Perspective on quantum thermodynamics

Autor(en)

James Millen, Andre Xuereb

Abstrakt

Classical thermodynamics is unrivalled in its range of applications and relevance to everyday life. It enables a description of complex systems, made up of microscopic particles, in terms of a small number of macroscopic quantities, such as work and entropy. As systems get ever smaller, fluctuations of these quantities become increasingly relevant, prompting the development of stochastic thermodynamics. Recently we have seen a surge of interest in exploring the quantum regime, where the origin of fluctuations is quantum rather than thermal. Many questions, such as the role of entanglement and the emergence of thermalisation, lie wide open. Answering these questions may lead to the development of quantum heat engines and refrigerators, as well as to vitally needed simple descriptions of quantum many-body systems.

Organisation(en)

Quantenoptik, Quantennanophysik und Quanteninformation

Externe Organisation(en)

University of Malta, Queen's University Belfast

Journal

New Journal of Physics

Band

18

Anzahl der Seiten

6

ISSN

1367-2630

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/18/1/011002

Publikationsdatum

01-2016

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

103025 Quantenmechanik, 103029 Statistische Physik

Schlagwörter

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Allgemeine Physik und Astronomie

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/940ae1f9-23df-490e-87bb-55fd6b4fb2d3