FUNDAMENTAL LIMIT FOR COOLING OF LINEAR QUANTUM REFRIGERATORS

JUAN PABLO PAZ; NAHUEL FREITAS

PHYSICAL REVIEW E

AMER PHYSICAL SOC

Lugar: New York; Año: 2017 vol. 95 p. 12146 - 12147

1539-3755

We study the asymptotic dynamics of arbitrary linear quantum open systems which are period- ically driven while coupled with generic bosonic reservoirs. We obtain exact results for the heat current flowing into the network, which are valid beyond the usual weak coupling or Markovian approximations. We prove the validity of the dynamical third law of thermodynamics (Nernst unattainability principle) and estimate the minimum achievable temperature for any given cooling strategy. We show that the ultimate limit for cooling is imposed by a fundamental heating mecha- nism which becomes dominant at low temperatures: the non resonant creation of pairs of excitations in the reservoirs induced by the driving field. This non perturbative quantum effect restores the unattainability principle whose validity was recently challenged.