Operation method of a heat engine device using a single ion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12560153-B2
Application number	US-202418744460-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2024
Priority date	Oct 18, 2023
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

Provided is an operation method of a heat engine device using a single ion configured to greatly improve the efficiency of a heat engine by performing work in a different way than heat engine apparatuses to which classical thermodynamics applies. With the single ion heat engine device, a heat engine cycle in accordance with an auto engine cycle can be established on a micro-scale. Accordingly, the heat engine device using single ion has the effect of being able to be utilized as a substantially mesoscopic or nano-scale heat engine. This utilization is based on concepts, such as temperature, entropy, and pressure, that vary with features of a micro-miniaturized heat engine and types of thermal reservoirs and on interpretation of a change in engine efficiency.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An operation method of a heat engine device, the method comprising:
using, by the heat engine device, a single ion that is trapped using an ion trapping device, wherein the ion trapping device comprises:
a plurality of radio frequency (RF) electrodes, wherein each of the plurality of RF electrodes is disposed on a common RF electrode plane;
a plurality of direct current (DC) electrodes, wherein each of the plurality of DC electrodes is disposed on a common DC electrode plane, and each of the RF electrodes and each of the DC electrodes are symmetrically and alternately disposed about a central axis aligned with the single ion, wherein the plurality of RF electrodes and the plurality of DC electrodes are configured to provide an electric field potential to trap the single ion; and
a plurality of compensation electrodes, wherein each of the plurality of compensation electrodes extends in an axis parallel to the central axis and is disposed between an RF electrode of the plurality of RF electrodes and a DC electrode of the plurality of DC electrodes,

wherein using the single ion comprises:
generating a thermal reservoir by applying electric noise via the plurality of compensation electrodes to the single ion; and
generating work by establishing one cycle using the thermal reservoir.

2 . The operation method of the heat engine device of claim 1 , wherein the one cycle includes an isentropic compression stage, an isochoric heating stage, an isentropic expansion stage, and an isochoric cooling stage.

3 . The operation method of the heat engine device of claim 2 , wherein the isentropic compression stage and the isentropic expansion stage are implemented by maintaining a ratio between a temperature of the trapped ion and an ion trap frequency.

4 . The operation method of the heat engine device of claim 2 , wherein the isochoric heating stage is implemented by increasing an amplitude of the electric noise that is applied to the trapped ion, and wherein the isochoric cooling stage is implemented by decreasing an amplitude of the electric noise that is applied to the trapped ion.

5 . The operation method of the heat engine device of claim 1 , wherein the thermal reservoir is a coherent thermal reservoir generated by applying the electric noise to the single ion.

6 . The operation method of the heat engine device of claim 1 , wherein the thermal reservoir is a squeezed thermal reservoir generated by applying the electric noise to the single ion.

7 . The operation method of the heat engine device of claim 1 , wherein the single ion is an ytterbium (Yb) ion ( 174 Yb + ).

8 . The operation method of the heat engine device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of RF electrodes is blade shaped.

9 . The operation method of the heat engine device of claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of DC electrodes is blade shaped.

10 . The operation method of the heat engine device of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of compensation electrodes is bar shaped.

11 . The operation method of the heat engine device of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of compensation electrodes is disposed in a division defined between the blade shaped RF electrode of the plurality of RF electrodes and the blade shaped DC electrode of the plurality of DC electrodes.

Assignees

• Postech Res & Business Dev Found

Inventors

• Lee Moon Joo
• Kim Myung Hun
• Cho Jun Hee

Classifications

• B82Y99/00

  Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• B82B1/001

  Devices without movable or flexible elements · CPC title

• F03G7/135

  following unproven scientific theories; Theories about perpetual motion · CPC title

• F01K27/00

  Plants for converting heat or fluid energy into mechanical energy, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• F03G7/092 Primary

  Motors following new scientific theories not otherwise provide for, e.g. using quantum field effects like zero-point energy, Casimir effect · CPC title