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Thermodynamics of Quantum Information Flows
Krzysztof Ptaszyński1, Massimiliano Esposito2
1Institute of Molecular Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mariana Smoluchowskiego 17, 60-179 Poznań, Poland.
Physical Review Letters
|May 4, 2019
Summary
This study extends the second law of thermodynamics for open quantum systems. New inequalities bound maximum power output and introduce information-related contributions for quantum information processing.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Thermodynamics
- Statistical Mechanics
- Information Theory
Background:
- The second law of thermodynamics governs energy transfer and entropy.
- Markovian open quantum systems interact with multiple reservoirs.
- Understanding nonequilibrium thermodynamics is crucial for quantum technologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To complement the second law of thermodynamics for quantum systems.
- To derive new inequalities for power output and subsystem thermodynamics.
- To explore the thermodynamics of quantum information processing and autonomous Maxwell demons.
Main Methods:
- Derivation of a nonequilibrium free energy inequality.
- Development of local Clausius and free energy inequalities for subsystems.
- Application of the theory to an autonomous Maxwell demon model.
Main Results:
- A nonequilibrium free energy inequality provides an upper bound for maximum power output.
- Local inequalities for subsystems include information-related contributions.
- The derived inequalities differ from the total system inequality.
Conclusions:
- The study provides fundamental thermodynamic relations for open quantum systems.
- New inequalities pave the way for thermodynamics of quantum information processing.
- The work offers insights into the operation of quantum information engines like the Maxwell demon.
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