  We consider a finite-time quantum Otto cycle with single and two-spin-$1/2$
systems as its working medium. In order to mimic adiabatic dynamics at a
finite-time, we employ a shortcut-to-adiabaticity technique and evaluate the
performance of the engine including the cost of the shortcut. We compare our
results with the true adiabatic and non-adiabatic performances of the same
cycle. Our findings clearly indicate that the use of shortcut-to-adiabaticity
scheme significantly enhances the performance of the quantum Otto engine as
compared to its adiabatic and non-adiabatic counterparts for different figures
of merit.
