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Updated: Jun 2, 2026
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Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators
Published on: May 30, 2014
Landauer's principle in the quantum regime
Stefanie Hilt1, Saroosh Shabbir, Janet Anders
1Department of Physics, University of Augsburg, D-86135 Augsburg, Germany.
Summary
Landauer
Area of Science:
- Quantum thermodynamics
- Statistical mechanics
Background:
- Landauer's erasure principle is a fundamental concept in thermodynamics.
- Understanding quantum systems requires considering system-reservoir interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate Landauer's erasure principle in the strong coupling quantum regime.
- To investigate the thermodynamic impact of system-reservoir interactions.
Main Methods:
- Thermodynamic treatment of system-reservoir interaction.
- Analysis of a damped quantum harmonic oscillator.
Main Results:
- Initial coupling to the reservoir modifies system energy and entropy.
- Explicit entropy expressions derived for damped quantum harmonic oscillator.
- Contributions related to the Hamiltonian of mean force dominate in strong damping.
Conclusions:
- Landauer's erasure principle holds in the strong coupling quantum regime.
- System-reservoir coupling significantly impacts thermodynamic properties.
- Low-temperature thermodynamic analyses must account for these coupling effects.
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