We investigate thermodynamic operation of a quasiperiodic lattice with an exact mobility edge, described by the Biddle–Das Sarma model. We use this model as the working medium of a quantum Otto cycle and map its operating mode as a function of the hopping-range parameter $p$, the initial and final potential strengths $V_i$ and $V_f$, and two idealized protocols for the isolated strokes. In a nonadiabatic protocol, where the density matrix is approximately unchanged during the isolated strokes, the cycle supports only two modes: a heater and an accelerator. In an adiabatic protocol, where level populations are preserved while the spectrum is deformed, two additional modes appear: a heat engine and a refrigerator. In addition, the efficiency of the heat engine and the coefficient of performance of the refrigerator are analyzed. Our results show that mobility-edge systems can realize multiple thermodynamic functions within a single platform and provide guidance for switching between modes by tuning $p$, $V_i$, and $V_f$.

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• Anderson localization
• Cold atoms & matter waves
• Localization
• Quantum thermodynamics
• Heat engines
• Quasicrystals