Abstract
We propose the implementation of a quantum heat pump with ultracold atoms. It is based on two periodically driven coherently coupled quantum dots using ultracold atoms. Each dot possesses two relevant quantum states and is coupled to a fermionic reservoir. The working principle is based on energy-selective driving-induced resonant tunneling processes, where a particle that tunnels from one dot to the other either absorbs or emits the energy quantum ℏω associated with the driving frequency, depending on its energy. We characterize the device using Floquet theory and compare simple analytical estimates to numerical simulations based on the Floquet-Born-Markov formalism. In particular, we show that driving-induced heating is directly linked to the micromotion of the Floquet states of the system.
Highlights
The miniaturization of heat engines and pumps to systems consisting of a few relevant quantum states only [1,2] and their description in terms of quantum thermodynamics [3,4,5,6] constitutes a fascinating and active field of research
The working principle is based on energy-selective driving-induced resonant tunneling processes, where a particle that tunnels from one dot to the other either absorbs or emits the energy quantum hω associated with the driving frequency, depending on its energy
We have described a simple design for a quantum heat pump
Summary
The miniaturization of heat engines and pumps to systems consisting of a few relevant quantum states only [1,2] and their description in terms of quantum thermodynamics [3,4,5,6] constitutes a fascinating and active field of research. A driven double-quantum-dot structure similar to the one considered here was proposed for electrons in a driven heterostructure [20] It was modeled as a one-dimensional system with stepwise constant potentials, which allowed for a treatment using a Floquet transfer-matrix approach [21] and which differs from the system considered here by the fact that it does not involve transverse degrees of freedom. Different from this previous work, our analysis presented below is based on Floquet-Born-Markov theory [22,23,24,25] Another difference consists in the fact that we are assuming reservoirs of finite size, as they are relevant for a quantum-gas system, and study their time evolution. The fact that the working mechanism of our system will be based on the transport of particles (fermions) between the dots and the reservoirs, distinguishes it, from very recently proposed periodically driven heat pumps based on energy exchange [26,27] and from an incoherently driven double-dot device [28]
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