Related papers: Adiabatic processes need not correspond to optimal…
The quantum adiabatic theorem states that if a quantum system starts in an eigenstate of the Hamiltonian, and this Hamiltonian varies sufficiently slowly, the system stays in this eigenstate. We investigate experimentally the conditions…
Quantum decoherence is of primary importance for relaxation to an equilibrium distribution and, accordingly, for equilibrium processes. We demonstrate how coherence breaking implies evolution to a microcanonical distribution…
We present an approach for carrying out non-adiabatic molecular dynamics simulations of systems in which non-adiabatic transitions arise from the coupling between the classical atomic motions and a quasi-continuum of electronic quantum…
The viability of adiabatic quantum computation depends on the slow evolution of the Hamiltonian. The adiabatic switching theorem provides an asymptotic series for error estimates in $1/T$, based on the lowest non-zero derivative of the…
In adiabatic quantum computing the aim is to track an eigenstate as the Hamiltonian changes. In the usual setup this is achieved using the natural time-dependent Hamiltonian evolution of the system and the main technical tool is the…
In earlier work we presented a foundation for the Second Law of Classical Thermodynamics in terms of the Entropy Principle. More precisely, we provided an empirically accessible axiomatic derivation of an entropy function defined on all…
After the justification of the maximum entropy principle for equilibrium mechanical system from the principle of virtual work, i.e., the virtual work of microscopic forces on the elements of a mechanical system vanishes in thermodynamic…
Landauer's principle makes a strong connection between information theory and thermodynamics by stating that erasing a one-bit memory at temperature $T_0$ requires an average energy larger than $W_{LB}=k_BT_0 \ln2$, with $k_B$ Boltzmann's…
The quantum analog of Carnot cycles in few-particle systems consists of two quantum adiabatic steps and two isothermal steps. This construction is formally justified by use of a minimum work principle. It is then shown, without relying on…
The task of finding optimal protocols that minimize the energetic cost of thermodynamic processes of long yet finite duration $\tau$ is a pressing one. We approach this problem here in a rigorous and systematic fashion by means of the…
The quantum speed limit specifies a universal bound of the fidelity between the initial state and the time-evolved state. We apply this method to find a bound of the fidelity between the adiabatic state and the time-evolved state. The bound…
Progress in miniaturized technology allows us to control physical systems at nanoscale with remarkable precision. Experimental advancements have sparked interest in control problems in stochastic thermodynamics, typically concerning a…
This work explores the relationship between optimal control theory and adiabatic passage techniques in quantum systems. The study is based on a geometric analysis of the Hamiltonian dynamics constructed from the Pontryagin Maximum…
This article is a short version of a longer article to appear in Physics Reports (cond-mat/9708200). The essential postulates of classical thermodynamics are formulated, from which the second law is deduced as the principle of increase of…
We derive a version of the adiabatic theorem that is especially suited for applications in adiabatic quantum computation, where it is reasonable to assume that the adiabatic interpolation between the initial and final Hamiltonians is…
The reversible nature of thermodynamical cycles is an idealisation based on the assumption of perfect quasi-static dynamics. As a consequence of this assumption, ideal engines operate at the maximum efficiency but have zero power. Realistic…
We reassess the concept of transition at minimum work in classical stochastic finite-time thermodynamics, when the system dynamics is modelled by a diffusion process. We show that a well-posed formulation of the optimal control problem…
Adiabatic quantum computation is based on the adiabatic evolution of quantum systems. We analyse a particular class of qauntum adiabatic evolutions where either the initial or final Hamiltonian is a one-dimensional projector Hamiltonian on…
In a quantum system with a smoothly and slowly varying Hamiltonian, which approaches a constant operator at times $t\to \pm \infty$, the transition probabilities between adiabatic states are exponentially small. They are characterized by an…
Most realistic solid state devices considered as qubits are not true two-state systems but multi-level systems. They can approximately be considered as qubits only if the energy separation of the upper energy levels from the lowest two is…