title: Quantum Performance of Thermal Machines over Many Cycles.
abstract: The performance of quantum heat engines is generally based on the analysis of a single cycle. We challenge this approach by showing that the total work performed by a quantum engine need not be proportional to the number of cycles. Furthermore, optimizing the engine over multiple cycles leads to the identification of scenarios with a quantum enhancement. We demonstrate our findings with a quantum Otto engine based on a two-level system as the working substance that supplies power to an external oscillator.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Zhejiang Institute of Modern Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027, China.|Center for Theoretical Physics of Complex Systems, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34051, Korea.|University of Science and Technology (UST), 217 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34113, Korea.
authors.forename: Gentaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Technikerstraße 21a, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.|Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: B Prasanna
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Venkatesh
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physik, Universität Augsburg, Universitätsstraße 1, D-86135 Augsburg, Germany.|Institute of Physics, University of Silesia, 40007 Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Talkner
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts 02125, USA.
authors.forename: Adolfo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Del Campo