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arXiv:2606.22733

A single-electron double quantum dot with Rashba spin-orbit interaction as a working substance for heat machines

Ivan Romualdo de Oliveira, Vinícius N. A. Lula-Rocha, Moises Rojas

quant-phcond-mat.stat-mechSubmitted Jun 22, 2026• Announced Jun 23, 2026
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Abstract

We investigate the thermodynamic performance of a quantum Otto machine whose working substance is a single electron confined in a double quantum dot under an external magnetic field and Rashba spin-orbit interaction. The Hamiltonian is controlled by the Zeeman splitting, the interdot tunneling amplitude, and the Rashba coupling, which induces spin-flip tunneling between localized orbital states. Within a quasistatic Otto cycle, we analyze the heat exchanged with the reservoirs, the extracted work, and the efficiency as functions of the Hamiltonian parameters and reservoir temperatures. We show that the Rashba interaction acts as an effective control parameter for switching among heat-engine, refrigerator, heater, and accelerator regimes. A global numerical analysis over the Hamiltonian parameters and reservoir temperatures identifies the optimal operating points for efficiency and work output in the heat-engine regime. The highest efficiencies occur near the maximum temperature gradient explored and approach the Carnot bound, whereas the largest work output appears in a different region of parameter space. The results reveal a clear trade-off between maximum efficiency and maximum extracted work, governed by the spectral deformation induced by the Zeeman splitting, tunneling amplitude, and Rashba coupling.

Comments
11 pages, 5 figures

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We investigate the thermodynamic performance of a quantum Otto machine whose working substance is a single electron confined in a double quantum dot under an external magnetic field and Rashba spin-orbit interaction. The Hamiltonian is controlled by the Zeeman splitting, the interdot tunneling amplitude, and the Rashba coupling, which induces spin-flip tunneling between localized orbital states. Within a quasistatic Otto cycle, we analyze the heat exchanged with the reservoirs, the extracted work, and the efficiency as functions of the Hamiltonian parameters and reservoir temperatures. We show that the Rashba interaction acts as an effective control parameter for switching among heat-engine, refrigerator, heater, and accelerator regimes. A global numerical analysis over the Hamiltonian parameters and reservoir temperatures identifies the optimal operating points for efficiency and work output in the heat-engine regime. The highest efficiencies occur near the maximum temperature gradient explored and approach the Carnot bound, whereas the largest work output appears in a different region of parameter space. The results reveal a clear trade-off between maximum efficiency and maximum extracted work, governed by the spectral deformation induced by the Zeeman splitting, tunneling amplitude, and Rashba coupling.
Abstract This paper proposes a theoretical model for a heat engine operating on the Otto cycle, employing a two-qubit Heisenberg chain as its working substance. This system is subjected to an external, time-dependent homogeneous magnetic field and a symmetric cross-spin interaction. The interaction is configured to occur along two distinct orientations, contingent upon the direction of Zeeman energy and symmetric interaction: either exclusively along the X -direction or exclusively along the Z -direction. Furthermore, the thermal reservoirs integral to the Otto engine are considered to engage with the working substance via two discrete modes: a localized interaction or a collective interaction. The two qubits exhibit weak coupling to a non-equilibrium thermal environment during the isochoric heating and cooling strokes, thereby validating the application of a Markovian model as a suitable approximation for describing the time evolution of the working substance. This study investigates the influence of various system parameters on the thermodynamic quantities and the resultant power output. A principal finding is that refrigeration functionality is the predominant operational characteristic when the system engages in collective interaction with the reservoirs. Conversely, localized interactions facilitate dual operational modes, with the sign of the Zeeman energy determining the function as either a refrigerator or a heat engine. Significantly, positive power output is achieved in the engine regime, and we find that the choice of interaction axis acts as a powerful amplification mechanism for the thermodynamic output, while the system-environment coupling scheme proves to be the most decisive factor in determining the machine’s fundamental purpose.
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Quantum Otto and Carnot engines have recently been receiving attention due to their ability to achieve high efficiencies and powers based on the laws of quantum mechanics. This paper discusses the theory, progress, and possible applications of quantum Otto and Carnot engines, such as energy production, cooling, and nanoscale technologies. In particular, we investigate a two-spin Heisenberg system that works as a substance in quantum Otto and Carnot cycles while exposed to an external magnetic field with both Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya and dipole-dipole interactions. The four stages of engine cycles are subject to analysis with respect to the heat exchanges that occur between the hot and cold reservoirs, alongside the work done during each stage. The operating conditions of the heat engine, refrigerator, thermal accelerator, and heater are all achieved. Moreover, our results demonstrate that the laws of thermodynamics are strictly upheld and the Carnot cycle produces more useful work than that of the Otto cycle.
In this paper we study a quantum Otto thermal machine where the working substance is composed of N identical qubits coupled to a single mode of a bosonic field, where the atoms and the field interact with a reservoir, as described by the so-called open Dicke model. By controlling the relevant and experimentally accessible parameters of the model we show that it is possible to build a universal quantum heat machine (UQHM) that can function as an engine, refrigerator, heater, or accelerator. The heat and work exchanges are computed taking into account the growth of the number N of atoms as well as the coupling regimes characteristic of the Dicke model for several ratios of temperatures of the two thermal reservoirs. The analysis of quantum features such as entanglement and second-order correlation shows that these quantum resources do not affect either the efficiency or the performance of the UQHM based on the open Dicke model. In addition, we show that the improvement in both efficiency and coefficient of performance of our UQHM occurs for regions around the critical value of the phase transition parameter of the model.
We investigate a quantum heat engine with a working substance of two particles, one with a spin-1/2 and the other with an arbitrary spin (spin s), coupled by Heisenberg exchange interaction, and subject to an external magnetic field. The engine operates in a quantum Otto cycle. Work harvested in the cycle and its efficiency are calculated using quantum thermodynamical definitions. It is found that the engine has higher efficiencies at higher spins and can harvest work at higher exchange interaction strengths. The role of exchange coupling and spin s on the work output and the thermal efficiency is studied in detail. In addition, the engine operation is analyzed from the perspective of local work and efficiency. We develop a general formalism to explore local thermodynamics applicable to any coupled bipartite system. Our general framework allows for examination of local thermodynamics even when global parameters of the system are varied in thermodynamic cycles. The generalized definitions of local and cooperative work are introduced by using mean field Hamiltonians. The general conditions for which the global work is not equal to the sum of the local works are given in terms of the covariance of the subsystems. Our coupled spin quantum Otto engine is used as an example of the general formalism.