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Work, heat and entropy production in bipartite quantum systems

Hossein-Nejad, H; O'Reilly, EJ; Olaya-Castro, A; (2015) Work, heat and entropy production in bipartite quantum systems. New Journal of Physics , 17 , Article 075014. 10.1088/1367-2630/17/7/075014. Green open access

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Abstract

In bipartite quantum systems commutation relations between the Hamiltonian of each subsystem and the interaction impose fundamental constraints on the dynamics of each partition. Here we investigate work, heat and entropy production in bipartite systems characterized by particular commutators between their local Hamiltonians and the interaction operator. We consider the formalism of (Weimer et al 2008 Europhys. Lett. 83 30008), in which heat (work) is identified with energy changes that (do not) alter the local von Neumann entropy, as observed in an effective local measurement basis. We demonstrate the consequences of the commutation relations on the work and heat fluxes into each partition, and extend the formalism to open quantum systems where one, or both, partitions are subject to a Markovian thermal bath. We also discuss the relation between heat and entropy in bipartite quantum systems out of thermal equilibrium, and reconcile the aforementioned approach with the second law of thermodynamics.

Type: Article
Title: Work, heat and entropy production in bipartite quantum systems
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/17/7/075014
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/17/7/075014
Additional information: Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
Keywords: quantum thermodynamics, heat, work, entropy
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Physics and Astronomy
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1473516
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