Heat production and energy balance in nanoscale engines driven by time-dependent fields

Abstract

We present a formalism to study the heat transport and the power developed by the local driving fields on a quantum system coupled to macroscopic reservoirs. We show that, quite generally, two important mechanisms can take place: (i) directed heat transport between reservoirs induced by the ac potentials, and (ii) at slow driving, two oscillating out of phase forces perform work against each other, while the energy dissipated into the reservoirs is negligible. © 2007 The American Physical Society.