2015/08/31 by Congjie Ou, Sumiyoshi Abe
Engineering · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Adiabatic process #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #Carnot cycle #Heat engine #Isothermal process #Mathematics #Particle in a box #Physics #Quantum #Quantum Electrodynamics and Casimir Effect #Quantum mechanics #Stirling engine #Thermal Radiation and Cooling Technologies #Thermodynamics #cond-mat.stat-mech #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1209/0295-5075/113/40009
published as EPL 113 (2016) 40009 · 18 pages, 3 figures, 1 table. Published version
openalex publication_date 2016/02/01 · arxiv created 2016/03/16 · arxiv updated 2016/03/17 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
A quantum heat engine of a specific type is studied. This engine contains a single particle confined in the infinite square well potential with variable width and consists of three processes: the isoenergetic process (which has no classical analogs) as well as the isothermal and adiabatic processes. It is found that the engine possesses exotic properties in its performance. The efficiency takes the maximum value when the expansion ratio of the engine is appropriately set, and, in addition, the lower the temperature is, the higher the maximum efficiency becomes, highlighting aspects of the influence of quantum effects on thermodynamics. A comment is also made on the relevance of this engine to that of Carnot.