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An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids

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Thermodynamic Framework for Coherently Driven Systems.

Max Schrauwen¹, Aaron Daniel², Marcelo Janovitch²

¹RWTH Aachen University, Department of Physics, 52056 Aachen, Germany.

Physical Review Letters

|December 12, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed a new thermodynamic framework for driven systems. This framework reveals that output light must be noisier than input light, offering new insights into quantum systems.

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Area of Science:

Physics
Quantum Thermodynamics
Statistical Mechanics

Background:

Thermodynamics at the nanoscale is complex due to fluctuations and quantum effects.
Existing thermodynamic frameworks lack uniqueness for nanoscale systems, as heat and work depend on accessible degrees of freedom.

Purpose of the Study:

To derive a novel thermodynamic framework applicable to coherently driven systems.
To establish a tighter second law of thermodynamics for these systems.
To explore the noise properties of driven-dissipative quantum systems.

Main Methods:

Derivation of a thermodynamic framework assuming accessible output light in coherently driven systems.
Application and illustration of the framework across established physical models.
Analysis of the noise characteristics of input and output light.

Main Results:

A new second law of thermodynamics is derived, which is strictly tighter than the conventional one.
The framework dictates that output light from driven systems must exhibit greater noise than the input light.
The three-level maser is reinterpreted as an engine that effectively reduces the noise of a coherent drive.

Conclusions:

The developed thermodynamic framework provides a unique approach for coherently driven systems.
This work advances the understanding of noise properties in driven-dissipative quantum systems.
The findings open new research avenues in nanoscale thermodynamics and quantum information science.