Balancing power, efficiency, and constancy under broken time-reversal symmetry
Phys. Rev. E 113, 064117 – Published 8 June, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/skkv-gqxl
Abstract
We derive general trade-off relations between the power, efficiency, and constancy for two-terminal thermoelectric systems in the linear-response regime. Constancy, which quantifies the steadiness of the heat engine, is measured by its fluctuations. The bounds of the efficiency, power, and fluctuations are valid even when time-reversal symmetry is broken, revealing how such a symmetry breaking alters the fundamental constraints on steady-state energy conversion. Our results extend and refine previously established universal trade-offs, offering deeper insight into the performance limits in nonequilibrium thermodynamics. Guided by this bound, heat engines with broken time-reversal symmetry can be operated at near Carnot efficiency while maintaining finite power output and fluctuations, enabling them to outperform their traditional counterparts.