A genuine feature of projective quantum measurements is that they inevitably alter the mean energy of the observed system if the measured quantity does not commute with the Hamiltonian. Compared to the classical case, Jacobs proved that this additional energetic cost leads to a stronger bound on the work extractable after a single measurement from a system initially in thermal equilibrium (2009 Phys. Rev. A 80 012322 ). Here, we extend this bound to a large class of feedback-driven quantum engines operating periodically and in finite time. The bound thus implies a natural definition for the efficiency of information to work conversion in such devices. For a simple model consisting of a laser-driven two-level system, we maximize the efficiency with respect to the observable whose measurement is used to control the feedback operations. We find that the optimal observable typically does not commute with the Hamiltonian and hence would not be available in a classical two level system. This result reveals that periodic feedback engines operating in the quantum realm can exploit quantum coherences to enhance efficiency.
A genuine feature of projective quantum measurements is that they inevitably alter the mean energy of the observed system if the measured quantity does not commute with the Hamiltonian. Compared to the classical case, Jacobs proved that this additional energetic cost leads to a stronger bound on the work extractable after a single measurement from a system initially in thermal equilibrium (2009 Phys. Rev. A 80 012322 ). Here, we extend this bound to a large class of feedback-driven quantum engines operating periodically and in finite time. The bound thus implies a natural definition for the efficiency of information to work conversion in such devices. For a simple model consisting of a laser-driven two-level system, we maximize the efficiency with respect to the observable whose measurement is used to control the feedback operations. We find that the optimal observable typically does not commute with the Hamiltonian and hence would not be available in a classical two level system. This result reveals that periodic feedback engines operating in the quantum realm can exploit quantum coherences to enhance efficiency.
An analytical study of a feedback-driven quantum engine based on a two-level system is presented. This engine is similar to a quantum Otto engine but substitutes the quantum isochoric process with a feedback-driven operation based on a measured observable $A(\ensuremath{\theta})$, whose eigenstates are coherent superpositions of energy eigenstates. Projective measurements control the feedback operations, while work extraction or heat absorption occurs during driven operations. We derive the general time-dependent efficiency, power, and power fluctuations. Quantum coherence is examined through three mechanisms: (i) coherence associated with $\ensuremath{\theta}\ensuremath{\ne}0$, (ii) residual coherence after incomplete thermalization, and (iii) coherence generated by the interaction between the system and a coherent laser pulse on resonance. We investigate how the parameter $\ensuremath{\theta}$, quantum coherence, and timing of unitary and feedback-driven strokes influence engine performance. We demonstrate that quantum coherence can significantly enhance power output and efficiency while reducing fluctuations through optimal cycle parameter adjustments.
Information engines, sometimes referred to as Maxwell Demon engines, utilize information obtained through measurement to control the conversion of energy into useful work. Discussions around such devices often assume the measurement step to be instantaneous, assessing its cost by Landauer's information erasure within the measurement device. While this simplified perspective is sufficient for classical feedback-controlled engines, for nanoengines that often operate in the quantum realm, the overall performance may be significantly affected by the measurement duration (which may be comparable to the engine's cycle time) and cost (energy needed to create the system-meter correlation). In this study, we employ a generalized von Neumann measurement model to highlight that obtaining a finite amount of information requires a finite measurement time and incurs an energetic cost. We investigate the crucial role of these factors in determining the engine's performance, particularly in terms of efficiency and power output. Furthermore, for the information engine model under consideration, we establish a precise relationship between the acquired information in the measurement process and the maximum energy extractable through the measurement. We also discuss ways to extend our considerations using these concepts, such as in measurement-enhanced photochemical reactions.
Harnessing finite-time nonadiabatic transitions that are conventionally associated with quantum inner friction for useful work extraction remains an open experimental challenge. Here we address this issue by introducing and experimentally realizing an innovative measurement-feedback quantum information engine model in the trapped 40Ca+ ion system, in which the projective measurement replaces the hot reservoir as a nonthermal energy source and the feedback control conditionally steers the system through either unitary compression-expansion strokes or thermalization. We experimentally show that the repeated feedback cycle converges to a stable operating regime with a resolved energetic balance, and, by controlling the measurement angle and stroke duration, measurement-induced coherence and the finite-time nonadiabatic contribution can enhance work extraction and raise the efficiency above the corresponding Otto benchmark. The experimental results further show that, over finite ranges of stroke durations, the efficiency and intrinsic cycle power can increase simultaneously. Our experiment establishes a route toward information-to-work quantum engines that convert finite-time irreversibility into performance-enhancing resources.
Abstract Information engines harness measurement and feedback to convert energy into useful work. In this study, we investigate the fundamental trade-offs between ergotropic output power, thermodynamic efficiency and information-to-work conversion efficiency in such engines, explicitly accounting for the finite time required for measurement. As a model engine, we consider a two-level quantum system from which work is extracted via a temporarily coupled quantum harmonic oscillator that serves as the measurement device. This quantum device is subsequently read out by a classical apparatus. We compute trade-offs for the performance of the information engine using Pareto optimisation, which has recently been successfully used to optimise performance in engineering and biological physics. Our results offer design principles for future experimental implementations of information engines, such as in nano-mechanical systems and circuit quantum electrodynamics (QED) platforms.
We propose quantum engines powered entirely by a position-resolving measurement performed on a quantum particle. These engines produce work by moving the quantum particle against a force. Unlike classical information-driven engines (e.g., Maxwell's demon), the energy is not extracted from a thermal hot source but directly from the observation process via a partial wave-function collapse of the particle. We present results for the work done and the efficiency for different values of the engine parameters. Feedback is required for optimal performance. We find that unit efficiency can be approached when one measurement outcome prepares the initial state of the next engine cycle, while the other outcomes leave the original state nearly unchanged.
With the development of any quantum technology comes a need for precise control of quantum systems. Here, we evaluate the impact of control noise on a quantum Otto cycle. While it is postulated that noiseless quantum engines can approach maximal Otto efficiency in finite times, the existence of white noise on the controls is shown to negatively affect average engine performance. Two methods of quantum enhancement, counterdiabatic driving and quantum lubrication, are implemented and found to improve the performance of the noisy cycle only in specified parameter regimes. To gain insight into performance fluctuations, projective energy measurements are used to construct a noise-averaged probability distribution without assuming full thermalization or adiabaticity. From this, the variances in thermodynamic currents are observed to increase as average power and efficiency improve, and are also shown to be consistent with known bounds from thermodynamic uncertainty relations. Lastly, by comparing the average functioning of the unmonitored engine to a projectively measured engine cycle, the role of coherence in work extraction for this quantum engine model is investigated.