New ‘Gambling Carnot Engine’ Challenges 200-Year-Old Thermodynamic Law

Almost 200 years after the Carnot limit defined the maximum efficiency of heat engines, scientists have introduced a microscopic design that seems to break the rule. Called the “Gambling Carnot Engine,” it works by monitoring a single trapped particle and stepping in at just the right instant. This clever feedback process allows the engine to convert nearly all absorbed heat into usable work.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/dVBNZun