Topological Phase Transition in Quantum Heat Engine Cycles

Abstract

We explore signatures of a topological phase transition (TPT) in the work and efficiency of a quantum heat engine, which uses a single layer topological insulator, stanene, in an external electric field as a working substance. The magnitude of the electric field controls the trivial and topological insulator phases of the stanene. We investigate the effects of TPT in two types of thermodynamic cycles, with and without adiabatic stages. For the adiabatic case, we examine a quantum Otto cycle. We find that at the critical point of TPT both work and efficiency plots with respect to the strength of the electric field exhibit a kink. For a non-adiabatic case, we consider an idealized Stirling type cycle with two isothermal and two isoelectric processes. We find no signatures of the TPT unless a voltage bias is introduced to restrict the involved energy bands to the electronic manifold above the Fermi level. In this case, either above or below the critical point, both work and efficiency become zero depending on the relative magnitudes of the electric fields in the isoelectric stages.