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Quantum Thermodynamics II
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Quantum Thermodynamics II

A special issue of Entropy (ISSN 1099-4300). This special issue belongs to the section "Quantum Information".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2019) | Viewed by 28293

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Ronnie Kosloff

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Chemistry, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
Interests: quantum thermodynamics; quantum heat engines; quantum refrigerators; quantum dynamics; quantum control; quantum information
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Quantum thermodynamics is the study of the relations between two independent physical theories: thermodynamics and quantum mechanics. Both theories address the same physical phenomena of light and matter. In 1905, Einstein postulated that the requirement of consistency between thermodynamics and electromagnetism leads to the conclusion that light is quantized.

Currently, quantum thermodynamics addresses the emergence of thermodynamic phenomena from quantum mechanics. In addition, to what extent do the paradigms of thermodynamics apply in the quantum domain, when quantum effects such as quantum correlation, quantum fluctuation, coherences, and entanglement come into play? Emerging novel quantum technology motivates the quest for smaller devices. Such devices operating at the quantum level form the foundation for quantum information and quantum metrology. These devices must be cooled, requiring quantum refrigerators. Any practical consideration will therefore involve thermodynamical principles.

The field of quantum thermodynamics is going through rapid development, with contributions from many fields of physics, such as open quantum systems, quantum information, quantum optics, statistical physics, solid-state, cold atoms, optomechanics, and more. This interdisciplinary character leads to different viewpoints. I therefore solicit contributions to this Special Issue of the many faces of quantum thermodynamics.

This issue is to continue with the first issue of quantum thermodynamics, https://www.mdpi.com/journal/entropy/special_issues/Quantum_Thermodynamics.

Prof. Dr. Ronnie Kosloff
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Entropy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • The emergence of thermodynamics from quantum mechanics
  • Thermalization of quantum systems
  • Quantum signatures in thermodynamics
  • Manifestations of quantum phenomena in thermodynamics
  • Quantum heat transport
  • Quantum heat engines and refrigerators
  • Quantum thermodynamic resource theory
  • Experimental realization of quantum thermodynamic effects
  • Quantum fluctuation relations

Related Special Issues

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

33 pages, 3933 KiB  
Article
Thermodynamics of a Phase-Driven Proximity Josephson Junction
by Francesco Vischi, Matteo Carrega, Alessandro Braggio, Pauli Virtanen and Francesco Giazotto
Entropy 2019, 21(10), 1005; https://doi.org/10.3390/e21101005 - 15 Oct 2019
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4152
Abstract
We study the thermodynamic properties of a superconductor/normal metal/superconductor Josephson junction in the short limit. Owing to the proximity effect, such a junction constitutes a thermodynamic system where phase difference, supercurrent, temperature and entropy are thermodynamical variables connected by equations of state. These [...] Read more.
We study the thermodynamic properties of a superconductor/normal metal/superconductor Josephson junction in the short limit. Owing to the proximity effect, such a junction constitutes a thermodynamic system where phase difference, supercurrent, temperature and entropy are thermodynamical variables connected by equations of state. These allow conceiving quasi-static processes that we characterize in terms of heat and work exchanged. Finally, we combine such processes to construct a Josephson-based Otto and Stirling cycles. We study the related performance in both engine and refrigerator operating mode. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantum Thermodynamics II)
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11 pages, 556 KiB  
Article
Quantifying the Unitary Generation of Coherence from Thermal Quantum Systems
by Shimshon Kallush, Aviv Aroch and Ronnie Kosloff
Entropy 2019, 21(8), 810; https://doi.org/10.3390/e21080810 - 19 Aug 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2891
Abstract
Coherence is associated with transient quantum states; in contrast, equilibrium thermal quantum systems have no coherence. We investigate the quantum control task of generating maximum coherence from an initial thermal state employing an external field. A completely controllable Hamiltonian is assumed allowing the [...] Read more.
Coherence is associated with transient quantum states; in contrast, equilibrium thermal quantum systems have no coherence. We investigate the quantum control task of generating maximum coherence from an initial thermal state employing an external field. A completely controllable Hamiltonian is assumed allowing the generation of all possible unitary transformations. Optimizing the unitary control to achieve maximum coherence leads to a micro-canonical energy distribution on the diagonal energy representation. We demonstrate such a control scenario starting from a given Hamiltonian applying an external field, reaching the control target. Such an optimization task is found to be trap-less. By constraining the amount of energy invested by the control, maximum coherence leads to a canonical energy population distribution. When the optimization procedure constrains the final energy too tightly, local suboptimal traps are found. The global optimum is obtained when a small Lagrange multiplier is employed to constrain the final energy. Finally, we explore the task of generating coherences restricted to be close to the diagonal of the density matrix in the energy representation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantum Thermodynamics II)
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8 pages, 866 KiB  
Article
Entropy Exchange and Thermodynamic Properties of the Single Ion Cooling Process
by Jian-Guo Miao, Chun-Wang Wu, Wei Wu and Ping-Xing Chen
Entropy 2019, 21(7), 650; https://doi.org/10.3390/e21070650 - 01 Jul 2019
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2801
Abstract
A complete quantum cooling cycle may be a useful platform for studying quantum thermodynamics just as the quantum heat engine does. Entropy change is an important feature which can help us to investigate the thermodynamic properties of the single ion cooling process. Here, [...] Read more.
A complete quantum cooling cycle may be a useful platform for studying quantum thermodynamics just as the quantum heat engine does. Entropy change is an important feature which can help us to investigate the thermodynamic properties of the single ion cooling process. Here, we analyze the entropy change of the ion and laser field in the single ion cooling cycle by generalizing the idea in Reference (Phys. Rev. Lett. 2015, 114, 043002) to a single ion system. Thermodynamic properties of the single ion cooling process are discussed and it is shown that the Second and Third Laws of Thermodynamics are still strictly held in the quantum cooling process. Our results suggest that quantum cooling cycles are also candidates for the investigation on quantum thermodynamics besides quantum heat engines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantum Thermodynamics II)
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11 pages, 958 KiB  
Article
Transport and Energetic Properties of a Ring of Interacting Spins Coupled to Heat Baths
by Xiansong Xu, Kenny Choo, Vinitha Balachandran and Dario Poletti
Entropy 2019, 21(3), 228; https://doi.org/10.3390/e21030228 - 27 Feb 2019
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3118
Abstract
We study the heat and spin transport properties in a ring of interacting spins coupled to heat baths at different temperatures. We show that interactions, by inducing avoided crossings, can be a means to tune both the total heat current flowing between the [...] Read more.
We study the heat and spin transport properties in a ring of interacting spins coupled to heat baths at different temperatures. We show that interactions, by inducing avoided crossings, can be a means to tune both the total heat current flowing between the ring and the baths, and the way it flows through the system. In particular, we recognize three regimes in which the heat current flows clockwise, counterclockwise, and in parallel. The temperature bias between the baths also induces a spin current within the ring, whose direction and magnitude can be tuned by the interaction. Lastly, we show how the ergotropy of the nonequilibrium steady state can increase significantly near the avoided crossings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantum Thermodynamics II)
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20 pages, 743 KiB  
Article
Quantum Information Remote Carnot Engines and Voltage Transformers
by Jose Diazdelacruz and Miguel Angel Martin-Delgado
Entropy 2019, 21(2), 127; https://doi.org/10.3390/e21020127 - 30 Jan 2019
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3047
Abstract
A physical system out of thermal equilibrium is a resource for obtaining useful work when a heat bath at some temperature is available. Information Heat Engines are the devices which generalize the Szilard cylinders and make use of the celebrated Maxwell demons to [...] Read more.
A physical system out of thermal equilibrium is a resource for obtaining useful work when a heat bath at some temperature is available. Information Heat Engines are the devices which generalize the Szilard cylinders and make use of the celebrated Maxwell demons to this end. In this paper, we consider a thermo-chemical reservoir of electrons which can be exchanged for entropy and work. Qubits are used as messengers between electron reservoirs to implement long-range voltage transformers with neither electrical nor magnetic interactions between the primary and secondary circuits. When they are at different temperatures, the transformers work according to Carnot cycles. A generalization is carried out to consider an electrical network where quantum techniques can furnish additional security. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantum Thermodynamics II)
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7 pages, 3682 KiB  
Article
Revealing the Work Cost of Generalized Thermal Baths
by Alexandre Roulet
Entropy 2018, 20(12), 973; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20120973 - 15 Dec 2018
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2641
Abstract
We derive the work cost of using generalized thermal baths from the physical equivalence of quantum mechanics under unitary transformations. We demonstrate our method by considering a qubit extracting work from a single bath to amplify a cavity field. There, we find that [...] Read more.
We derive the work cost of using generalized thermal baths from the physical equivalence of quantum mechanics under unitary transformations. We demonstrate our method by considering a qubit extracting work from a single bath to amplify a cavity field. There, we find that only half of the work investment is converted into useful output, the rest being wasted as heat. These findings establish the method as a promising tool for studying quantum resources within the framework of classical thermodynamics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantum Thermodynamics II)
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14 pages, 317 KiB  
Article
Leggett-Garg Inequalities for Quantum Fluctuating Work
by Harry J. D. Miller and Janet Anders
Entropy 2018, 20(3), 200; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20030200 - 16 Mar 2018
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4919
Abstract
The Leggett-Garg inequalities serve to test whether or not quantum correlations in time can be explained within a classical macrorealistic framework. We apply this test to thermodynamics and derive a set of Leggett-Garg inequalities for the statistics of fluctuating work done on a [...] Read more.
The Leggett-Garg inequalities serve to test whether or not quantum correlations in time can be explained within a classical macrorealistic framework. We apply this test to thermodynamics and derive a set of Leggett-Garg inequalities for the statistics of fluctuating work done on a quantum system unitarily driven in time. It is shown that these inequalities can be violated in a driven two-level system, thereby demonstrating that there exists no general macrorealistic description of quantum work. These violations are shown to emerge within the standard Two-Projective-Measurement scheme as well as for alternative definitions of fluctuating work that are based on weak measurement. Our results elucidate the influences of temporal correlations on work extraction in the quantum regime and highlight a key difference between quantum and classical thermodynamics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantum Thermodynamics II)
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987 KiB  
Article
Thermoelectrics of Interacting Nanosystems—Exploiting Superselection Instead of Time-Reversal Symmetry
by Jens Schulenborg, Angelo Di Marco, Joren Vanherck, Maarten R. Wegewijs and Janine Splettstoesser
Entropy 2017, 19(12), 668; https://doi.org/10.3390/e19120668 - 06 Dec 2017
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4008
Abstract
Thermoelectric transport is traditionally analyzed using relations imposed by time-reversal symmetry, ranging from Onsager’s results to fluctuation relations in counting statistics. In this paper, we show that a recently discovered duality relation for fermionic systems—deriving from the fundamental fermion-parity superselection principle of quantum [...] Read more.
Thermoelectric transport is traditionally analyzed using relations imposed by time-reversal symmetry, ranging from Onsager’s results to fluctuation relations in counting statistics. In this paper, we show that a recently discovered duality relation for fermionic systems—deriving from the fundamental fermion-parity superselection principle of quantum many-particle systems—provides new insights into thermoelectric transport. Using a master equation, we analyze the stationary charge and heat currents through a weakly coupled, but strongly interacting single-level quantum dot subject to electrical and thermal bias. In linear transport, the fermion-parity duality shows that features of thermoelectric response coefficients are actually dominated by the average and fluctuations of the charge in a dual quantum dot system, governed by attractive instead of repulsive electron-electron interaction. In the nonlinear regime, the duality furthermore relates most transport coefficients to much better understood equilibrium quantities. Finally, we naturally identify the fermion-parity as the part of the Coulomb interaction relevant for both the linear and nonlinear Fourier heat. Altogether, our findings hence reveal that next to time-reversal, the duality imposes equally important symmetry restrictions on thermoelectric transport. As such, it is also expected to simplify computations and clarify the physical understanding for more complex systems than the simplest relevant interacting nanostructure model studied here. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantum Thermodynamics II)
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