arXiv subjects

David Gelbwaser-Klimovsky

Publications and source records attributed to David Gelbwaser-Klimovsky.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

A dynamic picture of energy conversion in photovoltaic devices

Studies of emerging photovoltaics, such as organic and perovskite solar cells, have recently shown that the separation of photo-generated charge carriers is correlated with non-thermal, coherent oscillations within the illuminated device. We consider this experimental evidence in light of results from the theory of open quantum systems that point to the need for a self-oscillating internal capacitor, acting as a microscopic piston, to explain how an illuminated solar cell operates as an autonomous heat engine. We propose a picture of work extraction by photovoltaic devices that supersedes the quasi-static descriptions prevalent in the literature. Finally, we argue that such a dialogue between condensed matter physics and quantum thermodynamics may offer a guide for the design of new energy transducers.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2018

Single-atom heat machines enabled by energy quantization

Quantization of energy is a quintessential characteristic of quantum systems. Here we analyze its effects on the operation of Otto cycle heat machines and show that energy quantization alone may alter and increase machine performance in terms of output power, efficiency, and even operation mode. Our results demonstrate that quantum thermodynamics enable the realization of classically inconceivable Otto machines, such as those with an incompressible working fluid. We propose to measure these effects experimentally using a laser-cooled trapped ion as a microscopic heat machine.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Quantum features and signatures of quantum-thermal machines

The aim of this book chapter is to indicate how quantum phenomena are affecting the operation of microscopic thermal machines, such as engines and refrigerators. As converting heat to work is one of the fundamental concerns in thermodynamics, the platform of quantum-thermal machines sheds light on thermodynamics in the quantum regime. This chapter focuses on the basic features of quantum mechanics, such as energy quantization, the uncertainty principle, quantum coherence and correlations, and their manifestation in microscopic thermal devices. In addition to indicating the peculiar behaviors of thermal-machines due to their non-classical features, we present quantum-thermodynamic signatures of these machines. Any violation of the classical bounds on thermodynamic measurements of these machines is a sufficient condition to conclude that quantum effects are present in the operation of that thermal machine. Experimental setups demonstrating some of the results are also presented.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Reproducing Quantum Probability Distributions at the Speed of Classical Dynamics: A New Approach for Developing Force-Field Functors

Modeling nuclear quantum effects is required for accurate molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of molecules. The community has paid special attention to water and other biomolecules that show hydrogen bonding. Standard methods of modeling nuclear quantum effects like Ring Polymer Molecular Dynamics (RPMD) are computationally costlier than running classical trajectories. A force-field functor (FFF) is an alternative method that computes an effective force field which replicates quantum properties of the original force field. In this work, we propose an efficient method of computing FFF using the Wigner-Kirkwood expansion. As a test case, we calculate a range of thermodynamic properties of Neon, obtaining the same level of accuracy as RPMD, but with the shorter runtime of classical simulations. By modifying existing MD programs, the proposed method could be used in the future to increase the efficiency and accuracy of MD simulations involving water and proteins.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2017

High voltage assisted mechanical stabilization of single-molecule junctions

The realization of molecular-based electronic devices depends to a large extent on the ability to mechanically stabilize the involved molecular bonds, while making use of efficient resonant charge transport through the device. Resonant charge transport can induce vibrational instability of molecular bonds, leading to bond rupture under a bias voltage. In this work, we go beyond the wide-band approximation in order to study the phenomenon of vibrational instability in single molecule junctions and show that the energy-dependence of realistic molecule-leads couplings affects the mechanical stability of the junction. We show that the chemical bonds can be stabilized in the resonant transport regime by increasing the bias voltage on the junction. This research provides guidelines for the design of mechanically stable molecular devices operating in the regime of resonant charge transport.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

A thermodynamic cycle for the solar cell

A solar cell is a heat engine, but textbook treatments are not wholly satisfactory from a thermodynamic standpoint, since they present solar cells as directly converting the energy of light into electricity, and the current in the circuit as maintained by an electrostatic potential. We propose a thermodynamic cycle in which the gas of electrons in the p phase serves as the working substance. The interface between the p and n phases acts as a self-oscillating piston that modulates the absorption of heat from the photons so that it may perform a net positive work during a complete cycle of its motion, in accordance with the laws of thermodynamics. We draw a simple hydrodynamical analogy between this model and the "putt-putt"' engine of toy boats, in which the interface between the water's liquid and gas phases serves as the piston. We point out some testable consequences of this model.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2017

Optical Spectra of p-Doped PEDOT Nano-Aggregates Provide Insight into the Material Disorder

Highly doped Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) or PEDOT is a conductive polymer with a wide range of applications in energy conversion due to its ease of processing, optical properties and high conductivity. The latter is influenced by processing conditions, including formulation, annealing, and solvent treatment of the polymer, which also affects the polymer arrangement. Here we show that the analysis of the optical spectra of PEDOT domains reveals the nature and magnitude of the structural disorder in the material. In particular, the optical spectra of objects on individual domains can be used for the elucidation of the molecular disorder in oligomer arrangement which is a key factor affecting the conductivity.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

On the operation of machines powered by quantum non-thermal baths

Diverse models of engines energised by quantum-coherent, hence non-thermal, baths allow the engine efficiency to transgress the standard thermodynamic Carnot bound. These transgressions call for an elucidation of the underlying mechanisms. Here we show that non-thermal baths may impart not only heat, but also mechanical work to a machine. The Carnot bound is inapplicable to such a hybrid machine. Intriguingly, it may exhibit dual action, concurrently as engine and refrigerator, with up to 100% efficiency. We conclude that even though a machine powered by a quantum bath may exhibit an unconventional performance, it still abides by the traditional principles of thermodynamics.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

On thermodynamic inconsistencies in several photosynthetic and solar cell models and how to fix them

We analyze standard theoretical models of solar energy conversion developed to study solar cells and photosynthetic systems. We show that the assumption that the energy transfer to the reaction center/electric circuit is through a decay rate or "sink", is in contradiction with the second law of thermodynamics. We put forward a thermodynamically consistent alternative by explicitly considering parts of the reaction center/electric circuit and by employing a Hamiltonian transfer. The predicted energy transfer by the new scheme differs from the one found using a decay rate, casting doubts on the validity of the conclusions obtained by models which include the latter.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Solar cell as self-oscillating heat engine

Solar cells are engines converting energy supplied by the photon flux into work. All known types of macroscopic engines and turbines are also self-oscillating systems which yield a periodic motion at the expense of a usually non-periodic source of energy. The very definition of work in the formalism of quantum open systems suggests the hypothesis that the oscillating "piston" is a necessary ingredient of the work extraction process. This aspect of solar cell operation is absent in the existing descriptions and the main goal of this paper is to show that plasma oscillations provide the physical implementation of a piston.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2015

Performance limits of multilevel and multipartite quantum heat machines

We present the general theory of a quantum heat machine based on an $N$-level system (working medium) whose $N-1$ excited levels are degenerate, a prerequisite for steady-state interlevel coherence. Our goal is to find out: To what extent is coherence in the working medium an asset for heat machines? The performance bounds of such a machine are common to (reciprocating) cycles that consist of consecutive strokes and continuous cycles wherein the periodically driven system is constantly coupled to cold and hot heat baths. Intriguingly, we find that the machine's performance strongly depends on the relative orientations of the transition-dipole vectors in the system. Perfectly aligned (parallel) transition dipoles allow for steady-state coherence effects, but also give rise to dark states, which hinder steady-state thermalization and thus reduce the machine's performance. Similar thermodynamic properties hold for $N$ two-level atoms conforming to the Dicke model. We conclude that level degeneracy, but not necessarily coherence, is a thermodynamic resource, equally enhancing the heat currents and the power output of the heat machine. By contrast, the efficiency remains unaltered by this degeneracy and adheres to the Carnot bound.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Non-equilibrium quantum heat machines

Standard heat machines (engine, heat pump, refrigerator) are composed of a system ("working fluid") coupled to at least two equilibrium baths at different temperatures and periodically driven by an external device (piston or rotor) called sometimes work reservoir. The aim of this paper is to go beyond this scheme by considering environments which are stationary but cannot be decomposed into few baths at thermal equilibrium. Such situations are important, for example in solar cells, chemical machines in biology, various realizations of laser cooling or nanoscopic machines driven by laser radiation. We classify non-equilibrium baths depending on their thermodynamic behavior and show that the efficiency of heat machines operating under their influences is limited by a generalized Carnot bound.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Strongly coupled quantum heat machines

Quantum heat machines (QHMs) models generally assume a weak coupling to the baths. This supposition is grounded in the separability principle between systems and allows the derivation of the evolution equation for this case. In the weak coupling regime, the machine's output is limited by the coupling strength, restricting their application. Seeking to overcome this limitation, we here analyze QHMs in the virtually unexplored strong coupling regime, where separability, as well as other standard thermodynamic assumptions, may no longer hold. We show that strongly coupled QHMs may be as efficient as their weakly coupled counterparts. In addition, we find a novel turnover behavior where their output saturates and disappears in the limit of ultra-strong coupling.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Work extraction from heat-powered quantized optomechanical setups

We analyze work extraction from an autonomous (self-contained) heat-powered optomechanical setup. The initial state of the quantized mechanical oscillator plays a key role. As the initial mean amplitude of the oscillator decreases, the resulting efficiency increases. In contrast to laser-powered self-induced oscillations, work extraction from a broadband heat bath does not require coherence or phase-locking: an initial phase-averaged coherent state of the oscillator still yields work, as opposed to an initial Fock-state.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Heat-machine control by quantum-state preparation: from quantum engines to refrigerators

We explore the dependence of the performance bounds of heat engines and refrigerators on the initial quantum state and the subsequent evolution of their piston, modeled by a quantized harmonic oscillator. Our goal is to provide a fully quantized treatment of self-contained (autonomous) heat machines, as opposed to their prevailing semiclassical description that consists of a quantum system alternately coupled to a hot or a cold heat bath, and parametrically driven by a classical time-dependent piston or field. Here by contrast, there is no external time-dependent driving. Instead, the evolution is caused by the stationary simultaneous interaction of two heat baths (having distinct spectra and temperatures) with a single two-level system that is in turn coupled to the quantum piston. The fully quantized treatment we put forward allows us to investigate work extraction and refrigeration by the tools of quantum-optical amplifier and dissipation theory, particularly, by the analysis of amplified or dissipated phase-plane quasiprobability distributions. Our main insight is that quantum states may be thermodynamic resources and can provide a powerful handle, or control, on the efficiency of the heat machine. In particular, a piston initialized in a coherent state can cause the engine to produce work at an efficiency above the Carnot bound in the linear amplification regime. In the refrigeration regime, the coefficient of performance can transgress the Carnot bound if the piston is initialized in a Fock state. The piston may be realized by a vibrational mode, as in nanomechanical setups, or an electromagnetic field mode, as in cavity-based scenarios.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2014

Power enhancement of heat engines via correlated thermalization in multilevel systems

We analyze a heat machine based on a periodically-driven quantum system permanently coupled to hot and cold baths. It is shown that the maximal power output of a degenerate $V$-type three-level heat engine is that generated by two independent two-level systems. For $N$ levels, this maximal enhancement is $(N-1)$-fold. Hence, level degeneracy is a thermodynamic resource that may effectively boost the power output. The efficiency, however, is not affected. We find that coherence is not an essential asset in multilevel-based heat machines. The existence of multiple thermalization pathways sharing a common ground state suffices for power enhancement.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2013

Work and energy gain of heat-pumped quantized amplifiers

We investigate heat-pumped single-mode amplifiers of quantized fields in high-Q cavities based on non-inverted two-level systems. Their power generation is shown to crucially depend on the capacity of the quantum state of the field to accumulate useful work. By contrast, the energy gain of the field is shown to be insensitive to its quantum state. Analogies and differences with masers are explored.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2013

Work extraction via quantum nondemolition measurements of qubits in cavities: Non-Markovian effects

We show that frequent nondemolition measurements of a quantum system immersed in a thermal bath allow the extraction of work in a closed cycle from the system-bath interaction (correlation) energy, a hitherto unexploited work resource. It allows for work even if no information is gathered or the bath is at zero temperature, provided the cycle is within the bath memory time. The predicted work resource may be the basis of quantum engines embedded in a bath with long memory time, such as the electromagnetic bath of a high-Q cavity coupled to two-level systems.

quant-ph↗