Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2203.04268

Incoherent control of two-photon induced optical measurements in open quantum systems: quantum heat engine perspective

Md Qutubuddin, Konstantin E. Dorfman

Published Mar 8, 2022• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We present a consistent optimization procedure for the optical measurements in open quantum systems using recently developed incoherent control protocol. Assigning an effective hot bath for the two-entangled-photon pump we recast the transmission of classical probe as a work in a quantum heat engine framework. We demonstrate that maximum work in such a heat engine can exceed that for the classical two-photon and one-photon pumps, while efficiency at maximum power can be attributed to conventional boundaries obtained for three-level maser heat engine. Our results pave the way for incoherent control and optimization of optical measurements in open quantum systems that involve two-photon processes with quantum light.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2203.04268

Related papers

Incoherent control of two-photon induced optical measurements in open quantum systems: Quantum heat engine perspective

Md Qutubuddin, Konstantin E. Dorfman

We present a consistent optimization procedure for the optical measurements in open quantum systems using recently developed incoherent control protocol. Assigning an effective hot bath for the two-entangled-photon pump we recast the transmission of classical probe as a work in a quantum heat engine framework. We demonstrate that maximum work in such a heat engine can exceed that for the classical two-photon and one-photon pumps, while efficiency at maximum power can be attributed to conventional boundaries obtained for the three-level maser heat engine. Our results pave the way for incoherent control and optimization of optical measurements in open quantum systems that involve two-photon processes with quantum light.

Physical Review Research•Jun 30, 2022•4 citations

Entangled two-photon quantum heat engine: Dissipative nonequilibrium dynamics and correlated statistics

JunJie Chen, Konstantin E. Dorfman

Recently, the thermodynamics of open quantum systems driven by light fields has been investigated in the framework of quantum heat engines, whose output work can be measured as a spectroscopic signal. In this work, we investigate a four-level quantum heat engine that generates cascaded entangled photon pairs, treating the hot bath as an incoherent thermal pump and focusing on the correlation statistics of the output work and photon indistinguishability. We show that the dissipative nonequilibrium dynamics of this thermodynamic open quantum system can be reconstructed by correlation measurements under carefully mediated optical control. Comparing our findings with the traditional coherently pumped model, we find that the thermal pumping has the potential to generate nonclassical correlations resulting in photon indistinguishability, displaying an advantage in probing the nonequilibrium effects induced by the baths at different temperatures. Our work also demonstrates that incoherent pumping can optimize such correlations in output work beyond the classical limit. Lastly, we show that nonclassical correlations and resonant power at steady state cannot be simultaneously maximized in the weak coupling regime. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Physical Review Research•Jun 3, 2024•1 citation

Optimal thermodynamic control in open quantum systems

Vasco Cavina, Andrea Mari, A. Carlini +1 more

We apply advanced methods of control theory to open quantum systems and we determine finite-time processes which are optimal with respect to thermodynamic performances. General properties and necessary conditions characterizing optimal drivings are derived, obtaining bang-bang-type solutions corresponding to control strategies switching between adiabatic and isothermal transformations. A direct application of these results is the maximization of the work produced by a generic quantum heat engine, where we show that the maximum power is directly linked to a particular conserved quantity naturally emerging from the control problem. Finally we apply our general approach to the specific case of a two-level system, which can be put in contact with two different baths at fixed temperatures, identifying the processes that minimize heat dissipation. Moreover, we explicitly solve the optimization problem for a cyclic two-level heat engine driven beyond the linear-response regime, determining the corresponding optimal cycle, the maximum power, and the efficiency at maximum power.

arXiv:1709.07400•Physical Review A•Jul 27, 2018•47 citations

Efficiency at maximum power of a laser quantum heat engine enhanced by noise-induced coherence

Konstantin E. Dorfman, Dazhi Xu, Jianshu Cao

Quantum coherence has been demonstrated in various systems including organic solar cells and solid state devices. In this article, we report the lower and upper bounds for the performance of quantum heat engines determined by the efficiency at maximum power. Our prediction based on the canonical three-level Scovil and Schulz-Dubois maser model strongly depends on the ratio of system-bath couplings for the hot and cold baths and recovers the theoretical bounds established previously for the Carnot engine. Further, introducing a fourth level to the maser model can enhance the maximal power and its efficiency, thus demonstrating the importance of quantum coherence in the thermodynamics and operation of the heat engines beyond the classical limit.

arXiv:1803.11314•Physical review. E•Apr 13, 2018•89 citations

Quantum heat engines with Carnot efficiency at maximum power

Mohit Lal Bera, Sergi Julià-Farré, Maciej Lewenstein +1 more

Heat engines constitute the major building blocks of modern technologies. However, conventional heat engines with higher power yield lesser efficiency and vice versa and respect various power-efficiency trade-off relations. This is also assumed to be true for the engines operating in the quantum regime. Here we show that these relations are not fundamental. We introduce quantum heat engines that deliver maximum power with Carnot efficiency in the one-shot finite-size regime. These engines are composed of working systems with a finite number of quantum particles and are restricted to one-shot measurements. The engines operate in a one-step cycle by letting the working system simultaneously interact with hot and cold baths via semilocal thermal operations. By allowing quantum entanglement between its constituents and, thereby, a coherent transfer of heat from hot to cold baths, the engine implements the fastest possible reversible state transformation in each cycle, resulting in maximum power and Carnot efficiency. Finally, we propose a physically realizable engine using quantum optical systems.

arXiv:2106.01193•Physical Review Research•Feb 25, 2022•29 citations

Single-atom quantum heat engine based on electromagnetically induced transparency

Jia-Yang Ma, H. Z. Shen, Xiaojun Zhang +1 more

The single-atom version of the quantum heat engine based on electromagnetically induced transparency is theoretically investigated in this paper. In contact with a hot and a cold bath, the atom trapped in an optical cavity is coherently coupled by a coherent field, thus generating photons as output through a process that mimics a heat engine. Using semiclassical theory, we obtain the conditions for the classical gain parameter being positive. Then by taking a full quantum approach, we discuss the statistical property of the generated photons depicted by the photon number distribution and Wigner function, and show that it can be effectively tuned by the coupling field. Investigations on the energy and entropy balances of the heat engine process lead to an interesting result that the power of the engine is simply the energy per time provided by the hot reservoir. The coupling field plays a critical role in supporting the heat-engine process. However, the energy that it provides is all dumped into the cold reservoir. The total energy exchange conforms to the first law of thermodynamics. The efficiency of the engine depends on the temperatures of the two reservoirs and the strength of the coupling field. The entropy change of the heat-engine process suggests that when working far above the threshold of lasing, the efficiency approaches that of its atomic-ensemble-based partner.

Physical Review A•Jan 10, 2024•8 citations
We present a consistent optimization procedure for the optical measurements in open quantum systems using recently developed incoherent control protocol. Assigning an effective hot bath for the two-entangled-photon pump we recast the transmission of classical probe as a work in a quantum heat engine framework. We demonstrate that maximum work in such a heat engine can exceed that for the classical two-photon and one-photon pumps, while efficiency at maximum power can be attributed to conventional boundaries obtained for three-level maser heat engine. Our results pave the way for incoherent control and optimization of optical measurements in open quantum systems that involve two-photon processes with quantum light.
We present a consistent optimization procedure for the optical measurements in open quantum systems using recently developed incoherent control protocol. Assigning an effective hot bath for the two-entangled-photon pump we recast the transmission of classical probe as a work in a quantum heat engine framework. We demonstrate that maximum work in such a heat engine can exceed that for the classical two-photon and one-photon pumps, while efficiency at maximum power can be attributed to conventional boundaries obtained for the three-level maser heat engine. Our results pave the way for incoherent control and optimization of optical measurements in open quantum systems that involve two-photon processes with quantum light.
Recently, the thermodynamics of open quantum systems driven by light fields has been investigated in the framework of quantum heat engines, whose output work can be measured as a spectroscopic signal. In this work, we investigate a four-level quantum heat engine that generates cascaded entangled photon pairs, treating the hot bath as an incoherent thermal pump and focusing on the correlation statistics of the output work and photon indistinguishability. We show that the dissipative nonequilibrium dynamics of this thermodynamic open quantum system can be reconstructed by correlation measurements under carefully mediated optical control. Comparing our findings with the traditional coherently pumped model, we find that the thermal pumping has the potential to generate nonclassical correlations resulting in photon indistinguishability, displaying an advantage in probing the nonequilibrium effects induced by the baths at different temperatures. Our work also demonstrates that incoherent pumping can optimize such correlations in output work beyond the classical limit. Lastly, we show that nonclassical correlations and resonant power at steady state cannot be simultaneously maximized in the weak coupling regime. Published by the American Physical Society 2024
We apply advanced methods of control theory to open quantum systems and we determine finite-time processes which are optimal with respect to thermodynamic performances. General properties and necessary conditions characterizing optimal drivings are derived, obtaining bang-bang-type solutions corresponding to control strategies switching between adiabatic and isothermal transformations. A direct application of these results is the maximization of the work produced by a generic quantum heat engine, where we show that the maximum power is directly linked to a particular conserved quantity naturally emerging from the control problem. Finally we apply our general approach to the specific case of a two-level system, which can be put in contact with two different baths at fixed temperatures, identifying the processes that minimize heat dissipation. Moreover, we explicitly solve the optimization problem for a cyclic two-level heat engine driven beyond the linear-response regime, determining the corresponding optimal cycle, the maximum power, and the efficiency at maximum power.
Quantum coherence has been demonstrated in various systems including organic solar cells and solid state devices. In this article, we report the lower and upper bounds for the performance of quantum heat engines determined by the efficiency at maximum power. Our prediction based on the canonical three-level Scovil and Schulz-Dubois maser model strongly depends on the ratio of system-bath couplings for the hot and cold baths and recovers the theoretical bounds established previously for the Carnot engine. Further, introducing a fourth level to the maser model can enhance the maximal power and its efficiency, thus demonstrating the importance of quantum coherence in the thermodynamics and operation of the heat engines beyond the classical limit.
Heat engines constitute the major building blocks of modern technologies. However, conventional heat engines with higher power yield lesser efficiency and vice versa and respect various power-efficiency trade-off relations. This is also assumed to be true for the engines operating in the quantum regime. Here we show that these relations are not fundamental. We introduce quantum heat engines that deliver maximum power with Carnot efficiency in the one-shot finite-size regime. These engines are composed of working systems with a finite number of quantum particles and are restricted to one-shot measurements. The engines operate in a one-step cycle by letting the working system simultaneously interact with hot and cold baths via semilocal thermal operations. By allowing quantum entanglement between its constituents and, thereby, a coherent transfer of heat from hot to cold baths, the engine implements the fastest possible reversible state transformation in each cycle, resulting in maximum power and Carnot efficiency. Finally, we propose a physically realizable engine using quantum optical systems.
The single-atom version of the quantum heat engine based on electromagnetically induced transparency is theoretically investigated in this paper. In contact with a hot and a cold bath, the atom trapped in an optical cavity is coherently coupled by a coherent field, thus generating photons as output through a process that mimics a heat engine. Using semiclassical theory, we obtain the conditions for the classical gain parameter being positive. Then by taking a full quantum approach, we discuss the statistical property of the generated photons depicted by the photon number distribution and Wigner function, and show that it can be effectively tuned by the coupling field. Investigations on the energy and entropy balances of the heat engine process lead to an interesting result that the power of the engine is simply the energy per time provided by the hot reservoir. The coupling field plays a critical role in supporting the heat-engine process. However, the energy that it provides is all dumped into the cold reservoir. The total energy exchange conforms to the first law of thermodynamics. The efficiency of the engine depends on the temperatures of the two reservoirs and the strength of the coupling field. The entropy change of the heat-engine process suggests that when working far above the threshold of lasing, the efficiency approaches that of its atomic-ensemble-based partner.