Advances in experimental techniques have opened new routes for harnessing non-equilibrium dynamics in mesoscopic quantum systems. In this context, we study the impact of on-site interactions on the transport properties of a continuous quantum thermal machine composed of two coupled oscillators connected to two thermal reservoirs. In the weak system-reservoir coupling regime, where a long-standing debate concerns which reduced description should be preferred, we first show that the Redfield master equation (RME) provides an accurate and unifying framework that interpolates between two well-known limits: the \textit{local} and \textit{global} master equations. By relying on the Hierarchy of Pure States (HOPS), a numerically exact stochastic method, we then explore the full parameter space and show that interactions can be leveraged to tune the efficiency of the thermal machine at high temperatures (while leaving it essentially unchanged at low temperatures), induce non-reciprocal transport under asymmetric reservoir couplings, and generate steady-state entanglement within the junction. We derive expressions for system-bath correlators, such as heat and particle currents, consistently across different frameworks. Our work features on-site interactions to enhance the versatility of quantum thermodynamic junctions and clarifies the role of non-Markovianity and non-linearities in quantum transport.
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Salvatore Araceli and Teddy H. M. Ong contributed equally to this work. 25 pages, 13 figures
Advances in experimental techniques have opened new routes for harnessing non-equilibrium dynamics in mesoscopic quantum systems. In this context, we study the impact of on-site interactions on the transport properties of a continuous quantum thermal machine composed of two coupled oscillators connected to two thermal reservoirs. In the weak system-reservoir coupling regime, where a long-standing debate concerns which reduced description should be preferred, we first show that the Redfield master equation (RME) provides an accurate and unifying framework that interpolates between two well-known limits: the \textit{local} and \textit{global} master equations. By relying on the Hierarchy of Pure States (HOPS), a numerically exact stochastic method, we then explore the full parameter space and show that interactions can be leveraged to tune the efficiency of the thermal machine at high temperatures (while leaving it essentially unchanged at low temperatures), induce non-reciprocal transport under asymmetric reservoir couplings, and generate steady-state entanglement within the junction. We derive expressions for system-bath correlators, such as heat and particle currents, consistently across different frameworks. Our work features on-site interactions to enhance the versatility of quantum thermodynamic junctions and clarifies the role of non-Markovianity and non-linearities in quantum transport.
The study of quantum thermal machines, and more generally of open quantum systems, often relies on master equations. Two approaches are mainly followed. On the one hand, there is the widely used, but often criticized, local approach, where machine sub-systems locally couple to thermal baths. On the other hand, in the more established global approach, thermal baths couple to global degrees of freedom of the machine. There has been debate as to which of these two conceptually different approaches should be used in situations out of thermal equilibrium. Here we compare the local and global approaches against an exact solution for a particular class of thermal machines. We consider thermodynamically relevant observables, such as heat currents, as well as the quantum state of the machine. Our results show that the use of a local master equation is generally well justified. In particular, for weak inter-system coupling, the local approach agrees with the exact solution, whereas the global approach fails for non-equilibrium situations. For intermediate coupling, the local and the global approach both agree with the exact solution and for strong coupling, the global approach is preferable. These results are backed by detailed derivations of the regimes of validity for the respective approaches.
The study of quantum thermal machines, and more generally of open quantum systems, often relies on master equations.Two approaches are mainly followed.On the one hand, there is the widely used, but often criticized, local approach, where machine sub-systems locally couple to thermal baths.On the other hand, in the more established global approach, thermal baths couple to global degrees of freedom of the machine.There has been debate as to which of these two conceptually different approaches should be used in situations out of thermal equilibrium.Here we compare the local and global approaches against an exact solution for a particular class of thermal machines.We consider thermodynamically relevant observables, such as heat currents, as well as the quantum state of the machine.Our results show that the use of a local master equation is generally well justified.In particular, for weak inter-system coupling, the local approach agrees with the exact solution, whereas the global approach fails for non-equilibrium situations.For intermediate coupling, the local and the global approach both agree with the exact solution and for strong coupling, the global approach is preferable.These results are backed by detailed derivations of the regimes of validity for the respective approaches.
Quantum heat transport governs energy exchange processes and statistical laws in non-equilibrium quantum systems, and plays a pivotal role in quantum thermodynamics. We investigate the steady-state thermal transport of a noncommuting coupled spin system. We employ the quantum dressed master equation approach within the framework of open quantum system theory to accurately analyze the non-equilibrium dynamics, ensuring the validity of transport results in the strong coupling regime. Our results demonstrate that noncommuting spin coupling serves as a significant resource for modulating the nonlinearity of the heat current. Specifically, in the weak spin-coupling regime, the system exhibits robust negative differential thermal conductance (NDTC) across various spin numbers. By deriving analytical expressions for the heat current in both the single-spin and large-spin limits, we reveal that this NDTC behavior is governed by microscopic cycle fluxes. Physically, this arises because spin excitation channels induced by the cold reservoir are suppressed under a large temperature bias, thereby blocking energy exchange cycles. Conversely, in the strong spin-coupling and large temperature bias regime, the quantum system demonstrates pronounced thermal rectification. This high rectification efficiency originates from the unidirectional saturation of the heat current, rendering the system a promising candidate for high-performance thermal diodes. Furthermore, we extend the model to a three-terminal configuration to construct a quantum thermal transistor. By manipulating the temperature of the gate reservoir, we achieve efficient modulation and amplification of heat flow between the source and drain. The heat amplification factor is shown to far exceed unity in specific operating regions, confirming significant thermal amplification.
We present a methodology to simulate the quantum thermodynamics of thermal machines which are built from an interacting working medium in contact with fermionic reservoirs at a fixed temperature and chemical potential.Our method works at a finite temperature, beyond linear response and weak systemreservoir coupling, and allows for nonquadratic interactions in the working medium.The method uses mesoscopic reservoirs, continuously damped toward thermal equilibrium, in order to represent continuum baths and a novel tensor-network algorithm to simulate the steady-state thermodynamics.Using the example of a quantum-dot heat engine, we demonstrate that our technique replicates the well-known Landauer-Büttiker theory for efficiency and power.We then go beyond the quadratic limit to demonstrate the capability of our method by simulating a three-site machine with nonquadratic interactions.Remarkably, we find that such interactions lead to power enhancement, without being detrimental to the efficiency.Furthermore, we demonstrate the capability of our method to tackle complex many-body systems by extracting the superdiffusive exponent for high-temperature transport in the isotropic Heisenberg model.Finally, we discuss transport in the gapless phase of the anisotropic Heisenberg model at a finite temperature and its connection to charge conjugation parity, going beyond the predictions of single-site boundary driving configurations.
Recent experiments in hybrid-quantum systems facilitate the potential realization of one of the most fundamental interacting Hamiltonian-reservoir systems, namely the single-site Bose-Hubbard model coupled to two reservoirs at different temperatures. Using Redfield equations in a Born-Markov approximation, we compute nonequilibrium average particle number, energy, and currents beyond linear response regime, both time dynamics and steady state, and investigate its dependence on various tunable parameters analytically. We find interesting scaling laws in high-temperature regimes that are independent of choice of bath spectral functions. We also demonstrate that the system shows very interesting particle and energy current rectification properties which can be controlled via the relative strength of interaction and temperatures, as well as via the degree of asymmetry in system-bath coupling. Specifically, we find inversion of direction of energy rectification as a function of the relative strength of the interaction strength and the temperatures. We also show that, in the limit of low-temperature and high interaction strength, our results are consistent with the nonequilibrium spin-Boson model. Our results are experimentally relevant not only to hybrid quantum systems but also in other areas such as molecular junctions.
Understanding how coherence of quantum systems affects thermodynamic quantities, such as work and heat, is essential for harnessing quantumness effectively in thermal quantum technologies. Here, we study the unique contributions of quantum coherence among different subsystems of a multipartite system, specifically in non-equilibrium steady states, to work and heat currents. Our system comprises two coupled ensembles, each consisting of N particles, interacting with two baths of different temperatures, respectively. The particles in an ensemble interact with their bath either simultaneously or sequentially, leading to non-local dissipation and enabling the decomposition of work and heat currents into local and non-local components. We find that the non-local heat current, as well as both the local and non-local work currents, are linked to the system quantum coherence. We provide explicit expressions of coherence-related quantities that determine the work currents under various intrasystem interactions. Our scheme is versatile, capable of functioning as a refrigerator, an engine, and an accelerator, with its performance being highly sensitive to the configuration settings. These findings establish a connection between thermodynamic quantities and quantum coherence, supplying valuable insights for the design of quantum thermal machines.