Özgür E. Müstecaplıoğlu

We put forward a quantum-optical model for a thermal diode based on heat transfer between two thermal baths through a pair of interacting qubits. We find that if the qubits are coupled by a Raman field that induces an anisotropic interaction, heat flow can become non-reciprocal and undergoes rectification even if the baths have equal dissipation rates and/or the qubits are resonant. The heat flow rectification is explained by four-wave mixing and Raman transitions between dressed states of the interacting qubits and are governed by a global master equation. The anisotropic two-qubit interaction is the key for this present simple quantum thermal diode, whose resonant operation allows for high-efficiency rectification of large heat currents. Effects of spatial overlap of the baths are addressed. We also discuss the possible realizations of the model system in various platforms including optomechanical systems, systems of trapped ions, and circuit QED.

We present a family of generalized unitary transformations that simplifies the Hamiltonian for a harmonically trapped two level atom (or ion) interacting with a plane wave laser field. Novel near resonant single as well as double vibrational phonon dynamical regimes are found. The validity condition of the often used motional rotating wave approximation (MRWA) is examined both numerically and analytically. Large errors are found within typical regimes of MRWA with respect to the motional degrees of freedom. The effects of MRWA in trapped ion systems are shown to be opposite to that of the rotating wave approximation (RWA) in the usual Jaynes-Cummings model. Our study points to a more restrictive condition on particle localization (Lamb-Dicke) parameter for the validity of MRWA in the single phonon dynamical regime. It also sheds new light on quantum information storage and processing with trapped atoms.