2020/06/30 by Sebastián E. Deghi, Sebastian E. Deghi, Raúl A. Bustos-Marún
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #Artificial intelligence #Computer science #Entropy (arrow of time) #Focus (optics) #Non-equilibrium thermodynamics #Physics #Principle of maximum entropy #Quantum #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum mechanics #Statistical physics #cond-mat.mes-hall #stochastic dynamics and bifurcation
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevb.102.045415
arxiv created 2020/07/09 · openalex publication_date 2020/07/15 · arxiv updated 2020/08/26 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Nanotechnology has not only provided us the possibility of developing quantum machines but also noncanonical power sources able to drive them. Here we focus on studying the performance of quantum machines driven by arbitrary combinations of equilibrium reservoirs and a form of engineered reservoirs consisting of noninteracting particles but whose distribution functions are nonthermal. We provide the expressions for calculating the maximum efficiency of those machines without needing any knowledge of how the nonequilibrium reservoirs were actually made. The formulas require the calculation of a quantity that we term entropy current, which we also derive. We illustrate our methodology through a solvable toy model where heat ``spontaneously'' flows against the temperature gradient.