Related papers: Minimal work principle: proof and counterexamples
In the conventional quantum mechanics (i.e., hermitian QM) the adia- batic theorem for systems subjected to time periodic fields holds only for bound systems and not for open ones (where ionization and dissociation take place) [D. W. Hone,…
We discuss the thermodynamics of closed quantum systems driven out of equilibrium by a change in a control parameter and undergoing a unitary process. We compare the work actually done on the system with the one that would be performed…
We present some novel thermodynamic ideas based on the Maupertuis principle. By considering Hamiltonians written in terms of appropriate action-angle variables we show that thermal states can be characterized by the action variables and by…
We reconsider a well-known relationship between the fluctuation theorem and the second law of thermodynamics by evaluating a probability measure-valued process. In order to establish a bridge between microscopic and macroscopic behaviors,…
We propose a thermodynamically consistent minimal model to study synchronization which is made of driven and interacting three-state units. This system exhibits at the mean-field level two bifurcations separating three dynamical phases: a…
A reciprocating quantum refrigerator is studied with the purpose of determining the limitations of cooling to absolute zero. We find that if the energy spectrum of the working medium possesses an uncontrollable gap, then there is a minimum…
For systems in an externally controllable time-dependent potential, the optimal protocol minimizes the mean work spent in a finite-time transition between given initial and final values of a control parameter. For an initially thermalized…
A first principle reciprocating quantum refrigerator is investigated with the purpose of determining the limitations of cooling to absolute zero. We find that if the energy spectrum of the working medium possesses an uncontrollable gap,…
A system's configurational state can be manipulated using dynamic variation of control parameters, such as temperature, pressure, or magnetic field; for finite-duration driving, excess work is required above the equilibrium free-energy…
Thomson's formulation of the second law - no work can be extracted from a system coupled to a bath through a cyclic process - is believed to be a fundamental principle of nature. For the equilibrium situation a simple proof is presented,…
The adiabatic theorem is a fundamental result established in the early days of quantum mechanics, which states that a system can be kept arbitrarily close to the instantaneous ground state of its Hamiltonian if the latter varies in time…
We discuss a general formalism to optimize quasi-adiabatic state-transfer protocols, where high fidelity is achieved by maintaining the system in a dark subspace protected from the dominant dissipative channels. We cast the residual…
An apparent violation of the second law of thermodynamics occurs when an atom coupled to a zero-temperature bath, being necessarily in an excited state, is used to extract work from the bath. Here the fallacy is that it takes work to couple…
Fluctuation theorems are fundamental extensions of the second law of thermodynamics for small nonequilibrium systems. While work and heat are equally important forms of energy exchange, fluctuation relations have not been experimentally…
The optimization of the conversion of thermal energy into work and the minimization of dissipation for nano- and mesoscopic systems is a complex challenge because of the important role fluctuations play on the dynamics of small systems. We…
We extend Jarzynski's work relation and the second law of thermodynamics to a heat conducting system which is operated by an external agent. These extensions contain a new non equilibrium contribution expressed as the violation of the…
We investigate how to minimize the work dissipated during nonequilibrium processes. To this end, we employ methods from linear response theory to describe slowly varying processes, i.e., processes operating within the linear regime around…
The maximum work extractable from a quantum system is achieved when the system is driven adiabatically. Frictional work then quantifies the difference in work output between adiabatic and non-adiabatic driving. Here we show that frictional…
Let a general quantum many-body system at a low temperature adiabatically cross through the vicinity of the system's quantum critical point. We show that the system's temperature is significantly suppressed due to both the entropy…
A new simple proof of the adiabatic theorem is given in the finite dimensional case for nondegenerate as well as degenerate states. The explicitly integrable two level system is considered as an example. It is demonstrated that the error…