule, which is usually a singlet state. This state represents the energies...
Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics01:14

Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics

Experimentally, if object A is in equilibrium with object B, and object B is in equilibrium with object C, then object A is in equilibrium with object C. That statement of transitivity is called the "zeroth law of thermodynamics." For example, a cold metal block and a hot metal block are both placed on a metal plate at room temperature. Eventually, the cold block and the plate will be in thermal equilibrium. In addition, the hot block and the plate will be in thermal equilibrium. By the zeroth...
Second Law of Thermodynamics00:53

Second Law of Thermodynamics

The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that entropy, or the amount of disorder in a system, increases each time energy is transferred or transformed. Each energy transfer results in a certain amount of energy that is lost—usually in the form of heat—that increases the disorder of the surroundings. This can also be demonstrated in a classic food web. Herbivores harvest chemical energy from plants and release heat and carbon dioxide into the environment. Carnivores harvest the chemical energy...
Second Law of Thermodynamics02:49

Second Law of Thermodynamics

In the quest to identify a property that may reliably predict the spontaneity of a process, a promising candidate has been identified: entropy. Processes that involve an increase in entropy of the system (ΔS > 0) are very often spontaneous; however, examples to the contrary are plentiful. By expanding consideration of entropy changes to include the surroundings, a significant conclusion regarding the relation between this property and spontaneity may be reached. In thermodynamic models, the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Abstracts Association Tunisienne de Médecine Néonatale (ATMN).

La Tunisie medicale·2026
Same author

Evaluation of Oxidative Stress Indicators, Specifically 8-Hydroxydeoxyguanosine and Malondialdehyde, alongside Total Antioxidant Capacity in Patients with Chronic Renal Disease who are Tobacco Smokers: Case-Control Study.

La Clinica terapeutica·2025
Same author

The impact of oncotype DX testing on adjuvant chemotherapy decision making in breast cancer with micrometastasis to the sentinel lymph node.

Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England·2025
Same author

A Systemic Review of Primary Malignant Long Bone Tumors in Children and Adolescents.

Acta chirurgiae orthopaedicae et traumatologiae Cechoslovaca·2024
Same author

Precise parameter control of multicycle terahertz generation in PPLN using flexible pulse trains.

Optics express·2024
Same author

Bidirectional field-steering and atomic steering induced by a magnon mode in a qubit-photon system.

Scientific reports·2023

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Cooling an Optically Trapped Ultracold Fermi Gas by Periodical Driving
11:21

Cooling an Optically Trapped Ultracold Fermi Gas by Periodical Driving

Published on: March 30, 2017

Quantum optical thermodynamic machines: lasing as relaxation.

M Youssef1, G Mahler, A-S F Obada

  • 1Institute of Theoretical Physics I, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, D-70550 Stuttgart, Germany. mohamadmath@yahoo.com

Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
|April 7, 2010
PubMed
Summary

This study shows a quantum system with two spins and a resonator can act as a heat engine. A temperature gradient drives the system, converting heat into work, functioning like a laser.

More Related Videos

Gradient Echo Quantum Memory in Warm Atomic Vapor
10:00

Gradient Echo Quantum Memory in Warm Atomic Vapor

Published on: November 11, 2013

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators
09:23

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators

Published on: May 30, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Cooling an Optically Trapped Ultracold Fermi Gas by Periodical Driving
11:21

Cooling an Optically Trapped Ultracold Fermi Gas by Periodical Driving

Published on: March 30, 2017

Gradient Echo Quantum Memory in Warm Atomic Vapor
10:00

Gradient Echo Quantum Memory in Warm Atomic Vapor

Published on: November 11, 2013

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators
09:23

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators

Published on: May 30, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Nanophysics
  • Quantum Thermodynamics
  • Quantum Optics

Background:

  • Open quantum systems are crucial for understanding quantum information and thermodynamics.
  • Quantum heat engines offer potential for novel energy conversion technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate a quantum system of two spins coupled to a resonator as a thermodynamic machine.
  • To analyze the system's performance as a heat engine (laser) under a temperature gradient.

Main Methods:

  • Modeling an open quantum system with two spatially separated two-level atoms (spins) and a quantum oscillator.
  • Applying different temperatures to the spins via heat baths.
  • Utilizing novel definitions for heat flux, power, and a heat pump test.

Main Results:

  • The system functions as a heat engine, converting heat into work due to the imposed temperature gradient.
  • The quantum oscillator acts as a work reservoir, enabling engine functionality.
  • The system's performance as a heat engine and the properties of the resulting resonator field were analyzed.

Conclusions:

  • A temperature gradient in a quantum system can drive a heat engine, analogous to a laser.
  • The quantum oscillator plays a key role as a work reservoir in this thermodynamic process.
  • The findings contribute to the understanding of quantum thermodynamics and nanophysics applications.