When quantum light does work

25 November 2025 / Research

When quantum light does work

When laser light passes through a cavity filled with atoms, part of it can do useful work (for instance, charge a quantum battery, top), whereas the other part turns into “heat” (bottom). (Image: Enrique Sahagún, Scixel / University of Basel, Department of Physics)

Members of the BQC and SNI network have developed a new theoretical approach to thermodynamics for quantum systems that interact with light. The researchers led by Prof. Dr. Patrick Potts (Department of Physics, University of Basel) take into account that that the light emitted by such a system can contain useful energy, not just waste heat.