Quantum effects in thermodynamics: Exploring the limitations and the potential for applications
Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics
Final Report Abstract
The field of Quantum Thermodynamics has seen a rapid development in the last years partly due to the use of mathematical techniques and conceptual insights borrowed from the field of Quantum Information Theory. In this project we have focused on three major research questions: i) provide theoretical justification for equilibration of systems and its description in terms of statistical ensembles, ii) advance the project of deriving fundamental bounds and laws of thermodynamics within the framework of a Resource Theory and iii) analyze the performance of quantum machines while including realistic limitations which arise as a consequence of dealing with small systems. The publications cover the field of quantum thermodynamics from its most applied questions – local and strong-coupling restrictions – to aspects related with the foundations of statistical mechanics. A future research direction of interest that the above question suggest is that of incorporating systems which do not equilibrate – for instance manybody localized systems – as resources for thermodynamical tasks. A promising research direction is also given by the analysis of absolutezero cooling. The bounds presented are a proof of principle of the third law of thermodynamics, but tighter and more insightful bounds are expected when introducing realistic limitations to the cooling process.
Publications
- Axiomatic characterization of the quantum relative entropy and free energy. Entropy 19, 241 (2017)
H. Wilming, R. Gallego and J. Eisert
(See online at https://doi.org/10.3390/e19060241) - Third law of Thermodynamics as a single inequality. Phys. Rev. X 7, 041033 (2017)
H. Wilming and R. Gallego
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.7.041033) - Quantum thermodynamics with local control. Phys. Rev. E 97, 022142 (2018)
J. Lekscha, H. Wilming, J. Eisert and R. Gallego
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.97.022142) - Statistical ensembles without tipicality. Nat. Comm. 9, 1022 (2018)
P. Boes, H. Wilming, J. Eisert and R. Gallego
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03230-y) - Strong coupling corrections in Quantum Thermodynamics. Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 120602 (2018)
M. Perarnau- Llobet, H. Wilming, A. Riera, R. Gallego and J. Eisert
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.120602) - What it takes to avoid equilibration. Phys. Rev. A 98, 022135 (2018)
R. Gallego, H. Wilming, J. Eisert and C. Gogolin
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.98.022135) - Von Neumann entropy from Unitarity. Phys. Rev. Lett 122, 210402 (2019)
P. Boes, J. Eisert, R. Gallego, M. P. Müller and H. Wilming
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.210402) - By-passing fluctuation theorems. Quantum 4, 231 (2020)
P. Boes, R. Gallego, N. H. Y. Ng, J. Eisert and H. Wilming
(See online at https://doi.org/10.22331/q-2020-02-20-231)
