Quantum Engine

• 18 Oct 2023

Source: TH

Why in News?

Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery by developing a quantum engine, referred to as the 'Pauli engine,' which can convert the energy difference between two quantum states of a group of atoms into useful work.

• This innovation has the potential to advance our understanding of quantum thermodynamics and could have applications in the development of more efficient quantum computers.

What are Quantum States and Quantum Engines?

• Quantum State:
  • A Quantum state is a mathematical description of the physical properties of a quantum system.
    • In quantum mechanics, the fundamental theory that describes 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.
  • Quantum phenomena often defy our common sense and challenge our classical understanding of the world.
    • One of these phenomena is the difference between two types of quantum particles: bosons and fermions.
      • Fermions are the building blocks of matter, bosons are particles that carry the forces acting between them.
    • Bosons are particles that can share the same quantum state, while fermions are particles that obey the Pauli exclusion principle, which forbids them from occupying the same quantum state.
      • At low temperatures, bosons can behave very differently than fermions because an unlimited number of them can occupy the same lowest energy level, while fermions have to fill up higher energy states.
  • This energy difference between bosons and fermions has inspired researchers to design and build a novel quantum engine that can convert this difference into useful work.
• Quantum Engine:
  • The quantum engine or Pauli’s engine consists of a gas of lithium-6 atoms that are trapped in a combined optical and magnetic trap.
    • The gas can be tuned to behave like bosons or fermions by changing the magnetic field around it.
      • This is possible because the atoms can pair up into bosonic molecules or dissociate into individual fermionic atoms depending on the strength of the magnetic field.
  • The engine operates in a four-step cycle and it opens up new possibilities for studying quantum thermodynamics and its implications for other fields of physics.

Conclusion

• While the quantum engine is still in the proof-of-concept stage. One application of the quantum engine could be in cooling the particles used in quantum computers. Quantum computers require extremely low temperatures to operate effectively, and the quantum engine could potentially serve as a cooling mechanism for these particles, similar to how an air-conditioner cools a room.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Q. Which one of the following is the context in which the term "qubit" is mentioned? (2022)

(a) Cloud Services
(b) Quantum Computing
(c) Visible Light Communication echnologies
(d) Wireless Communication Technologies

Ans: (b)