A single-atom heat engine

Synopsis

A heat engine is a device that, using a working substance, converts thermal energy to mechanical energy. Over the years, it has been an exciting challenge to demonstrate that thermal machines can be reduced to the limit of one atom. In this presentation, I will talk about the first experimental realization of a single-atom heat engine. As the working substance, a single-atom is placed in thermal contact with two reservoirs and is confined in a Paul trap. Through thermal excitations it produces power which is then used to drive a harmonic oscillator. The hot reservoir is an electric field, and in turn, a laser-cooling beam plays the part of a cold reservoir.