2011/09/02 by Niraj Kumar, Christian Van den Broeck, Massimiliano Esposito +1 · 1 citation
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #Boltzmann constant #Entropy (arrow of time) #Entropy production #Fluctuation theorem #Heat engine #Heat transfer #Internal energy #Maxwell's demon #Non-equilibrium thermodynamics #Particle (ecology) #Physics #Quantum #Quantum Electrodynamics and Casimir Effect #Quantum mechanics #Quantum thermodynamics #Statistical physics #Thermal #Thermal Radiation and Cooling Technologies #Thermal energy #Thermal reservoir #Thermodynamics #Work (physics) #cond-mat.stat-mech
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreve.84.051134
arxiv created 2011/09/02 · openalex publication_date 2011/11/28 · arxiv updated 2015/05/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We study the nonequilibrium thermodynamics of a single particle with two available energy levels, in contact with a classical (Maxwell-Boltzmann) or quantum (Bose-Einstein) heat bath. The particle can undergo transitions between the levels via thermal activation or deactivation. The energy levels are alternately raised at a given rate regardless of occupation by the particle, maintaining a fixed energy gap equal to ε between them. We explicitly calculate the work, heat, and entropy production rates. The efficiency in both the classical and the quantum case goes to a limit between 100 and 50% that depends on the relative rates of particle transitions and level elevation. In the classical problem we explicitly find the large deviation functions for heat, work, and internal energy.