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Landauer's Principle in a Quantum Szilard Engine without Maxwell's Demon
Alhun Aydin1,2, Altug Sisman3, Ronnie Kosloff1
1Fritz Haber Research Center, Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91904 Jerusalem, Israel.
Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 8, 2020
Summary
This study introduces a demonless quantum Szilard engine, demonstrating that quantum measurement, not information acquisition, triggers necessary heat dissipation, validating Landauer's principle in novel quantum thermodynamics systems.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Mechanics
- Thermodynamics
- Information Theory
Background:
- Szilard engines typically involve a Maxwell's Demon, with Landauer's principle resolving paradoxes.
- Quantum mechanics introduces unique behaviors like superposition, impacting thermodynamic principles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and analyze a quantum Szilard engine operating without an explicit Maxwell's Demon.
- To investigate the role of quantum measurement and size effects in demonless Szilard engines.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical exploration of a quantum Szilard engine setup.
- Analysis of particle behavior under quantum size effects and measurement.
Main Results:
- The proposed engine operates without requiring which-side information.
- Quantum measurement, not information acquisition, induces particle localization and associated heat dissipation.
- The study confirms the implicit erasure and heat dissipation crucial for engine operation.
Conclusions:
- Landauer's principle holds true even in quantum Szilard engines lacking a Maxwell's Demon.
- Quantum measurement is a key factor for work extraction, irrespective of information usage.
- The findings highlight the interplay of quantum mechanics and thermodynamics in information erasure.
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