Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 25, 2026
12:19
Measurement of Quantum Interference in a Silicon Ring Resonator Photon Source
Published on: April 4, 2017
7.9K
Extracting quantum work statistics and fluctuation theorems by single-qubit interferometry
R Dorner1, S R Clark2, L Heaney3
1Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom and Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom.
Physical Review Letters
|August 29, 2014
Summary
We present a method to test quantum fluctuation relations using Ramsey interferometry. This technique allows characterizing nonequilibrium processes in various quantum systems with current technology.
Area of Science:
- Quantum physics
- Statistical mechanics
- Quantum information science
Background:
- Quantum systems can exist in nonequilibrium states, deviating from thermal equilibrium.
- Understanding these nonequilibrium dynamics is crucial for quantum technologies.
- Quantum fluctuation relations provide fundamental insights into energy exchange in driven systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a practical experimental scheme for verifying quantum nonequilibrium fluctuation relations.
- To demonstrate a method for characterizing work distributions in driven quantum systems.
- To enable the study of nonequilibrium dynamics across diverse quantum platforms.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing Ramsey interferometry on a single probe qubit to extract information.
- Applying the technique to a general quantum system undergoing a nonequilibrium quench.
- Implementing the scheme with a trapped ion system and its internal pseudospin as the probe.
Main Results:
- The characteristic function of the work distribution can be experimentally extracted.
- The proposed scheme is compatible with current experimental technologies.
- The method is applicable to a wide range of quantum systems.
Conclusions:
- The developed experimental scheme provides a feasible route to verify quantum nonequilibrium fluctuation relations.
- This work facilitates the full characterization of nonequilibrium processes in quantum systems.
- The approach offers a versatile tool for exploring quantum thermodynamics and dynamics.
Related Concept Videos
02:18Interference and Diffraction
28.6K
Interference is a characteristic phenomenon exhibited by waves. When two electromagnetic waves interact with their peaks and troughs coinciding, a resulting wave with enhanced amplitude is produced. This is known as constructive interference. In this case, the two waves interacting are in phase with each other.
28.6K
04:08The Uncertainty Principle
25.5K
Werner Heisenberg considered the limits of how accurately one can measure properties of an electron or other microscopic particles. He determined that there is a fundamental limit to how accurately one can measure both a particle’s position and its momentum simultaneously. The more accurate the measurement of the momentum of a particle is known, the less accurate the position at that time is known and vice versa. This is what is now called the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. He...
25.5K
02:32The de Broglie Wavelength
25.6K
In the macroscopic world, objects that are large enough to be seen by the naked eye follow the rules of classical physics. A billiard ball moving on a table will behave like a particle; it will continue traveling in a straight line unless it collides with another ball, or it is acted on by some other force, such as friction. The ball has a well-defined position and velocity or well-defined momentum, p = mv, which is defined by mass m and velocity v at any given moment. This is the typical...
25.6K
02:46Uncertainty in Measurement: Reading Instruments
37.6K
Counting is the type of measurement that is free from uncertainty, provided the number of objects being counted does not change during the process. Such measurements result in exact numbers. By counting the eggs in a carton, for instance, one can determine exactly how many eggs are there in the carton. Similarly, the numbers of defined quantities are also exact. For example, 1 foot is exactly 12 inches, 1 inch is exactly 2.54 centimeters, and 1 gram is exactly 0.001 kilograms. Quantities...
37.6K
00:59Propagation of Uncertainty from Random Error
1.9K
An experiment often consists of more than a single step. In this case, measurements at each step give rise to uncertainty. Because the measurements occur in successive steps, the uncertainty in one step necessarily contributes to that in the subsequent step. As we perform statistical analysis on these types of experiments, we must learn to account for the propagation of uncertainty from one step to the next. The propagation of uncertainty depends on the type of arithmetic operation performed on...
1.9K
01:10Propagation of Uncertainty from Systematic Error
1.4K
The atomic mass of an element varies due to the relative ratio of its isotopes. A sample's relative proportion of oxygen isotopes influences its average atomic mass. For instance, if we were to measure the atomic mass of oxygen from a sample, the mass would be a weighted average of the isotopic masses of oxygen in that sample. Since a single sample is not likely to perfectly reflect the true atomic mass of oxygen for all the molecules of oxygen on Earth, the mass we obtain from this...
1.4K