2019/07/31 by Paolo Abiuso, Martí Perarnau-Llobet
Physics and Astronomy · #quant-ph #cond-mat.stat-mech
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.124.110606
published as Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 110606 (2020) · Accepted in PRL. 5 pages +16 Supp.Mat
arxiv created 2020/03/05 · arxiv updated 2020/03/23
We consider the optimization of a finite-time Carnot engine characterized by small dissipations. We bound the power with a simple inequality and show that the optimal strategy is to perform small cycles around a given working point, which can be thus chosen optimally. Remarkably, this optimal point is independent of the figure of merit combining power and efficiency that is being maximized. Furthermore, for a general class of dynamics the power output becomes proportional to the heat capacity of the working substance. Since the heat capacity can scale supra-extensively with the number of constituents of the engine, this enables us to design optimal many-body Carnot engines reaching maximum efficiency at finite power per constituent in the thermodynamic limit.