Quantum control of excitons for reversible heat transfer

Lasers, photovoltaics, and thermoelectrically-pumped light emitting diodes are thermodynamic machines which use excitons (electron-hole pairs) as the working medium. The heat transfers in such devices are highly irreversible, leading to low efficiencies. Here we predict that reversible heat transfers between a quantum-dot exciton and its phonon environment can be induced by laser pulses. We calculate the heat transfer when a quantum-dot exciton is driven by a chirped laser pulse. The reversibility of this heat transfer is quantified by the efficiency of a heat engine in which it forms the hot stroke, which we predict to reach 95% of the Carnot limit. This performance is achieved by using the time-dependent laser-dressing of the exciton to control the heat current and exciton temperature. We conclude that reversible heat transfers can be achieved in excitonic thermal machines, allowing substantial improvements in their efficiency.

Diamond Wheel Dressing: A Comprehensive Review

This paper provides a comprehensive review on the dressing techniques of diamond grinding wheels. The common techniques with different tools were discussed in detail, which included the bonded SiC and diamond abrasive tools, loose abrasives, soft-elastic abrasive belts, and profiled diamond wheels. Meanwhile, laser dressing, electrical discharge dressing (EDD), and electrolytic in-process dressing (ELID) were also addressed. Some critical problems in the above dressing techniques were then analyzed and summarized for further investigation.

Optimization and Application of Laser-Dressed cBN Grinding Wheels

Laser-dressing has been shown to be a promising method for overcoming some shortcomings of the conventional methods such as high wear of the dressing tool and its environmental concerns, high induced damage to the grinding wheel, low form flexibility and low speed. In this study, a resin bonded cBN grinding wheel has been dressed with a picosecond Yb:YAG laser. The efficiency of the laser-dressed grinding wheels has been compared with the conventionally dressed and sharpened grinding wheels through execution of cylindrical grinding tests on a steel workpiece (100Cr6). The conventional dressing and sharpening processes have been performed by using a vitrified SiC wheel and vitrified alumina blocks, respectively. By recording the spindle power values along with the surface topography measurements of the ground workpieces and the extraction of two roughness parameters (the average roughness Ra and the average roughness depth Rz), it is possible to provide an assessment of the cylindrical grinding process with different dressing conditions i.e. laser-dressing and conventional dressing. Accordingly, a strategy will be proposed to optimize the cylindrical grinding process with laser-dressed wheels regarding the forces and roughness values.