Performance of a two-state quantum engine improved by the superposition effect

The performance of a two-state quantum engine under different conditions is analyzed. It is shown that the efficiency of the quantum engine can be enhanced by superposing the eigenstates at the beginning of the cycle. By employing the finite-time movement of the potential wall, the power output of the quantum engine as well as the efficiency at the maximum power output (EMP) can be obtained. A generalized potential is adopted to describe a class of two-level quantum engines in a unified way. The results obtained show clearly that the performances of these engines depend on the external potential, the geometric configuration of the quantum engines, and the superposition effect. Moreover, it is found that the superposition effect will enlarge the optimally operating region of quantum engines.