Seminar on current topics of quantum thermodynamics

Title: Engineering efficient machines at nanoscale 

Abstract: We present the state of current on-going miniaturization of heat engines towards the quantum regime. We briefly discuss the experimental realization of a single atom engine using an ultracold ion in linear Paul trap coupled to engineered reservoirs. We investigate the performance of a quantum thermal machine operating in finite time based on shortcut-to-adiabaticity techniques. We analyze the performance of a paradigmatic quantum Otto cycle by taking the energetic cost of the shortcut driving explicitly into account. We demonstrate that shortcut-to-adiabaticity machines outperform conventional ones for fast cycles. We further derive generic upper bounds on performance quantities, valid for any heat engine cycle, using the notion of quantum speed limit for driven systems.