https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-023-00969-4
Regular Article
Non-geometric pumping effects on the performance of interacting quantum-dot heat engines
1
Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Chalmers University of Technology, S-412 96, Göteborg, Sweden
2
Center for Quantum Devices, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
Received:
4
April
2023
Accepted:
22
August
2023
Published online:
6
September
2023
Periodically driven quantum dots can act as counterparts of cyclic thermal machines at the nanoscale. In the slow-driving regime of geometric pumping, such machines have been shown to operate in analogy to a Carnot cycle. For larger driving frequencies, which are required to increase the cooling power, the efficiency of the operation decreases. Up to which frequency a close-to-optimal performance is still possible depends on the magnitude and sign of on-site electron–electron interaction. Extending our previous detailed study on cyclic quantum-dot refrigerators [Phys. Rev. B 106, 035405 (2022)], we here find that the optimal cooling power remains constant up to weak interaction strength compared to the cold-bath temperature. By contrast, the work cost depends on the interaction via the dot’s charge relaxation rate, as the latter sets the typical driving frequency for the onset of non-geometric pumping contributions.
© The Author(s) 2023
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