Trapped-ion quantum engine

We usually think of an engine as formed from many interlocking components. But one atom can form an engine, if it converts heat into work. The sculpture depicts an engine formed from an ion (electrically charged atom). The engine was inspired by an experiment but also reflects artistic license. The experiment is reported on in a paper published here and available for free to all here. The amber light at the sculpture’s center represents the ion. Many experimentalists and engineers use ions to record information in quantum computers.