  A small quantum absorption refrigerator, consisting of three qubits, is
discussed in the transient regime. We discuss time scales for coherent
dynamics, damping, and approach to the steady state, and we study cooling and
entanglement. We observe that cooling can be enhanced in the transient regime,
in the sense that lower temperatures can be achieved compared to the
steady-state regime. This is a consequence of coherent dynamics, but can occur
even when this dynamics is strongly damped by the dissipative thermal
environment, and we note that precise control over couplings or timing is not
needed to achieve enhanced cooling. We also show that the amount of
entanglement present in the refrigerator can be much larger in the transient
regime compared to the steady-state. These results are of relevance to future
implementations of quantum thermal machines.
