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We present a quantum Otto engine model alternatively driven by a hot and a cold heat reservoir and consisting of two isochoric and two adiabatic strokes, where the adiabatic expansion or compression is realized by adiabatically changing the shape of the potential. Here, we show that such an adiabatic deformation may alter operation mode and enhance machine performance by increasing output work and efficiency, even with the advantage of decreasing work fluctuations. If the heat engine in the sudden limit operates under maximal power by optimizing the control parameter, the efficiency shows certain universal behavior, η*=ηC/2+ηC2/8+O(ηC3), where ηC=1−βhr/βcr is the Carnot efficiency, with βhr(βcr) being the inverse temperature of the hot (cold) reservoir. However, such efficiency under maximal power can be produced by our machine model in the regimes where the machine without adiabatic deformation can only operate as a heater or a refrigerator.

We study the minimally nonlinear irreversible heat engines in which the time-reversal symmetry for the systems may be broken. The expressions for the power and the efficiency are derived, in which the effects of the nonlinear terms due to dissipations are included. We show that, as within the linear responses, the minimally nonlinear irreversible heat engines can enable attainment of Carnot efficiency at positive power. We also find that the Curzon-Ahlborn limit imposed on the efficiency at maximum power can be overcome if the time-reversal symmetry is broken.