Quantum Systems Can Still Generate Power Despite Energy Loss

A new quantum heat engine utilising qubits and qutrits interacting with thermal environments via generalised amplitude damping channels has been investigated by Indrajith VS and Disha Verma at National Institute of Technology. Verma and colleagues show how these quantum channels model heat transfer and work extraction, revealing conditions for achieving positive work output. Their thorough analysis of quantum correlations, emission probability, and system-environment interactions demonstrates that multilevel quantum systems outperform two-level systems in both work extraction and resilience to decoherence, offering key insight into the development of practical quantum thermodynamic devices. The coexistence of thermal fluctuations and quantum effects in microscopic systems is currently under investigation. It extends classical thermodynamic principles by…