Abstract
Relativistic quantum systems exhibit unique features not present at lower energies, such as the existence of both particles and antiparticles, and restrictions placed on the system dynamics due to the light cone. In order to understand what impact these relativistic phenomena have on the performance of quantum thermal machines we analyze a quantum Otto engine with a working medium of a relativistic particle in an oscillator potential evolving under Dirac or Klein–Gordon dynamics. We examine both the low-temperature, non-relativistic and high-temperature, relativistic limits of the dynamics and find that the relativistic engine operates with higher work output, but an effectively reduced compression ratio, leading to significantly smaller efficiency than its non-relativistic counterpart. Using the framework of endoreversible thermodynamics we determine the efficiency at maximum power of the relativistic engine, and find it to be equivalent to the Curzon–Ahlborn efficiency.
Highlights
Using relativistic phenomena as a source of power has long been a staple of popular culture, such as the matter-antimatter annihilation reactors that power the warp drives of Star Trek [1,2,3]
Since the beginnings of thermodynamics, the study of heat engines has played an integral role in understanding the thermodynamic behavior of a wide variety of systems [7]
The discovery by Scovil and Schulz-DuBois that a three-level maser could be modeled as a continuous heat engine [8] opened the door to using the framework of heat engines to extend the principles of thermodynamics to the quantum regime
Summary
Using relativistic phenomena as a source of power has long been a staple of popular culture, such as the matter-antimatter annihilation reactors that power the warp drives of Star Trek [1,2,3]. Recent works have examined quantum heat engine cycles for a relativistic fermion in a square well potential [61,62,63], and a non-relativistic working medium interacting with a relativsitic bath [64]. In this paper we examine the performance of an endoreversible quantum Otto engine with a working medium of a single relativistic particle, either fermion or boson, in an oscillator potential. We demonstrate that the relativistic engine operates with an effectively reduced compression ratio due to restrictions on the dynamics from the light cone, resulting in lower efficiency in comparison to a non-relativistic working medium.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
