{
  "abstract": "We propose a microscopic realization of the idle-level quantum heat engine architecture based on a two-qubit non-Hermitian XY model with a staggered imaginary magnetic field. The energy spectrum naturally separates into two working levels coupled to the external field and two field-decoupled idle levels entirely independent of it. Tuning the non-Hermitian parameter drives the system from a dissipative accelerator regime into a genuine heat engine regime, while simultaneously enhancing both the net work output and the cycle efficiency. The efficiency enhancement originates from the compression of the idle-level gap, which redistributes level occupations and progressively suppresses the idle-level heat current, signalling the approach to the reverse heat-flow regime that underlies the idle-level engine principle. We map the full thermodynamic phase diagram identifying engine, refrigerator, accelerator, and heater regimes, and decompose the heat current into working-level and idle-level contributions to clarify the microscopic origin of the performance gain. The model is implementable in trapped-ion and NMR quantum simulators. These results establish non-Hermiticity as a versatile control knob for idle-level quantum thermal machines.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": "Journal reference: APS Open Science. Vol. 1, No. 1 (2026) 000154",
  "arxiv": "2606.22405",
  "author_total": 2,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Maimaitiyiming Tusun"
    },
    {
      "name": "Fang Zhao"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f39mzjdb79mfv.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2606.22405",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "f39mzjdb79mfv",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.22405",
  "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": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2606.22405",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-15",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f39mzjdb79mfv.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:25:48Z",
      "native_id": "2606.22405",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.22405"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:quant-ph",
      "subfield": "quantum"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Quantum Otto engine with field-decoupled idle levels in a non-Hermitian XY model",
  "title_text": "Quantum Otto engine with field-decoupled idle levels in a non-Hermitian XY model",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:25:48Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f39mzjdb79mfv",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": [
    {
      "doi": "10.1103/vf26-wl4f",
      "pid": null,
      "relation": "published-as",
      "title": null,
      "venue": null
    }
  ]
}