Thermodynamic performance of a quantum Stirling heat engine in Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model with magnetic field

Abstract

This paper explores the quantum Stirling cycle with a working medium modeled by the two-sided Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick (LMG) model under the influence of an external magnetic field and a symmetric cross-interaction. Shannon entropy is then used to derive the necessary quantities for analyzing the quantum Stirling heat engine, and its four-stage cycle is examined using the introduced quantum working medium. Subsequently, the efficiency and thermodynamic performance are calculated based on the established relations. Three scenarios are considered: the anisotropic XY model, the Ising model, and the mixed ferromagnetic model. The findings demonstrate that the Stirling cycle can function as a refrigerator, accelerator, heat engine, or heater, with its operational mode highly tunable via external parameters, including the magnetic field, the anisotropy parameter, the temperature ratio of the heat baths, and the ratio of the magnetic coupling strengths. Transitions between these regimes are governed by quantum fluctuations, anisotropy effects, and thermal gradients. The efficiency and thermodynamic performance of the cycle are analyzed under variation of these parameters. These insights provide a foundation for optimizing quantum thermal devices for energy conversion and refrigeration applications.