Inferring work by quantum superposing forward and time-reversal evolutions

Author(s)
Giulia Rubino, Gonzalo Manzano, Lee A. Rozema, Philip Walther, Juan M. R. Parrondo, Časlav Brukner
Abstract

The study of thermodynamic fluctuations allows one to relate the free energy difference between two equilibrium states with the work done on a system through processes far from equilibrium. This finding plays a crucial role in the quantum regime, where the definition of work becomes nontrivial. Based on these relations, here we develop a simple interferometric method allowing a direct estimation of the work distribution and the average dissipative work during a driven thermodynamic process by superposing the forward and time-reversal evolutions of the process. We show that our scheme provides useful upper bounds on the average dissipative work even without full control over the thermodynamic process, and we propose methodological variations depending on the possible experimental limitations encountered. Finally, we exemplify its applicability by an experimental proposal for implementing our method on a quantum photonics system, on which the thermodynamic process is performed through polarization rotations induced by liquid crystals acting in a discrete temporal regime.

Organisation(s)
Quantum Optics, Quantum Nanophysics and Quantum Information, Research Network Quantum Aspects of Space Time
External organisation(s)
Vienna Center for Quantum Science and Technology (VCQ), University of Bristol, Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (ÖAW), Universidad Complutense De Madrid, University of the Balearic Islands
Journal
Physical Review Research
Volume
4
No. of pages
12
ISSN
2643-1564
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.4.013208
Publication date
03-2022
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
103025 Quantum mechanics
Keywords
Portal url
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/inferring-work-by-quantum-superposing-forward-and-timereversal-evolutions(002511cd-0e33-4076-a38c-0e1bd4ca023e).html