Conversion of heat to light using Townes' Maser-Laser Engine: quantum optics and thermodynamic analysis

Ooi, Chong Heng Raymond (2011) Conversion of heat to light using Townes' Maser-Laser Engine: quantum optics and thermodynamic analysis. Physical Review A, 83 (4). 043838. ISSN 2469-9926, DOI https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.83.043838.

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.83.043838

Abstract

It is shown that thermal energy from a heat source can be converted to useful work in the form of maser-laser light by using a combination of a Stern-Gerlach device and stimulated emissions of excited particles in a maser-laser cavity. We analyze the populations of atoms or quantum dots exiting the cavity, the photon statistics, and the internal entropy as a function of atomic transit time, using the quantum theory of masers and lasers. The power of the laser light is estimated to be sufficiently high for device applications. The thermodynamics of the heat converter is analyzed as a heat engine operating between two reservoirs of different temperature but is generalized to include the change of internal quantum states. The von Neumann entropies for the internal degree are obtained. The sum of the internal and external entropies increases after each cycle and the second law is not violated, even if the photon entropy due to finite photon number distribution is not included. An expression for efficiency relating to the Carnot efficiency is obtained. We resolve the subtle paradox on the reduction of the internal entropy with regards to the path separation after the Stern-Gerlach device.

Item Type: Article
Funders: UNSPECIFIED
Additional Information: Department of Physics, Faculty of Science Building, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA
Uncontrolled Keywords: Maxwells demon; Emission
Subjects: Q Science > QC Physics
Divisions: Faculty of Science > Department of Physics
Depositing User: Miss Malisa Diana
Date Deposited: 08 Jul 2013 04:33
Last Modified: 09 Oct 2019 07:37
URI: http://eprints.um.edu.my/id/eprint/7967

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