NSF-BSF: Quantum Optical Machines Powered by Heat and Information from Ideas to Experiments on Performance Bounds

对量子热力学（QTD）的兴趣的高涨围绕着基本问题：量子效应如何潜在地改变传统热力学定律？ QTD是否具有独特的优势量子资源？这些问题将通过相互反馈的理论和实验来研究，以掌握QTD机器的基本操作原理和性能界限，例如基于激光的量子热机，量子光电池和生物分子马达。 由于制冷机的小型化是最重要的技术挑战之一，这项广泛而有针对性的研究将有助于推动未来技术朝着纳米尺寸器件的快速散热和耗散控制的方向发展。该项目的总体目标是在概念和操作上弥合热力学和量子光学，并启动基于激光器，热原子（Rb）蒸汽、探测器和空腔。所获得的见解将有助于解决潜在的问题，例如量子机器与经典热机相比的性能界限偏差。该小组将介绍一个通用的标准，工作和热量提取取决于非被动（各态历经）的系统状态和浴，未占第二定律。这个标准将允许团队探索（通过理论和实验）量子系统中可实现的功-信息，功-热和热-信息权衡。预期的是概念新颖的设计和实验实现的热和信息动力激光器没有反转，光学参量放大器，冰箱没有相干，但具有优越的性能。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得支持的评估使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

The upsurge of interest in quantum thermodynamics (QTD) centers around the basic questions: How are the laws of conventional thermodynamics potentially changed by quantum effects? Does QTD feature uniquely advantageous quantum resources? These issues will be researched by theory and experiment with mutual feedback to grasp the fundamental operation principles and performance bounds of QTD machines, e.g. laser-based quantum heat engines, quantum photocells, and biomolecular motors. This broad, yet targeted, research will help advance future technologies towards fast heat removal and dissipation control in nano-size devices, as the miniaturization of a refrigerator is one of the most important technological challenges.The overarching aim of the project is to bridge thermodynamics and quantum optics, both conceptually and operationally, and initiate QTD machine technologies based on platforms comprised of lasers, hot atomic (Rb) vapor, detectors, and cavities. The insights gained will help resolve underlying issues such as deviations in the performance bounds of quantum machines compared to classical heat machines. The group will introduce a universal criterion for work and heat extraction depending on the non-passivity (ergotropy) of the system state and the bath, unaccounted for by the second law. This criterion will allow the team to explore (by theory and experiment) the work-information, work-heat, and heat-information tradeoffs achievable in quantum systems. Anticipated are conceptually novel designs and experimental implementations of heat- and information-powered lasers without inversion, optical parametric amplifiers, and refrigerators without coherence, yet with advantageous performance.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.