Performance of a two-state quantum engine improved by the superposition effect

The performance of a two-state quantum engine under different conditions is analyzed.It is shown that the efficiency of the quantum engine can be enhanced by superposing the eigenstates at the beginning of the cycle.By employing the finite-time movement of the potential wall,the power output of the quantum engine as well as the efficiency at the maximum power output(EMP) can be obtained.A generalized potential is adopted to describe a class of two-level quantum engines in a unified way.The results obtained show clearly that the performances of these engines depend on the external potential,the geometric configuration of the quantum engines,and the superposition effect.Moreover,it is found that the superposition effect will enlarge the optimally operating region of quantum engines.

A three-process quantum engine cycle consisting of a two-level system

Based on the thermodynamic properties of isoenergetic,adiabatic and isothermal quantum processes,it is shown that it is possible to combine the three processes into a quantum engine cycle.The efficiency of the three-process cycle can be derived and is dependent on the highest and lowest temperatures.The efficiency in some operation regions does not demonstrate a monotonically increasing function of the temperature difference.When the highest temperature of the cycle is larger than the critical temperature,which can be determined by the characteristics of the three-process cycle,a unique region where the efficiency decreased with the increase of the temperature difference exists.

Generalized entropies under different probability normalization conditions

Tsallis entropy and incomplete entropy are proven to have equivalent mathematical structure except for one nonextensive factor q through variable replacements on the basis of their forms. However, employing the Lagrange multiplier method, it is judged that neither yields the q-exponential distributions that have been observed for many physical systems. Consequently, two generalized entropies under complete and incomplete probability normalization conditions are proposed to meet the experimental observations. These two entropic forms are Lesche stable, which means that both vary continuously with probability distribution functions and are thus physically meaningful.

The uncertainty measure for q-exponential distribution function

Based on the q-exponential distribution which has been observed in more and more physical systems, the uncertainty measure of such an abnormal distribution can be derived by employing a variational relationship which can be traced from the first and second thermodynamic laws. The uncertainty measure obtained here can be considered as the entropic form for the abnormal physical systems having observable q-exponential distribution. This entropy will tend to the Boltzmann-Gibbs entropy when the nonextensive parameter tends to unity. It is very important to find that this entropic form is always concave and the systemic entropy is maximizable.

Path probability for a Brownian motion

This work reports on numerical simulations of Brownian motion in the non-dissipative limit. The objective was to prove the existence of path probability and to compute probability values for some sample paths. By simulating a large number of particles moving from point to point under Gaussian noise and conservative forces, we numerically determine that the path probability decreases exponentially with increasing Lagrangian action of the paths.