The First Law of Quantum Field Thermodynamics

Abstract

We study the notion of work fluctuations in quantum field theory, highlighting that the most common definitions used in finite-dimensional quantum systems cannot be applied to quantum field theory (QFT). Then we propose work distributions that are compatible with QFT and we show that they satisfy the first law of thermodynamics up to second moments. We also show how these distributions satisfy Crooks theorem and provide a fully non-perturbative thermodynamic analysis of spacetime localized unitary processes on a quantum field.

11 pages, 5 appendices. RevTeX 4.1. (v2: edited to match published version)

References in corpus (9)

• Fluctuation theorems: Work is not an observable
• Work measurement as a generalized quantum measurement
• Non-equilibrium quantum fluctuations of work
• Wavepacket detection with the Unruh-DeWitt model
• Jarzynski-like equality for the out-of-time-ordered correlator
• Weak Values are Interference Phenomena
• Probing Quantum Interference Effects in the Work Distribution
• Measuring work and heat in ultracold quantum gases
• A non-perturbative analysis of spin-boson interactions using the Weyl relations

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• Quantum Thermodynamics of an M2-M5 Brane System
• Dissipative dynamics of an open quantum battery in the BTZ spacetime
• Spacetime curvature from ultra rapid measurements of quantum fields
• Direct Characteristic-Function Tomography of the Quantum States of Quantum Fields
• Promoting Fluctuation Theorems into Covariant Forms
• Duality between amplitude and derivative coupled particle detectors in the limit of large energy gaps
• Fluctuation theorems in general relativistic stochastic thermodynamics
• Locally detecting UV cutoffs on a sphere with particle detectors
• Measurements in QFT: Weakly coupled local particle detectors and entanglement harvesting
• Thermodynamic uncertainty relations for relativistic quantum thermal machines