Related papers: New equilibrium ensembles for isolated quantum sys…
Current quantum simulation experiments are starting to explore non-equilibrium many-body dynamics in previously inaccessible regimes in terms of system sizes and time scales. Therefore, the question emerges which observables are best suited…
Maximum-entropy ensembles are key primitives in statistical mechanics from which thermodynamic properties can be derived. Over the decades, several approaches have been put forward in order to justify from minimal assumptions the use of…
For an isolated generic quantum system out of equilibrium, the long time average of observables is given by the diagonal ensemble, i.e. the mixed state with the same probability for energy eigenstates as the initial state but without…
All ensembles of statistical mechanics are equivalent in the sense that they give the equivalent thermodynamic functions in the thermodynamic limit. However, when investigating microscopic structures in the first-order phase transition…
This colloquium gives an overview of recent theoretical and experimental progress in the area of nonequilibrium dynamics of isolated quantum systems. We particularly focus on quantum quenches: the temporal evolution following a sudden or…
It is expected that a generic closed many-body system prepared in a well-behaved initial state and subjected to a periodic drive will eventually thermalize, i.e. approach the state of maximal entropy. This property, while compatible with…
Minimal, open quantum systems that are governed by non-Hermitian Hamiltonians have been realized across multiple platforms in the past two years. Here we investigate the dynamics of open systems with Hermitian or anti-Hermitian…
A bipartite system whose subsystems are fully quantum chaotic and coupled by a perturbative interaction with a tunable strength is a paradigmatic model for investigating how isolated quantum systems relax towards an equilibrium. It is found…
Entanglement within a given device provides a potential resource for quantum information processing. Entanglement between system and environment leads to decoherence (thus suppressing non-classical features within the system) but also opens…
Dissipative quantum systems are frequently described within the framework of the so-called "system-plus-reservoir" approach. In this work we assign their description to the Maximum Entropy Formalism and compare the resulting thermodynamic…
The diagonal entropy was introduced as a good entropy candidate especially for isolated quantum systems out of equilibrium. Here we present an analytical calculation of the average diagonal entropy for systems undergoing unitary evolution…
The problem of mutual equilibration between two finite, identical quantum systems, A and B, prepared initially at different temperatures is elucidated. We show that the process of energy exchange between the two systems leads to accurate…
Nonintegrable many-body quantum systems typically thermalize at long times through the mechanism of quantum chaos. However, some exceptional systems, such as those harboring quantum scars, break thermalization, serving as testbeds for…
The grand canonical ensemble lies at the core of quantum and classical statistical mechanics. A small system thermalizes to this ensemble while exchanging heat and particles with a bath. A quantum system may exchange quantities represented…
It is known that temperature estimates of macroscopic systems in equilibrium are most precise when their energy fluctuations are large. However, for nanoscale systems deviations from standard thermodynamics arise due to their interactions…
Realistic quantum systems are affected by environmental loss, which is often seen as detrimental for applications in quantum technologies. Alternatively, weak coupling to an environment can aid in stabilizing highly entangled and mixed…
This paper presents a nonequilibrium, first-principles, thermodynamic-ensemble based model for the relaxation process of interacting non-equilibrium systems. This model is formulated using steepest-entropy-ascent quantum thermodynamics…
We investigate a solvable model for energy conserving non-equilibrium steady states. The time-reversal asymmetry of the dynamics leads to the violation of detailed balance and to ergodicity breaking, as manifested by the presence of…
Using the ergodicity principle for the expectation values of several types of observables, we investigate the thermalization process in isolated fermionic systems. These are described by the two-body random ensemble, which is a paradigmatic…
Simulations are performed of a small quantum system interacting with a quantum environment. The system consists of various initial states of two harmonic oscillators coupled to give normal modes. The environment is "designed" by its level…