The role of initial coherence in the phase-space entropy production rate
arXiv:2401.07833 · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-57904-2
Abstract
The second law of thermodynamics can be expressed in terms of entropy production, which can be used to quantify the degree of irreversibility of a process. In this Chapter, we consider the standard scenario of open quantum systems, where a system irreversibly interacts with an external environment. We show that the standard approach, based on von Neumann entropy, can be replaced by a phase-space formulation of the problem. In particular, we focus on spin systems that can be described using the so-called spin coherent states. We deploy this formalism to study the interplay between the entropy production rate and the initial quantum coherence available to the system.
17 pages, 4 figures. Proceedings of the "Crossroad of Maxwell Demon" workshop in Toulouse, March 2023. To appear in Volume 15 of the Springer-Nature Series "Advances in Atom and Single Molecule Machines"