Faculty @ School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, Newcastle

Monday June 27 – 9.45 BST

Quantum critical battery: Harnessing non-adiabatic excitations 

Crossing a quantum critical point in finite time challenges the adiabatic condition due to the closing of the energy gap, which ultimately results in the formation of excitations. Such non-adiabatic excitations are typically deemed detrimental in many scenarios, and consequently several strategies have been put forward to circumvent their formation.  Here, however, we show how these non-adiabatic excitations — originated from the failure to meet the adiabatic condition due to the presence of a quantum critical point — can be controlled and thus harnessed to perform certain tasks advantageously. We focus on closed cycles reaching the quantum critical point of fully-connected model to analyse a quantum battery that is loaded by approaching a quantum critical point. We show that the stored and extractable work increases exponentially via repeating cycles. Our results can readily be implemented in different experimental platforms as well as highlight the rich interplay between quantum thermodynamics and critical nonequilibrium dynamics. 
 
O. Abah,  G. De Chiara, M. Paternostro and R. Puebla, Harnnessing non-adiabatic excitations promoted by a quantum critical point, arXiv:2105.00362 

Categories: Talks Monday June 27