Squeezed Thermal Reservoirs as a Resource for a Nanomechanical Engine beyond the Carnot Limit
The efficient conversion of thermal energy to mechanical work by a heat engine is an ongoing technological challenge. Since the pioneering work of Carnot, it has been known that the efficiency of heat engines is bounded by a fundamental upper limit—the Carnot limit. Theoretical studies suggest that...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Physical Society
2017-09-01
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| Series: | Physical Review X |
| Online Access: | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.7.031044 |
| _version_ | 1818399519399739392 |
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| author | Jan Klaers Stefan Faelt Atac Imamoglu Emre Togan |
| author_facet | Jan Klaers Stefan Faelt Atac Imamoglu Emre Togan |
| author_sort | Jan Klaers |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The efficient conversion of thermal energy to mechanical work by a heat engine is an ongoing technological challenge. Since the pioneering work of Carnot, it has been known that the efficiency of heat engines is bounded by a fundamental upper limit—the Carnot limit. Theoretical studies suggest that heat engines may be operated beyond the Carnot limit by exploiting stationary, nonequilibrium reservoirs that are characterized by a temperature as well as further parameters. In a proof-of-principle experiment, we demonstrate that the efficiency of a nanobeam heat engine coupled to squeezed thermal noise is not bounded by the standard Carnot limit. Remarkably, we also show that it is possible to design a cyclic process that allows for extraction of mechanical work from a single squeezed thermal reservoir. Our results demonstrate a qualitatively new regime of nonequilibrium thermodynamics at small scales and provide a new perspective on the design of efficient, highly miniaturized engines. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T07:21:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-33e3e8fcf40744d79d43e426282d9b05 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2160-3308 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T07:21:58Z |
| publishDate | 2017-09-01 |
| publisher | American Physical Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physical Review X |
| spelling | doaj.art-33e3e8fcf40744d79d43e426282d9b052022-12-21T23:11:35ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review X2160-33082017-09-017303104410.1103/PhysRevX.7.031044Squeezed Thermal Reservoirs as a Resource for a Nanomechanical Engine beyond the Carnot LimitJan KlaersStefan FaeltAtac ImamogluEmre ToganThe efficient conversion of thermal energy to mechanical work by a heat engine is an ongoing technological challenge. Since the pioneering work of Carnot, it has been known that the efficiency of heat engines is bounded by a fundamental upper limit—the Carnot limit. Theoretical studies suggest that heat engines may be operated beyond the Carnot limit by exploiting stationary, nonequilibrium reservoirs that are characterized by a temperature as well as further parameters. In a proof-of-principle experiment, we demonstrate that the efficiency of a nanobeam heat engine coupled to squeezed thermal noise is not bounded by the standard Carnot limit. Remarkably, we also show that it is possible to design a cyclic process that allows for extraction of mechanical work from a single squeezed thermal reservoir. Our results demonstrate a qualitatively new regime of nonequilibrium thermodynamics at small scales and provide a new perspective on the design of efficient, highly miniaturized engines.http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.7.031044 |
| spellingShingle | Jan Klaers Stefan Faelt Atac Imamoglu Emre Togan Squeezed Thermal Reservoirs as a Resource for a Nanomechanical Engine beyond the Carnot Limit Physical Review X |
| title | Squeezed Thermal Reservoirs as a Resource for a Nanomechanical Engine beyond the Carnot Limit |
| title_full | Squeezed Thermal Reservoirs as a Resource for a Nanomechanical Engine beyond the Carnot Limit |
| title_fullStr | Squeezed Thermal Reservoirs as a Resource for a Nanomechanical Engine beyond the Carnot Limit |
| title_full_unstemmed | Squeezed Thermal Reservoirs as a Resource for a Nanomechanical Engine beyond the Carnot Limit |
| title_short | Squeezed Thermal Reservoirs as a Resource for a Nanomechanical Engine beyond the Carnot Limit |
| title_sort | squeezed thermal reservoirs as a resource for a nanomechanical engine beyond the carnot limit |
| url | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.7.031044 |
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