title: Harmonic quantum heat devices: optimum-performance regimes.
abstract: The finite-time performance of a quantum-mechanical heat engine (or refrigerator) with a working fluid consisting of many noninteracting harmonic oscillators is considered in order to analyze three optimum operating regimes: maximum efficiency (maximum coefficient of performance), maximum work output (maximum cooling load) and a third one, Omega criterion, which represents a compromise between them. The reported results extend previous findings for macroscopic and mesoscopic energy converters to quantum heat devices and also endorse the Omega criterion as a unified, optimum working regime for energy converters, independent of their size and nature.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Salamanca, 37008 Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Salas
authors.forename: A Calvo
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hernández