Carnot Meets Quantum Information: A Thermal Machine Driven by Non-orthogonal State Discrimination
This work describes a quantum thermal machine that uses probabilistic discrimination between non-orthogonal quantum states to extract work. The machine exhibits phase transitions—pure engine, mixed, and dissipative phases—when plotted against Carnot efficiency and state overlap. It reveals how information-to-energy conversion is constrained by both thermodynamic limits and quantum measurement accuracy.