Heat engines are thermodynamic physical systems that convert heat energy into mechanical work by exploiting a temperature difference between a high-temperature heat source and a low-temperature heat sink. They operate cyclically, undergoing a sequence of thermodynamic processes (e.g., isothermal, adiabatic, isobaric, or isochoric) that return the working substance to its initial state after each cycle. Their performance is characterized by thermal efficiency, defined as the ratio of net work output to heat input, and fundamentally limited by the Carnot efficiency, which depends solely on the reservoir temperatures and imposes an upper bound dictated by the second law of thermodynamics.
For quantum computers to function, they must be kept at extremely low temperatures. However, today's cooling systems also generate noise that interferes with the fragile quantum information they are meant to protect. Now, ...
Superconductivity
Jan 29, 2026
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67
To an untrained eye, the aircraft engine sitting outside of a Cincinnati facility in December might have looked like standard hardware. But NASA and GE Aerospace researchers watching the unit fire up for a demonstration knew ...
Space Exploration
Jan 27, 2026
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Physicists from Trinity College Dublin believe new insights into the behavior of light may offer a new means of solving one of science's oldest challenges—how to turn heat into useful energy.
Optics & Photonics
Jan 9, 2026
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152
Quantum thermal machines are devices that leverage quantum mechanical effects to convert energy into useful work or cooling, similarly to traditional heat engines or refrigerators. Thermodynamics theory suggests that increasing ...
Two physicists at the University of Stuttgart have proven that the Carnot principle, a central law of thermodynamics, does not apply to objects on the atomic scale whose physical properties are linked (so-called correlated ...
General Physics
Oct 16, 2025
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Scientists have created the world's hottest engine running at temperatures hotter than those reached in the sun's core. The team from King's College London and collaborators believe their platform could provide an unparalleled ...
General Physics
Oct 9, 2025
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94
Inside nearly every cell of your body, the tiny F1 motor works non-stop to create adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the universal energy source that powers almost every action you take—from breathing to running. While scientists ...
Vibrations are everywhere—from the hum of machinery to the rumble of transport systems. Usually, these random motions are wasted and dissipated without producing any usable work.
General Physics
Sep 11, 2025
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39
A study published in Physical Review Letters (PRL) details a "Gambling Carnot Engine" that researchers report can attain 100% efficiency while also improving power generation.
A research team led by Prof. Guo Bin from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has designed and optimized an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) system specifically for recovering low-grade ...
Plasma Physics
Aug 4, 2025
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