Contents/conteúdo

Mathematics Department Técnico Técnico

Quantum Computation and Information Seminar  RSS

Sessions

27/02/2014, 10:30 — 11:30 — Seminar room (2.8.3), Physics Building
, University of Bremen

Thermodynamics of quantum coherence

Quantum decoherence is seen as an undesired source of irreversibility that destroys quantum resources. Quantum coherences are a property that vanishes at thermodynamic equilibrium. Away from equilibrium, quantum coherences challenge the classical notions of a thermodynamic bath in a Carnot engines, affect the efficiency of quantum transport, lead to violations of Fourier's law, and can be used to dynamically control the temperature of a state. However, the role of quantum coherence in thermodynamics is not fully understood.

We will show that the relative entropy of a state with quantum coherence with respect to its decohered state captures its deviation from thermodynamic equilibrium. As a result, changes in quantum coherence can lead to a heat flow with no associated temperature, and affect the entropy production rate. From this, we derive a quantum version of the Onsager reciprocal relations that shows that there is a reciprocal relation between thermodynamic forces from coherence and quantum transport. Quantum decoherence can be useful and offers new possibilities of thermodynamic control for quantum transport and to understand transport in photosynthetic complexes.

Joint session with the Physics of Information Seminar. Please note exceptional day, time and room.

Supported by: Phys-Info (IT), SQIG (IT), CeFEMA and CAMGSD, with funding from FCT, FEDER and EU FP7, specifically through the Doctoral Programme in the Physics and Mathematics of Information (DP-PMI), FCT strategic projects PEst-OE/EEI/LA0008/2013 and UID/EEA/50008/2013, IT project QuSim, project CRUP-CPU CQVibes, the FP7 Coordination Action QUTE-EUROPE (600788), and the FP7 projects Landauer (GA 318287) and PAPETS (323901).

 

Instituto de TelecomunicaçõesCAMGSDFCT7th Framework Programme