Quantum Otto engine with quantum correlations

We theoretically propose and investigate a quantum Otto engine that works with a single-mode radiation field inside an optical cavity and is driven alternately by a hot reservoir and a cold reservoir. The hot reservoir is realized using a beam composed of thermally entangled pairs of two-level atoms that interacts resonantly with the cavity, and the cold reservoir is composed of a collection of noninteracting boson modes. In terms of the quantum discord of the pair of atoms, we derive analytical expressions for the performance parameters (i.e., power and efficiency) and the stability measure (the coefficient of variation of power). We show that nonclassical correlations boost the quantum engine's performance and efficiency, and they may even change the operation mode at specified values of the two bath temperatures. We also demonstrate that the nonclassical correlations improve the stability of the machine by reducing the coefficient of variation of power that satisfies the generalized thermodynamic uncertainty relation. Finally, we find that these results can be transferred to another quantum Otto engine model, in which the optical cavity is coupled alternately to a hot thermal bosonic bath and to a beam composed of pairs of the two correlated atoms that plays the role of a cold reservoir.