Quantum Ising Spin-Glass Otto Engine

Abstract: We investigate a quantum Otto engine with a quantum Ising spin glass as the working medium to explore the scaling behavior of work output and thermodynamic performance concerning system size, particularly near the critical point. Specifically, we explore the two operating modes of the Otto engine, namely the heat engine and refrigerator modes. We observe a double-peaked structure in the heat engine regime, leading to superlinear scaling in both work output and thermodynamic performance near the critical point. Additionally, in the refrigerator regime, superlinear scaling in refrigerator efficiency can be achieved at high and low temperatures, significantly outperforming models with uniform Ising interactions. These findings suggest that disorder and frustration in quantum Ising spin-glass systems could significantly impact thermodynamic performance in quantum heat engines and refrigerators, potentially opening up new avenues for improvement.