QUANTUM ENGINE
Quantum State:
- In quantum mechanics, the fundamental theory that explains the behavior of matter and energy at the smallest scales, quantum states provide a complete specification of a system’s properties, including its position, momentum, energy, spin, and other observable quantities.
- A quantum state is a mathematical description of the physical properties of a quantum system.
- Quantum phenomena frequently contradict conventional wisdom and our preconceived notions of reality.
- The distinction between bosons and fermions, two different kinds of quantum particles, is one of these phenomena.
- Bosons are particles that carry the forces acting between fermions, which are the building blocks of matter.
- Fermion particles follow the Pauli exclusion principle, which prevents them from occupying the same quantum state, whereas boson particles are able to share a single quantum state.
- Because an infinite number of bosons can occupy the same lowest energy level while fermions must occupy higher energy states, bosons and fermions can behave very differently at low temperatures.
- The energy gap between fermions and bosons has motivated scientists to create a brand-new quantum engine that can harness this gap to produce useful work.
Quantum Engine:
- The quantum engine, also known as Pauli’s engine, is made up of a gas of lithium-6 atoms trapped in a combined optical and magnetic trap.
- Depending on the strength of the magnetic field surrounding the gas, the atoms can pair up to form bosonic molecules or dissociate into individual fermionic atoms, allowing the gas to be tuned to behave like bosons or fermions.
- The engine has a four-step cycle of operation and provides new avenues for investigating quantum thermodynamics and its applications to other branches of physics.