Speaker
Description
Quantum heat engines lie at the intersection of quantum thermodynamics and non-equilibrium many-body physics. Technological advances in quantum platforms have motivated studies beyond canonical equlibrium. In this talk, I will discuss whether prethermalization enhances or reduces engine efficiency by investigating Otto cycles in quantum systems with varying numbers of conserved quantities.
Additional conservation laws reduce efficiency at positive temperatures, but enhance it in regimes of negative temperatures. Our findings stem from general thermodynamic inequalities for infinitesimal cycles, and we provide evidence for integrable models undergoing finite cycles using Generalized Hydrodynamics. The relevance of our results for quantum simulators is also discussed, providing an example of how theoretical advances in the theory of integrable systems can be used to design novel quantum devices. The talk is based on Nat. Commun. 16, 10593 (2025), joint work with Alvise Bastianello and Adolfo del Campo.