Department of Physics, Shanghai University, Baoshan District, Shanghai 200444, People's Republic of China.
Department of Chemical Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 Nov 14;114(46):12156-12161. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1711381114. Epub 2017 Oct 30.
We propose a hitherto-unexplored concept in quantum thermodynamics: catalysis of heat-to-work conversion by quantum nonlinear pumping of the piston mode which extracts work from the machine. This concept is analogous to chemical reaction catalysis: Small energy investment by the catalyst (pump) may yield a large increase in heat-to-work conversion. Since it is powered by thermal baths, the catalyzed machine adheres to the Carnot bound, but may strongly enhance its efficiency and power compared with its noncatalyzed counterparts. This enhancement stems from the increased ability of the squeezed piston to store work. Remarkably, the fraction of piston energy that is convertible into work may then approach unity. The present machine and its counterparts powered by squeezed baths share a common feature: Neither is a genuine heat engine. However, a squeezed pump that catalyzes heat-to-work conversion by small investment of work is much more advantageous than a squeezed bath that simply transduces part of the work invested in its squeezing into work performed by the machine.
通过对活塞模式的量子非线性泵送来催化热到功的转换，从而从机器中提取功。这个概念类似于化学反应催化：催化剂（泵）的少量能量投入可能会导致热到功的转换大幅增加。由于它是由热浴驱动的，所以被催化的机器遵守卡诺界限，但与未被催化的机器相比，它可以显著提高效率和功率。这种增强源于压缩活塞存储功的能力的提高。值得注意的是，活塞能量中可转换为功的部分可能接近 1。目前的机器及其由压缩浴驱动的对应物具有一个共同的特点：它们都不是真正的热机。然而，通过少量的功投资来催化热到功转换的压缩泵比仅仅将投入到其压缩中的部分功转换为机器所做的功的压缩浴更有利。
