The Unruh quantum Otto engine
Abstract We introduce a quantum heat engine performing an Otto cycle by using the thermal properties of the quantum vacuum. Since Hawking and Unruh, it has been established that the vacuum space, either near a black hole or for an accelerated observer, behaves as a bath of thermal radiation. In this...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2018-02-01
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| Series: | Journal of High Energy Physics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/JHEP02(2018)168 |
| _version_ | 1819102065081712640 |
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| author | Enrique Arias Thiago R. de Oliveira M. S. Sarandy |
| author_facet | Enrique Arias Thiago R. de Oliveira M. S. Sarandy |
| author_sort | Enrique Arias |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract We introduce a quantum heat engine performing an Otto cycle by using the thermal properties of the quantum vacuum. Since Hawking and Unruh, it has been established that the vacuum space, either near a black hole or for an accelerated observer, behaves as a bath of thermal radiation. In this work, we present a fully quantum Otto cycle, which relies on the Unruh effect for a single quantum bit (qubit) in contact with quantum vacuum fluctuations. By using the notions of quantum thermodynamics and perturbation theory we obtain that the quantum vacuum can exchange heat and produce work on the qubit. Moreover, we obtain the efficiency and derive the conditions to have both a thermodynamic and a kinematic cycle in terms of the initial populations of the excited state, which define a range of allowed accelerations for the Unruh engine. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T01:28:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ec9b2e36fa364224ae43181788390133 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1029-8479 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T01:28:38Z |
| publishDate | 2018-02-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of High Energy Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-ec9b2e36fa364224ae431817883901332022-12-21T18:43:33ZengSpringerOpenJournal of High Energy Physics1029-84792018-02-012018213110.1007/JHEP02(2018)168The Unruh quantum Otto engineEnrique Arias0Thiago R. de Oliveira1M. S. Sarandy2Instituto Politécnico, Universidade do Estado do Rio de JaneiroInstituto de Física, Universidade Federal FluminenseInstituto de Física, Universidade Federal FluminenseAbstract We introduce a quantum heat engine performing an Otto cycle by using the thermal properties of the quantum vacuum. Since Hawking and Unruh, it has been established that the vacuum space, either near a black hole or for an accelerated observer, behaves as a bath of thermal radiation. In this work, we present a fully quantum Otto cycle, which relies on the Unruh effect for a single quantum bit (qubit) in contact with quantum vacuum fluctuations. By using the notions of quantum thermodynamics and perturbation theory we obtain that the quantum vacuum can exchange heat and produce work on the qubit. Moreover, we obtain the efficiency and derive the conditions to have both a thermodynamic and a kinematic cycle in terms of the initial populations of the excited state, which define a range of allowed accelerations for the Unruh engine.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/JHEP02(2018)168Black HolesThermal Field Theory |
| spellingShingle | Enrique Arias Thiago R. de Oliveira M. S. Sarandy The Unruh quantum Otto engine Journal of High Energy Physics Black Holes Thermal Field Theory |
| title | The Unruh quantum Otto engine |
| title_full | The Unruh quantum Otto engine |
| title_fullStr | The Unruh quantum Otto engine |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Unruh quantum Otto engine |
| title_short | The Unruh quantum Otto engine |
| title_sort | unruh quantum otto engine |
| topic | Black Holes Thermal Field Theory |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/JHEP02(2018)168 |
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