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Quantum entropy production as a measure of irreversibility

Statistical Mechanics 2007-05-23 v2

Abstract

We consider conservative quantum evolutions possibly interrupted by macroscopic measurements. When started in a nonequilibrium state, the resulting path-space measure is not time-reversal invariant and the weight of time-reversal breaking equals the exponential of the entropy production. The mean entropy production can then be expressed via a relative entropy on the level of histories. This gives a partial extension of the result for classical systems, that the entropy production is given by the source term of time-reversal breaking in the path-space measure.

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Cite

@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0211252,
  title  = {Quantum entropy production as a measure of irreversibility},
  author = {I. Callens and W. De Roeck and T. Jacobs and C. Maes and K. Netocny},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0211252},
  year   = {2007}
}

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11 pages