Temperature as a quantum observable
Quantum Physics
2018-07-19 v3 Statistical Mechanics
Abstract
In this article, we address the problem of how temperature of a quantum system is observed. By proposing a thought experiment, we argue that temperature must be conceived as an operator and its measurement must necessarily accompany a collapse in the wavefunction. We model a temperature measurement device and determine the expectation value and quantum uncertainty of its readout. Lastly, we explore the consequences of this point of view and propose an experiment to verify if temperature is indeed a quantum observable.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1708.09374,
title = {Temperature as a quantum observable},
author = {Sushrut Ghonge and Dervis Can Vural},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1708.09374},
year = {2018}
}
Comments
v3: added new section on position thermometers and several minor corrections