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arXiv · 1009.0865

The smallest refrigerators can reach maximal efficiency

Paul Skrzypczyk·Nicolas Brunner·Noah Linden·Sandu Popescu
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Abstract

We investigate whether size imposes a fundamental constraint on the efficiency of small thermal machines. We analyse in detail a model of a small self-contained refrigerator consisting of three qubits. We show analytically that this system can reach the Carnot efficiency, thus demonstrating that there exists no complementarity between size and efficiency.

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Paul Skrzypczyk, Nicolas Brunner, Noah Linden, Sandu Popescu. 2010-09-04. The smallest refrigerators can reach maximal efficiency. https://doi.org/10.1088/1751-8113/44/49/492002

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