Quantum efficiency bound for continuous heat engines coupled to noncanonical reservoirs

Abstract

We derive an efficiency bound for continuous quantum heat engines absorbing heat from squeezed thermal reservoirs. Our approach relies on a full-counting statistics description of nonequilibrium transport and it is not limited to the framework of irreversible thermodynamics. Our result, a generalized Carnot efficiency bound, is valid beyond the small-squeezing and high-temperature limit. Our findings are embodied in a prototype three-terminal quantum photoelectric engine where a qubit converts heat absorbed from a squeezed thermal reservoir into electrical power. We demonstrate that in the quantum regime, the efficiency can be greatly amplified by squeezing. From the fluctuation relation, we further receive other operational measures in linear response, for example, the universal maximum power efficiency bound.