Researchers Demonstrate Spin Quantum Heat Engine in Lab Setting

(Phys.org) Researchers at the University of Waterloo, Universidade Federal do ABC and Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas; have successfully demonstrated a spin quantum heat engine in a laboratory setting. Their paper outlines the implementation of a heat engine based on a spin-1/2 system and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques.
“The so-called ‘quantum thermodynamics’ are currently under development,” Roberto Serra, one of the researchers who carried out the study, said. “This emerging field is also associated with developments in quantum technology, which promises a kind of new industrial revolution at the nanoscale with disruptive devices for computation, communication, sensors, etc.”
In their future work, Serra and his colleagues also hope to identify ways to optimize the operation of small quantum thermal machines, demonstrating their effectiveness in real experiments. This could ultimately help to build more advanced quantum refrigerators that could be implemented in new quantum computers.