Exergy and quantum batteries

Abstract

The study of quantum thermodynamics has led to the development of quantum batteries. These devices use quantum advantages to store and extract useful energy from physical systems. Ergotropy is the maximum work that can be extracted from a quantum system by cyclic unitary operations. When external thermal baths couple with the quantum battery, there is energy loss due to thermal effects on the system. In some cases, a part of the total energy available in the system cannot be stored as ergotropy. Therefore, it is important to consider the amount of residual energy that cannot be extracted as useful work from quantum batteries by unitary processes. To better understand the amount of energy lost during work extraction, it is necessary to examine the constraint of unitary processes. The system exergy represents the maximum amount of work that can be extracted from the system while bringing it into equilibrium with a thermal bath. It can be separated into two parts: ergotropy and residual energy. Thus, the present chapter describes the relationship between exergy and its potential benefits and effects on the performance of quantum batteries.