Non-equilibrium Dynamics of Three-Level Absorption Refrigerator at Third-Order Liouvillian Exceptional Points

Abstract

We analyze the influence of Liouvillian exceptional points (LEPs) in the three-level quantum absorption refrigerator, putting emphasis on the non-equilibrium process before the convergence to the steady state. We search for the second-order and third-order LEPs in the system with two types of couplings. Focusing on the third-order LEPs, we analyze the damping of the system state in the long term analytically and numerically. In addition, we analyze the damping of heat currents and the influence of the non-equilibrium process in the heat extraction from the cold bath. Critical damping at LEPs of both the system state and the heat currents is achieved, implying the fastest convergence to the equilibrium system. During the non-equilibrium process, we find that much heat transfer from the cold bath to the hot bath with less energy cost of the work bath is achieved at the third-order LEP, leading to better performance of the refrigerator.