An international collaboration of researchers from IQOQI Vienna (Austria), ICTP Trieste (Italy) and Université Mohammed V of Rabat (Morrocco) has investigated the impact of energetic quantum coherence in the operation of a small thermal machine model which can act either as a heat engine or as a refrigerator. The results show that input coherence enhances the machine performance and allow it to operate in otherwise forbidden regimes. However, in some cases, coherence may also be detrimental, rendering optimization of particular models a crucial task for benefiting from coherence-induced enhancements.
