Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics01:14

Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics

4.7K
Experimentally, if object A is in equilibrium with object B, and object B is in equilibrium with object C, then object A is in equilibrium with object C. That statement of transitivity is called the "zeroth law of thermodynamics." For example, a cold metal block and a hot metal block are both placed on a metal plate at room temperature. Eventually, the cold block and the plate will be in thermal equilibrium. In addition, the hot block and the plate will be in thermal equilibrium.
4.7K
Second Law of Thermodynamics02:49

Second Law of Thermodynamics

22.9K
In the quest to identify a property that may reliably predict the spontaneity of a process, a promising candidate has been identified: entropy. Processes that involve an increase in entropy of the system (ΔS > 0) are very often spontaneous; however, examples to the contrary are plentiful. By expanding consideration of entropy changes to include the surroundings, a significant conclusion regarding the relation between this property and spontaneity may be reached. In thermodynamic...
22.9K
Thermal Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry01:17

Thermal Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry

2.0K
The stereochemistry of electrocyclic reactions is strongly influenced by the orbital symmetry of the polyene HOMO. Under thermal conditions, the reaction proceeds via the ground-state HOMO.
Selection Rules: Thermal Activation
Conjugated systems containing an even number of π-electron pairs undergo a conrotatory ring closure. For example, thermal electrocyclization of (2E,4E)-2,4-hexadiene, a conjugated diene containing two π-electron pairs, gives trans-3,4-dimethylcyclobutene.
2.0K
Entropy02:39

Entropy

28.7K
Salt particles that have dissolved in water never spontaneously come back together in solution to reform solid particles. Moreover, a gas that has expanded in a vacuum remains dispersed and never spontaneously reassembles. The unidirectional nature of these phenomena is the result of a thermodynamic state function called entropy (S). Entropy is the measure of the extent to which the energy is dispersed throughout a system, or in other words, it is proportional to the degree of disorder of a...
28.7K
Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics01:20

Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics

2.7K
The second law of thermodynamics can be stated quantitatively using the concept of entropy. Entropy is the measure of disorder of the system.
The relation  between entropy and disorder can be illustrated with the example of the phase change of ice to water. In ice, the molecules are located at specific sites giving a solid state, whereas, in a liquid form, these molecules are much freer to move. The molecular arrangement has therefore become more randomized. Although the change in average...
2.7K
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Population Distribution01:14

Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Population Distribution

918
Near absolute zero temperatures, in the presence of a magnetic field, the majority of nuclei prefer the lower energy spin-up state to the higher energy spin-down state. As temperatures increase, the energy from thermal collisions distributes the spins more equally between the two states. The Boltzmann distribution equation gives the ratio of the number of spins predicted in the spin −½ (N−) and spin +½ (N+) states.
918

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Observation of the Einstein-de Haas effect in a Bose-Einstein condensate.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

Dissipative Superfluidity in a Molecular Bose-Einstein Condensate.

Physical review letters·2025
Same author

Noise balance and stationary distribution of stochastic gradient descent.

Physical review. E·2025
Same author

Pink-noise dynamics in an evolutionary game on a regular graph.

Physical review. E·2024
Same author

Experimental Observation of the Yang-Lee Quantum Criticality in Open Quantum Systems.

Physical review letters·2024
Same author

Hermitian and non-Hermitian topology from photon-mediated interactions.

Nature communications·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 29, 2025

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators
09:23

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators

Published on: May 30, 2014

14.4K

Universal Upper Bound on Ergotropy and No-Go Theorem by the Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis.

Akihiro Hokkyo1, Masahito Ueda1,2,3

  • 1University of Tokyo, Department of Physics, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan.

Physical Review Letters
|February 6, 2025
PubMed
Summary

The maximum work extractable from quantum systems is limited by initial state properties and quantum operations. This finding upholds the second law of thermodynamics, even for pure quantum states, by constraining work extraction.

More Related Videos

A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference
00:07

A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference

Published on: September 5, 2019

8.4K
Cooling an Optically Trapped Ultracold Fermi Gas by Periodical Driving
11:21

Cooling an Optically Trapped Ultracold Fermi Gas by Periodical Driving

Published on: March 30, 2017

7.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 29, 2025

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators
09:23

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators

Published on: May 30, 2014

14.4K
A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference
00:07

A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference

Published on: September 5, 2019

8.4K
Cooling an Optically Trapped Ultracold Fermi Gas by Periodical Driving
11:21

Cooling an Optically Trapped Ultracold Fermi Gas by Periodical Driving

Published on: March 30, 2017

7.4K

Area of Science:

  • Quantum Thermodynamics
  • Statistical Mechanics
  • Condensed Matter Physics

Background:

  • Quantum thermodynamics explores work extraction and energy transformations in quantum systems.
  • The Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis (ETH) describes thermalization in isolated quantum systems.
  • Understanding the interplay between thermodynamics and quantum mechanics is crucial for quantum technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish a universal upper bound on the maximum extractable work (ergotropy) from quantum many-body systems.
  • To investigate the implications of this bound for work extraction from energy eigenstates.
  • To connect the concepts of the second law of thermodynamics and thermalization in quantum systems.

Main Methods:

  • Derivation of a universal upper bound for ergotropy based on local athermality and local entropy decrease.
  • Analysis of work extraction from energy eigenstates under finite-time unitary operations.
  • Investigation of the role of intrasystem correlations in quantum work extraction.

Main Results:

  • The maximum extractable work is fundamentally limited by the initial state's local athermality and the entropy decrease during quantum operations.
  • The Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis prohibits work extraction from energy eigenstates using finite-time unitary operations.
  • Planck's principle, a statement of the second law of thermodynamics, is shown to hold even for pure quantum states.

Conclusions:

  • Intrasystem correlations in many-body systems serve as a resource for work extraction, bridging quantum thermodynamics and thermalization.
  • The study provides a unified framework for understanding work extraction limits and thermalization in quantum systems.
  • The findings have implications for the fundamental understanding of energy, entropy, and work in the quantum realm.