HomeQuantum PhysicsQuantum Otto Engine 2D: A Qubit Heat Engine

Quantum Otto Engine 2D: A Qubit Heat Engine

Interactive 2D quantum Otto cycle: a single qubit swaps between hot and cold thermal baths while its energy gap is driven adiabatically, extracting work. Watch the population swarm, the gap-vs-population phase diagram, and the cycle efficiency in real time.

Quantum Physics2DAdvanced60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 3D version
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This simulator drives a single two-level quantum system — a qubit — around a full quantum Otto cycle. During the two isochoric strokes the qubit's energy gap is held fixed while it thermalizes toward the Gibbs population of whichever bath it is coupled to; during the two adiabatic strokes the gap itself is swept while the quantum adiabatic theorem keeps the population frozen, converting the change in mean energy into mechanical work. A 2D ensemble of qubits, drawn as a rotatable ring, splits between a lower "ground" level and an upper "excited" level in proportion to the live population, while a linked phase-space panel traces the exact (Δ, p) path of the cycle — a trapezoid whose corners move as you retune the baths and gaps. Tune the hot and cold bath temperatures and the gap extremes to see how the accumulated heat Qh, Qc, the net work per cycle, and the resulting efficiency compare against the theoretical bound η ≤ 1 − Δc/Δh.

⚙ Under the hood

2D quantum Otto cycle: a single qubit swaps between hot and cold thermal baths while its energy gap is driven adiabatically, extracting work. A rotatable ring visualizes the population split and a linked phase-space panel traces the exact (gap, population) trajectory in real time.

quantum thermodynamicsqubitheat engineotto cyclestatistical physics

2D · HTML5 Canvas 2D · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install

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