A nonequilibrium quantum Otto engine enhanced via multi-parameter control

Abstract: Advances in experimental control of interacting quantum many-body systems with multiple tunable parameters--such as ultracold atomic gases and trapped ions--are driving rapid progress in quantum thermodynamics and enabling the design of quantum thermal machines. In this work, we utilize a sudden quench approximation as a means to investigate the operation of a quantum thermodynamic Otto cycle in which multiple parameters are simultaneously controllable. The method applies universally to many-body systems where such control is available, and therefore provides general principles for investigating their operation as a working medium in quantum thermal machines. We investigate application of this multi-parameter quench protocol in an experimentally realistic one-dimensional Bose gas as the working fluid, with control over both the frequency of an external harmonic trap and the interparticle interaction strength. We derive a general inequality for the net work of this two-parameter Otto cycle, demonstrating that this protocol out-performs its constituent single-parameter Otto cycles when operating as an engine, and additionally implying an enhancement to the coefficient of performance when operating as a refrigerator. Further, we demonstrate that multi-parameter control can exhibit dramatically improved performance of the Otto engine when compared not only to single-parameter constituent quenches but also to the combined effect of its constituent engine cycles.