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arXiv:2302.09414 · Physical Review Research

Quantum-enhanced performance in superconducting Andreev reflection engines

Gonzalo Manzano, Rosa López

Published Oct 12, 2023• 14 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

When a quantum dot is attached to a metallic reservoir and a superconducting contact, Andreev processes lead to a finite subgap current at the normal lead and the creation or destruction of Cooper pairs. Andreev reflection engines profit from the destruction of Cooper pairs to provide the work needed to set a charge current at the normal-conductor contact generating electrical power. For this power-transduction device, high power and large efficiencies in quantum mechanically enhanced regimes are demonstrated. There thermodynamic tradeoff relations between power, efficiency, and stability, valid for any classical engine, are overcome, and kinetic constraints on the engine precision are largely surpassed in arbitrary far-from-equilibrium conditions.

DOI
10.1103/physrevresearch.5.043041

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When a quantum dot is attached to a metallic reservoir and a superconducting contact, Andreev processes lead to a finite subgap current at the normal lead and the creation or destruction of Cooper pairs. Andreev reflection engines profit from the destruction of Cooper pairs to provide the work needed to set a charge current at the normal-conductor contact generating electrical power. For this power-transduction device, high power and large efficiencies in quantum mechanically enhanced regimes are demonstrated. There thermodynamic tradeoff relations between power, efficiency, and stability, valid for any classical engine, are overcome, and kinetic constraints on the engine precision are largely surpassed in arbitrary far-from-equilibrium conditions.
We discuss a quantum thermal machine that generates power from a thermally driven double quantum dot coupled to normal and superconducting reservoirs. Energy exchange between the dots is mediated by electron-electron interactions. We can distinguish three main mechanisms within the device operation modes. In the Andreev tunneling regime, energy flows in the presence of coherent superposition of zero- and two-particle states. Despite the intrinsic electron-hole symmetry of Andreev processes, we find that the heat engine efficiency increases with increasing coupling to the superconducting reservoir. The second mechanism occurs in the regime of quasiparticle transport. Here we obtain large efficiencies due to the presence of the superconducting gap and the strong energy dependence of the electronic density of states around the gap edges. Finally, in the third regime there exists a competition between Andreev processes and quasiparticle tunneling. Altogether, our results emphasize the importance of both pair tunneling and structured band spectrum for an accurate characterization of the heat engine properties in normal-superconducting coupled dot systems.
We study the interplay between Coulomb blockade and superconductivity in a tunable superconductor-superconductor-normal-metal single-electron transistor. The device is realized by connecting the superconducting island via an oxide barrier to the normal-metal lead and with a break junction to the superconducting lead. The latter enables Cooper pair transport and (multiple) Andreev reflection. We show that these processes are relevant also far above the superconducting gap and that signatures of Coulomb blockade may reoccur at high bias while they are absent for small bias in the strong-coupling regime. Our experimental findings agree with simulations using a rate equation approach in combination with the full counting statistics of multiple Andreev reflection.
Nanodevices consisting of a quantum dot tunnel coupled to one superconducting and two normal electrodes may serve as a source of entangled electrons. As a result of crossed Andreev reflection the Cooper pair of s-wave character may be split into two electrons and each of them goes into a distinct normal electrode, preserving entanglement. Efficiency of the process depends on the specific system and is tunable by electric means. Our calculations show that in the studied device this efficiency may attain values as large as 80 % .
Nanodevices consisting of a quantum dot tunnel coupled to one superconducting and two normal electrodes may serve as a source of entangled electrons. As a result of crossed Andreev reflection the Cooper pair of s-wave character may be split into two electrons and each of them goes into a distinct normal electrode, preserving entanglement. Efficiency of the process depends on the specific system and is tunable by electric means. Our calculations show that in the studied device this efficiency may attain values as large as 80%80 \%80%.
Quantum coherence is a useful resource for increasing the speed and decreasing the irreversibility of quantum dynamics. Because of this feature, coherence is used to enhance the performance of various quantum information processing devices beyond the limitations set by classical mechanics. However, when we consider thermodynamic processes, such as energy conversion in nanoscale devices, it is still unclear whether coherence provides similar advantages. Here we establish a universal framework, clarifying how coherence affects the speed and irreversibility in thermodynamic processes described by the Lindblad master equation, and give general rules for when coherence enhances or reduces the performance of thermodynamic devices. Our results show that a proper use of coherence enhances the heat current without increasing dissipation; i.e., coherence can reduce friction. In particular, if the amount of coherence is large enough, this friction becomes virtually zero, realizing a superconducting-like "dissipation-less" heat current. Since our framework clarifies a general relation among coherence, energy flow, and dissipation, it can be applied to many branches of science from quantum information theory to biology. As an application to energy science, we construct a quantum heat engine cycle that exceeds the power-efficiency trade-off bound on classical engines and effectively attains the Carnot efficiency with finite power in fast cycles.
Recent experiments on Cooper pair splitters using superconductor-quantum dot hybrids have embarked on creating entanglement in the solid-state, by engineering the sub-gap processes in the superconducting region. Using the thermoelectric Cooper pair splitter setup [Nat. Comm., 12, 21, (2021)] as a prototype, we present a comprehensive analysis of the fundamental components of the observed transport signal, aiming to critically clarify the operating regimes and confirm the nonlocal and nonclassical nature of correlations arising from crossed Andreev processes. By making a nexus with quantum discord, we identify operating points of nonlocal quantum correlations in the CPS device—information that cannot be extracted from the transport signal alone. A notable consequence of our analysis is the finding that contact-induced level broadening of the quantum dot’s discrete energy spectrum, along with its hybridization with the superconducting segment, can lead to shifted resonances in the crossed Andreev process as well as a parity reversal in the thermoelectric current. Our work thereby provides detailed insights into the gate voltage control of the quantum correlations in superconducting-hybrid Cooper pair splitters, revealing new avenues for harnessing quantum correlations in solid-state systems.