Interaction-enhanced quantum heat engine

Abstract

We study a minimal quantum Otto heat engine, where the working medium consists of an interacting few-body system in a harmonic trap. This allows us to consider the interaction strength as an additional tunable parameter during the work strokes. We calculate the figures of merit of this engine as a function of the temperature and show clearly in which parameter regimes the interactions assist in engine performance. We also study the finite-time dynamics and the subsequent tradeoff between the efficiency and the power, comparing the interaction-enhanced cycle with the case where the system remains scale-invariant.