Optimizing the charging of quantum batteries via shortcuts to adiabaticity

TL;DR

The paper tackles rapid charging of open quantum batteries while maximizing extractable work by applying shortcuts to adiabaticity (STA), specifically counterdiabatic (CD) driving, to a coupled harmonic-oscillator battery–charger system under realistic environmental dissipation described by a GKSL master equation. By developing CD driving for open systems via displacement-based transformations and deriving the corresponding $H_{CD}(t)$, the authors show that the ergotropy $\mathcal{E}_B(\tau)$ is substantially increased over static driving, with only the coherent energy contributing to work in the zero-temperature limit. The analysis reveals robust performance across overdamped and underdamped regimes and provides explicit expressions for the relevant coherent amplitudes $\alpha(\tau)$ and $\beta(\tau)$ guiding energy transfer. The work argues for practical realizations in platforms like superconducting cavities, trapped ions, and optomechanical systems, highlighting STA as a viable route to high-performance quantum energy storage under realistic dissipation.

Abstract

Although implementing shortcuts to adiabaticity (STA) in open quantum systems remains challenging due to the complex control schemes required for such systems, their powerful ability to rapidly steer the system toward target states and their widespread applicability in quantum technologies have motivated us to explore their potential in quantum energy storage. In this work, we employ STA techniques to charge an open quantum battery and demonstrate that the extractable work (Ergotropy) from such a battery can be significantly enhanced by several times compared to the case where the battery is charged using a time independent driving field. Our results pave the way for accelerating the dynamics of open quantum systems and suggest promising applications in the development of high-performance, stable quantum batteries.

Figures (3)

• Figure 1: This figure illustrates a model in which energy from the external environment $E$ is transferred to the charger$A$. The interaction between the charger $A$ and the quantum battery $B$ is governed by a time-dependent coupling that is activated only during the charging interval $[0,\tau]$. In this model, the coupling between the external environment and the charger $A$ (EA coupling) can occur through two primary mechanisms: (1) Thermal interaction: energy is transferred from a thermal source, represented by a candle; (2) Coherent interaction: energy is transferred through the modulation of the local energy levels of the charger $A$ by a red laser. either or both mechanisms can be employed to charge the quantum battery. In this work, the driving field amplitude of the laser is applied to the charger $A$ in a counterdiabatic manner to control and optimize the battery charging process.
• Figure 2: (Color online) The ergotropy $\varepsilon_B(\tau)$ of the quantum battery $B$ (in units of $\omega_0$) as a function of the scaled interaction time $g\tau$ in the two harmonic oscillator model. The three curves correspond to different values of the parameter $\kappa$. The red curve represents $\kappa=1$, the green curve corresponds to $\kappa=0.5$, and the blue curve corresponds to $\kappa=10$, showing their impact on the charging dynamics. The results are presented in the overdamped regime ($\gamma=\omega_0$), where the battery is charged only through the coherent field ($N_b(T)=0$, $F_{CD}(t)\neq0$). Other parameters are $g=0.2\omega_0$ and $\epsilon=0.6\omega_0$. The inset figure, reproduced from d40, corresponds to the case without counter-diabatic optimization.
• Figure 3: (Color online) Same as in Fig. 2, but in the underdamped regime with $\gamma = 0.05\omega_0$ and $\kappa = 1$. The inset figure is reproduced from d40, corresponding to the case without counterdiabatic optimization.