{
  "abstract": "While the impossibility of perfectly identifying non-orthogonal states is a cornerstone of quantum information science, they can nevertheless be distinguished with a finite error probability. Here, we propose a two-reservoir quantum machine driven by such non-orthogonal-state discrimination to map its functional boundaries across the parameter space of the state overlap $μ$ and the Carnot efficiency $η_C$. Within this $η_C$-$μ$ plane, the machine exhibits phase-transition-like functional switching among a pure heat-engine phase, a mixed phase, and a dissipative phase. We identify critical thresholds governing these transitions: strong thermal driving ($η_C>0.5$) unconditionally guarantees positive work extraction, whereas weak driving ($η_C \\lesssim 0.13$) induces an anomalous reentrant transition, where increasing $μ$ unexpectedly restores engine functionality after a purely dissipative regime. Our results explicitly demonstrate how quantum mechanics and thermodynamics jointly constrain information-to-energy conversion.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2608.16623",
  "author_total": 4,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Tan-Ji Zhou"
    },
    {
      "name": "Yun-Qian Lin"
    },
    {
      "name": "Yu-Han Ma"
    },
    {
      "name": "C. P. Sun"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b4wc0dz1cjv89.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2608.16623",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "b4wc0dz1cjv89",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.16623",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "LicenseRef-arXiv-nonexclusive-1.0",
  "licence_label": "arXiv licence",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "quant-ph"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3109|Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7203678182",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2608.16623",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-06",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b4wc0dz1cjv89.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:27:22Z",
      "native_id": "2608.16623",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.16623"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:quant-ph",
      "subfield": "quantum"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Carnot Meets Quantum Information: A Thermal Machine Driven by Non-orthogonal State Discrimination",
  "title_text": "Carnot Meets Quantum Information: A Thermal Machine Driven by Non-orthogonal State Discrimination",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:27:22Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b4wc0dz1cjv89",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}