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Advances in Quantum Thermodynamics

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 September 2024) | Viewed by 6527

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Physics, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74001-970, Brazil
Interests: quantum information; quantum thermodynamics; relativity

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Physics, Federal University of Goiás, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia-GO 74690-900, Brazil
Interests: quantum optics; quantum information; quantum thermodynamics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Quantum thermodynamics is a relatively new area of study that combines two seemingly disparate fields: thermodynamics and quantum mechanics. While classical thermodynamics is based on macroscopic observations of energy, heat and work, quantum thermodynamics aims to describe these phenomena on a microscopic level, using the laws of quantum mechanics, where the measurement process cannot be ignored.

One of the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics is the idea of coherence, refers to the quantum mechanical property of objects being in a superposition of states, rather than being in a definite state. For more than one particle, this idea naturally extends to entanglement. Furthermore, quantum mechanics allows the engineering of reservoirs which are not found in the classical scenario. A key idea in quantum thermodynamics is the use of quantum resources such as coherence, entanglement and non-classical reservoirs to extract a greater amount of work from a thermodynamic system than would be possible in a classical system, leading to the development of new technologies, such as quantum engines. Quantum resources are then used to create quantum machines, such as quantum engines and refrigerators. In such systems, the transfer of energy does not only occur through the movement of particles, but also transpires through the transfer of quantum information, a phenomenon in which the measurement process can play an important role.

While quantum thermodynamics is still a relatively new field, it has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of energy and work at a fundamental level and drive the development of new technologies that can be used in fields such as renewable energy, computing and nanotechnology. This Special Issue of Entropy, entitled "Advances in Quantum Thermodynamics", will be open to works that either theoretically or experimentally study the phenomenon of irreversibility during the unitary or nonunitary processes, the use of quantum resources for the improvement of thermal machines, the problem of thermalization in closed systems and many-body systems, information thermodynamics, including quantum information machines, and various other topics.

Prof. Dr. Lucas Chibebe Céleri
Dr. Norton G. De Almeida
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 1526 KiB  
Article
Coherence-Enhanced Single-Qubit Thermometry out of Equilibrium
by Gonçalo Frazão, Marco Pezzutto, Yasser Omar, Emmanuel Zambrini Cruzeiro and Stefano Gherardini
Entropy 2024, 26(7), 568; https://doi.org/10.3390/e26070568 - 30 Jun 2024
Viewed by 595
Abstract
The metrological limits of thermometry operated in nonequilibrium dynamical regimes are analyzed. We consider a finite-dimensional quantum system, employed as a quantum thermometer, in contact with a thermal bath inducing Markovian thermalization dynamics. The quantum thermometer is initialized in a generic quantum state, [...] Read more.
The metrological limits of thermometry operated in nonequilibrium dynamical regimes are analyzed. We consider a finite-dimensional quantum system, employed as a quantum thermometer, in contact with a thermal bath inducing Markovian thermalization dynamics. The quantum thermometer is initialized in a generic quantum state, possibly including quantum coherence with respect to the Hamiltonian basis. We prove that the precision of the thermometer, quantified by the Quantum Fisher Information, is enhanced by the quantum coherence in its initial state. We analytically show this in the specific case of qubit thermometers for which the maximization of the Quantum Fisher Information occurs at a finite time during the transient thermalization dynamics. Such a finite-time precision enhancement can be better than the precision that is achieved asymptotically. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Quantum Thermodynamics)
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16 pages, 2638 KiB  
Article
Finite-Time Dynamics of an Entanglement Engine: Current, Fluctuations and Kinetic Uncertainty Relations
by Jeanne Bourgeois, Gianmichele Blasi, Shishir Khandelwal and Géraldine Haack
Entropy 2024, 26(6), 497; https://doi.org/10.3390/e26060497 - 7 Jun 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 666
Abstract
Entanglement engines are autonomous quantum thermal machines designed to generate entanglement from the presence of a particle current flowing through the device. In this work, we investigate the functioning of a two-qubit entanglement engine beyond the steady-state regime. Within a master equation approach, [...] Read more.
Entanglement engines are autonomous quantum thermal machines designed to generate entanglement from the presence of a particle current flowing through the device. In this work, we investigate the functioning of a two-qubit entanglement engine beyond the steady-state regime. Within a master equation approach, we derive the time-dependent state, the particle current, as well as the associated current correlation functions. Our findings establish a direct connection between coherence and internal current, elucidating the existence of a critical current that serves as an indicator for entanglement in the steady state. We then apply our results to investigate kinetic uncertainty relations (KURs) at finite times. We demonstrate that there is more than one possible definition for KURs at finite times. Although the two definitions agree in the steady-state regime, they lead to different parameter ranges for violating KUR at finite times. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Quantum Thermodynamics)
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8 pages, 944 KiB  
Article
Heat Bath in a Quantum Circuit
by Jukka P. Pekola and Bayan Karimi
Entropy 2024, 26(5), 429; https://doi.org/10.3390/e26050429 - 17 May 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 883
Abstract
We discuss the concept and realization of a heat bath in solid state quantum systems. We demonstrate that, unlike a true resistor, a finite one-dimensional Josephson junction array or analogously a transmission line with non-vanishing frequency spacing, commonly considered as a reservoir of [...] Read more.
We discuss the concept and realization of a heat bath in solid state quantum systems. We demonstrate that, unlike a true resistor, a finite one-dimensional Josephson junction array or analogously a transmission line with non-vanishing frequency spacing, commonly considered as a reservoir of a quantum circuit, does not strictly qualify as a Caldeira–Leggett type dissipative environment. We then consider a set of quantum two-level systems as a bath, which can be realized as a collection of qubits. We show that only a dense and wide distribution of energies of the two-level systems can secure long Poincare recurrence times characteristic of a proper heat bath. An alternative for this bath is a collection of harmonic oscillators, for instance, in the form of superconducting resonators. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Quantum Thermodynamics)
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0 pages, 1818 KiB  
Article
Quantum Switch as a Thermodynamic Resource in the Context of Passive States
by Otavio A. D. Molitor and Łukasz Rudnicki
Entropy 2024, 26(2), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/e26020153 - 10 Feb 2024
Viewed by 965
Abstract
In recent years, many works have explored possible advantages of indefinite causal order, with the main focus on its controlled implementation known as quantum switch. In this paper, we tackle advantages in quantum thermodynamics, studying whether quantum switch is capable of activating [...] Read more.
In recent years, many works have explored possible advantages of indefinite causal order, with the main focus on its controlled implementation known as quantum switch. In this paper, we tackle advantages in quantum thermodynamics, studying whether quantum switch is capable of activating a passive state, either alone or with extra resources (active control state) and/or operations (measurement of the control system). By disproving the first possibility and confirming the second one, we show that quantum switch is not a thermodynamic resource in the discussed context, though it can facilitate work extraction given external resources. We discuss our findings by considering specific examples: a qubit system subject to rotations around the x and y axes in the Bloch sphere, as well as general unitaries from the U(2) group; and the system as a quantum harmonic oscillator with displacement operators, as well as with a combination of displacement and squeeze operators. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Quantum Thermodynamics)
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23 pages, 1233 KiB  
Article
The Thermomajorization Polytope and Its Degeneracies
by Frederik vom Ende and Emanuel Malvetti
Entropy 2024, 26(2), 106; https://doi.org/10.3390/e26020106 - 24 Jan 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 986
Abstract
Drawing inspiration from transportation theory, in this work, we introduce the notions of “well-structured” and “stable” Gibbs states and we investigate their implications for quantum thermodynamics and its resource theory approach via thermal operations. It is found that, in the quasi-classical realm, global [...] Read more.
Drawing inspiration from transportation theory, in this work, we introduce the notions of “well-structured” and “stable” Gibbs states and we investigate their implications for quantum thermodynamics and its resource theory approach via thermal operations. It is found that, in the quasi-classical realm, global cyclic state transfers are impossible if and only if the Gibbs state is stable. Moreover, using a geometric approach by studying the so-called thermomajorization polytope, we prove that any subspace in equilibrium can be brought out of equilibrium via thermal operations. Interestingly, the case of some subsystem being in equilibrium can be witnessed via the degenerate extreme points of the thermomajorization polytope, assuming that the Gibbs state of the system is well structured. These physical considerations are complemented by simple new constructions for the polytope’s extreme points, as well as for an important class of extremal Gibbs-stochastic matrices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Quantum Thermodynamics)
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10 pages, 605 KiB  
Article
Thermodynamics of the Ramsey Zone
by Rogério Jorge de Assis, Ciro Micheletti Diniz, Norton Gomes de Almeida and Celso Jorge Villas-Bôas
Entropy 2023, 25(10), 1430; https://doi.org/10.3390/e25101430 - 10 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1030
Abstract
We studied the thermodynamic properties such as the entropy, heat (JQ), and work (JW) rates involved when an atom passes through a Ramsey zone, which consists of a mode field inside a low-quality factor cavity that behaves [...] Read more.
We studied the thermodynamic properties such as the entropy, heat (JQ), and work (JW) rates involved when an atom passes through a Ramsey zone, which consists of a mode field inside a low-quality factor cavity that behaves classically, promoting rotations on the atomic state. Focusing on the atom, we show that JW predominates when the atomic rotations are successful, maintaining its maximum purity as computed by the von Neumann entropy. Conversely, JQ stands out when the atomic state ceases to be pure due to its entanglement with the cavity mode. With this, we interpret the quantum-to-classical transition in light of the heat and work rates. Besides, we show that, for the cavity mode to work as a Ramsey zone (classical field), several photons (of the order of 106) need to cross the cavity, which explains its classical behavior, even when the inside average number of photons is of the order of unity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Quantum Thermodynamics)
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