Quantum recharging by shortcut to adiabaticity

Abstract

Quantum battery concerns about population redistribution and energy dispatch over controllable quantum systems. Under unitary transformation, ergotropy rather than energy plays an essential role in describing the accumulated useful work. Thus, the charging and recharging of quantum batteries are distinct from the electric-energy input and reuse of classical batteries. In this work, we focus on recharging a three-level quantum battery that has been exhausted under self-discharging and work extraction. We find that the quantum battery cannot be fully refreshed with the maximum ergotropy only by the driving pulses for unitary charging. For an efficient refreshment of the quantum battery, we propose a fast and stable recharging protocol based on postselection and shortcut to adiabaticity. More than accelerating the adiabatic passage for charging, the protocol can eliminate unextractable energy and is robust against driving errors and environmental decoherence. Our protocol is energy-saving and experimental-feasible, even in systems with forbidden transition.