English

Thermodynamic perspective on quantum fluctuations

Statistical Mechanics 2025-01-13 v2 Quantum Physics

Abstract

What is the major difference between large and small systems? At small length-scales the dynamics is dominated by fluctuations, whereas at large scales fluctuations are irrelevant. Therefore, any thermodynamically consistent description of quantum systems necessitates a thorough understanding of the nature and consequences of fluctuations. In this chapter, we outline two closely related fields of research that are commonly considered separately -- fluctuation forces and fluctuation theorems. Focusing on the main gist of these exciting and vivid fields of modern research, we seek to provide a instructive entry point for both communities of researchers interested in learning about the other.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2308.04951,
  title  = {Thermodynamic perspective on quantum fluctuations},
  author = {Akira Sone and Kanu Sinha and Sebastian Deffner},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2308.04951},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

32 pages, 9 figures; Chapter to be submitted for Encyclopedia of Mathematical Physics 2nd edition

R2 v1 2026-06-28T11:51:54.155Z