Quantum thermodynamics and quantum coherence engines

Abstract

The advantages of quantum effects in several technologies, such as computation and communication, have already been well appreciated. Some devices, such as quantum computers and communication links, exhibiting superiority to their classical counterparts, have been demonstrated. The close relationship between information and energy motivates us to explore if similar quantum benefits can be found in energy technologies. Investigation of performance limits for a broader class of information-energy machines is the subject of the rapidly emerging field of quantum thermodynamics. Extension of classical thermodynamical laws to the quantum realm is far from trivial. This short review presents some of the recent efforts in this fundamental direction. It focuses on quantum heat engines and their efficiency bounds when harnessing energy from nonthermal resources, specifically those containing quantum coherence and correlations.