Irreversibility in a unitary finite-rate protocol: The concept of internal friction

Abstract

The concept of internal friction, a fully quantum mechanical phenomena, is investigated in a simple, experimentally accessible quantum system in which a spin-1/2 is driven by a transverse magnetic field in a quantum adiabatic process. The irreversible production of the waste energy due to the quantum friction is quantitatively analyzed in a forward-backward unitary transform of the system Hamiltonian by using the quantum relative entropy between the actual density matrix obtained in a parametric transformation and the one in a reversible adiabatic process. Analyzing the role of total transformation time and the different pulse control schemes on the internal friction reveal the non-monotone character of the internal friction as a function of the total protocol time and the possibility for almost frictionless solutions in finite-time transformations.

Submitted for publication

References in corpus (5)

• Generalized Clausius inequality for nonequilibrium quantum processes
• Irreversible work and inner friction in quantum thermodynamic processes
• Work extremum principle: Structure and function of quantum heat engines
• Irreversibility and the arrow of time in a quenched quantum system
• Quantum Otto cycle with inner friction: finite-time and disorder effects

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Performance of a quantum heat engine at strong reservoir coupling
• Work production of quantum rotor engines
• Irreversible Work and Internal Friction in a Quantum Otto Cycle of a Single Arbitrary Spin
• Finite-time performance of a single-ion quantum Otto engine
• A finite-time quantum Otto engine with tunnel coupled one-dimensional Bose gases
• Tailoring the thermalization time of a cavity-field using distinct atomic reservoirs
• A quantum heat engine based on dynamical materials design
• Out-of-equilibrium quantum thermochemical engine with one-dimensional Bose gas