Multilevel quantum Otto heat engines with identical particles

Abstract

A quantum Otto heat engine is studied with multilevel identical particles trapped in one-dimensional box potential as working substance. The symmetrical wave function for Bosons and the anti-symmetrical wave function for Fermions are considered. In two-particle case, we focus on the ratios of $W^i$ ($i=B,F$) to $W_s$, where $W^B$ and $W^F$ are the work done by two Bosons and Fermions respectively, and $W_s$ is the work output of a single particle under the same conditions. Due to the symmetric of the wave functions, the ratios are not equal to $2$. Three different regimes, low temperature regime, high temperature regime, and intermediate temperature regime, are analyzed, and the effects of energy level number and the differences between the two baths are calculated. In the multiparticle case, we calculate the ratios of $W^i_M/M$ to $W_s$, where $W^i_M/M$ can be seen as the average work done by a single particle in multiparticle heat engine. For other working substances whose energy spectrum have the form of $E_n\sim n^2$, the results are similar. For the case $E_n\sim n$, two different conclusions are obtained