Powerful ordered collective heat engines
Fernando S. Filho, Gustavo A. L. Forão, Daniel Maria Busiello, Bart Cleuren, Carlos E. Fiore
Abstract
We introduce a class of stochastic engines in which the regime of units operating synchronously can boost the performance. Our approach encompasses a minimal setup composed of $N$ interacting units placed in contact with two thermal baths and subjected to a constant driving worksource. The interplay between unit synchronization and interaction leads to an efficiency at maximum power between the Carnot ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{c}$ and the Curzon-Ahlborn bound ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{CA}$. Moreover, these limits can be respectively saturated maximizing the efficiency, and by simultaneous optimization of power and efficiency. We show that the interplay between Ising-like interactions and a collective ordered regime is crucial to operate as a heat engine. The main system features are investigated by means of a linear analysis near equilibrium, and developing an effective discrete-state model that captures the effects of the synchronous phase. The robustness of our findings extends beyond the all-to-all interactions and paves the way for the building of promising nonequilibrium thermal machines based on ordered structures.