Quantum mechanical Carnot engine
Abstract
A cyclic thermodynamic heat engine runs most efficiently if it is reversible. Carnot constructed such a reversible heat engine by combining adiabatic and isothermal processes for a system containing an ideal gas. Here, we present an example of a cyclic engine based on a single quantum mechanical particle confined to a potential well. The efficiency of this engine is shown to equal the Carnot efficiency because quantum dynamics is reversible. The quantum heat engine has a cycle consisting of adiabatic and isothermal quantum processes that are close analogues of the corresponding classical processes.
- Publication:
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Journal of Physics A Mathematical General
- Pub Date:
- June 2000
- DOI:
- 10.1088/0305-4470/33/24/302
- arXiv:
- arXiv:quant-ph/0007002
- Bibcode:
- 2000JPhA...33.4427B
- Keywords:
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- Quantum Physics
- E-Print:
- 10 pages