The Carnot efficiency enabled by complete degeneracies

Quantum-size effects unavoidably produce imperfect-regeneration heat losses in irreversible isothermal expansion/compression cycles, leading to the less efficiency of micro engines. Here, we design a smallest quantum Stirling-like heat engine using a single trapped electron as the working substance. The quantum probabilities to determine the electronic position are constructed from the incoherent mixed ensemble. When the quantum well expands isothermally to double its size and an infinite delta-function potential barrier is inserted in the middle, the complete degeneracies enable the heat engine to work reversibly and achieve the Carnot efficiency. The proposed theoretical model can open up new avenues for building practical nano-energy devices.