Characterizing irreversibility in open quantum systems

Abstract

Irreversibility is a fundamental concept with important implications at many levels. It pinpoints the fundamental difference between the intrinsically reversible microscopic equations of motion and the unidirectional arrow of time that emerges at the macroscopic level. More pragmatically, a full quantification of the degree of irreversibility of a given process can help in the characterisation of the performance of thermo-machines operating at the quantum level. Here, we review the concept of entropy production, which is commonly intended as {\it the} measure of thermodynamic irreversibility of a process, pinpointing the features and shortcomings of its current formulation.

arXiv comment8 pages, no figure, RevTeX4-1. To appear as a chapter of "Thermodynamics in the quantum regime - Recent Progress and Outlook", F. Binder, L. A. Correa, C. Gogolin, J. Anders, and G. Adesso eds., Springer International Publishing

References in corpus (27)

• A nonequilibrium equality for free energy differences
• Stochastic thermodynamics, fluctuation theorems, and molecular machines
• Dynamical Ensembles in Nonequilibrium Statistical Mechanics
• Equilibrium free energy differences from nonequilibrium measurements: a master equation approach
• Verification of the Crooks fluctuation theorem and recovery of RNA folding free energies
• Path ensembles averages in systems driven far-from-equilibrium
• Dissipation: The phase-space perspective
• Thermodynamics of a Colloidal Particle in a Time-Dependent Non-Harmonic Potential
• Generalized Clausius inequality for nonequilibrium quantum processes
• Entropy production and the arrow of time
• Nonequilibrium entropy production for open quantum systems
• Measuring Gaussian quantum information and correlations using the Renyi entropy of order 2
• Dynamic Relaxation of a Levitated Nanoparticle from a Non-Equilibrium Steady State
• Dissipation and lag in irreversible processes
• Entropy production in full phase space for continuous stochastic dynamics
• Irreversibility and the arrow of time in a quenched quantum system
• Quantum Operation Time Reversal
• Nonequilibrium potential and fluctuation theorems for quantum maps
• The Wigner Entropy Production Rate
• Experimental determination of irreversible entropy production in out-of-equilibrium mesoscopic quantum systems
• Quantum jumps and entropy production
• Nonadditive generalization of the quantum Kullback-Leibler divergence for measuring the degree of purification
• Quantum Skew Divergence
• Entropy production in linear Langevin systems
• Fluctuation, Dissipation and the Arrow of Time
• Non-equilibrium quantum-heat statistics under stochastic projective measurements
• Reconstructing quantum entropy production to probe irreversibility and correlations

Cited by in corpus (7)

• Stabilizing Open Quantum Batteries by Sequential Measurements
• Propagating Quantum Microwaves: Towards Applications in Communication and Sensing
• Entropy Production in Continuously Measured Gaussian Quantum Systems
• The maximum efficiency of nano heat engines depends on more than temperature
• Quantum-heat fluctuation relations in $3$-level systems under projective measurements
• Time-reversal of an unknown quantum state
• Experimental realization of optimal time-reversal on an atom chip for quantum undo operations