https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/s10051-021-00235-3
Topical Review - Statistical and Nonlinear Physics
Quantum thermal machines and batteries
Department of Physics, IIT Kanpur, 208016, Kanpur, India
Received:
10
November
2020
Accepted:
29
October
2021
Published online:
8
December
2021
The seminal work by Sadi Carnot in the early nineteenth century provided the blueprint of a reversible heat engine and the celebrated second law of thermodynamics eventually followed. Almost two centuries later, the quest to formulate a quantum theory of the thermodynamic laws has thus unsurprisingly motivated physicists to visualize what are known as ‘quantum thermal machines’ (QTMs). In this article, we review the prominent developments achieved in the theoretical construction as well as understanding of QTMs, beginning from the formulation of their earliest prototypes to recent models. We also present a detailed introduction and highlight recent progress in the rapidly developing field of ‘quantum batteries’.
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to EDP Sciences, SIF and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2021
