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Laser Physics

Extracting energy from a single heat bath via vanishing quantum coherence : III. Master equation derivation

Yuri V. Rostovtsev, Zoe‐Elizabeth Sariyanni, Marlan O. Scully

Published Jan 1, 2003• 6 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

A master equation for a single mode radiation field interacting with a coherently prepared beam of atoms is derived. The atomic quantum coherence is built up via interaction with an external microwave field. We discuss various applications of the derived master equation, including lasing without population inversion and the possibility of exceeding the Carnot efficiency of a quantum heat engine fueled by a beam of phase coherent atoms. The main motivation for this paper is to settle subtle technical issues involving the derivation of the master equation.

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A master equation for a single mode radiation field interacting with a coherently prepared beam of atoms is derived. The atomic quantum coherence is built up via interaction with an external microwave field. We discuss various applications of the derived master equation, including lasing without population inversion and the possibility of exceeding the Carnot efficiency of a quantum heat engine fueled by a beam of phase coherent atoms. The main motivation for this paper is to settle subtle technical issues involving the derivation of the master equation.
We consider a recently proposed four-level quantum heat engine (QHE) model to analyze the role of quantum coherences in determining the thermodynamic properties of the engine, such as flux, output power, and efficiency. A quantitative analysis of the relative effects of the coherences induced by the two thermal baths is brought out. By taking account of the dissipation in the cavity mode, we define useful work obtained from the QHE and present some analytical results for the optimal values of relative coherences that maximizes flux (hence output power) through the engine. We also analyze the role of quantum effects in inducing population inversion (lasing) between the states coupled to the cavity mode. The universal behavior of the efficiency at maximum power (EMP\mathrm{EMP}EMP) is examined. In accordance with earlier theoretical predictions, to leading order, we find that $\mathrm{EMP}\ensuremath{\sim}{\ensuremath{\eta}}_{c}/2$, where ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{c}$ is Carnot efficiency. However, the next higher order coefficient is system dependent and hence nonuniversal.
We present a detailed thermodynamic analysis of a three-level quantum heat engine coupled continuously to hot and cold reservoirs. The system is driven by an oscillating external field and is described by the Markovian quantum master equation. We use the general form of the dissipator which is consistent with thermodynamics. We calculate the heat, power, and efficiency of the system for the heat-engine operating regime and also examine the thermodynamic uncertainty relation. The efficiency of the system is strongly dependent on the structure of the dissipator, and the correlations between different levels can be an obstacle for ideal operation. In quantum systems, the heat flux is decomposed into the population and coherent parts. The coherent part is specific to quantum systems, and in contrast to the population part, it cannot be expressed by a simple series expansion in the linear-response regime. We discuss how the interplay between the population and coherent parts affects the performance of the heat engine.
The basic tool in quantum optics for the description of atomic systems interacting with coherent and incoherent radiation fields is the atomic density matrix governed by the master equation. In the present paper we apply standard condensed-matter nonequilibrium many-body methods to the problem of a two-level atom driven by an external laser field and relaxing by interaction with the radiation field. We recover the well-known dressed-atom picture and, in particular, we present an alternative derivation of the master equation for the atomic density matrix which allows simple generalizations.
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.
A master equation of a Laser system is presented from a dynamical point of .It is assumed that the Laser system is coupled with other independent subsystems.They p!ay a role as distinct reservoirs in our Laser system.As an application of this approach, the master equation is obtained for a system that corresponds to a Laser model considered by Scully-Lamb.The equation obtained heye includes the dynamical effect of an atomic system, i. e., atomic coherence. gl. IntroductionRecently various statistical mechanical theories have been developed by many authors in order to explain the properties of Laser systems.Especially, Haken et al.i) presented a model in which the Laser system is in contact with several independent heat reservoirs of different temperatures, undergoing irreversible processes among them.In particular, Weidlich and Haake2) showed the existence of the lasing state which might be considered as a revelation of the phase change in an open system by the method of a master equation similar to the Wangnness-Bloch equation of nuclear spin induction.In this theory the relaxation processes are lntroduced phenomenologica!ly in the master equation, without taking into account its detailed derivation from a microscopic point of view.On the other hand, Scully-Lamb3) independently developed a quantal theory of Laser, which is an extention of the famous semiclassic theory by Lamb, and obtained the statistical properties of radiation field of Laser systems.In g2, one of the purposes of this paper is presented.Here, from a dynamical point of view, a generalized master equation was setforth for a system coupled with several independent subsystems.Thus the discussion in g2 is analogous to Argyres' theory") for the relaxation of spin system, in wh!ch Wangness-Bloch equation was derived from a dynamical point of view.The second purpose of this paper is to present a generalized master equation corresponding to the Laser system considered by Scully-Lamb as described in g3.gZ. Derivation of the master equation Now let us consider the following system.The system with which we are mainly concerned shali be called A and is described by dynamical variables {ai}.