PRX Quantum (Oct 2021)

Thermodynamics of Statistical Anyons

  • Nathan M. Myers,
  • Sebastian Deffner

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1103/PRXQuantum.2.040312
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2, no. 4
p. 040312

Abstract

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In low-dimensional systems, indistinguishable particles can display statistics that interpolate between bosons and fermions. Signatures of these “anyons” have been detected in two-dimensional quasiparticle excitations of the fractional quantum Hall effect, however experimental access to these quasiparticles remains limited. As an alternative to these “topological anyons,” we propose “statistical anyons” realized through a statistical mixture of particles with bosonic and fermionic symmetry. We show that the framework of statistical anyons is equivalent to the generalized exclusion statistics (GES) pioneered by Haldane, significantly broadening the range of systems to which GES apply. We develop the full thermodynamic characterizations of these statistical anyons, including both equilibrium and nonequilibrium behavior. To develop a complete picture, we compare the performance of quantum heat engines with working mediums of statistical anyons and traditional topological anyons, demonstrating the effects of the anyonic phase in both local equilibrium and fully nonequilibrium regimes. In addition, methods of optimizing engine performance through shortcuts to adiabaticity are investigated, using both linear response and fast-forward techniques.