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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Reconciliation of quantum local master equations with thermodynamics

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Author(s):
De Chiara, Gabriele [1, 2] ; Landi, Gabriel [3] ; Hewgill, Adam [2] ; Reid, Brendan [2] ; Ferraro, Alessandro [2] ; Roncaglia, Augusto J. [4, 5] ; Antezza, Mauro [1, 6, 7]
Total Authors: 7
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Calif Santa Barbara, KITP, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 - USA
[2] Queens Univ Belfast, Ctr Theoret Atom Mol & Opt Phys, Belfast BT7 1NN, Antrim - North Ireland
[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Fis, BR-05314970 Sao Paulo - Brazil
[4] Univ Buenos Aires, Fac Ciencias Exactas & Nat, Dept Fis, Ciudad Univ, RA-1428 Buenos Aires, DF - Argentina
[5] Consejo Nacl Invest Cient & Tecn, IFIBA, Ciudad Univ, RA-1428 Buenos Aires, DF - Argentina
[6] Univ Montpellier, UMR CNRS 5221, L2C, F-34095 Montpellier - France
[7] Inst Univ France, 1 Rue Descartes, F-75231 Paris 05 - France
Total Affiliations: 7
Document type: Journal article
Source: NEW JOURNAL OF PHYSICS; v. 20, NOV 16 2018.
Web of Science Citations: 24
Abstract

The study of open quantum systems often relies on approximate master equations derived under the assumptions of weak coupling to the environment. However when the system is made of several interacting subsystems such a derivation is in many cases very hard. An alternative method, employed especially in the modeling of transport in mesoscopic systems, consists in using local master equations (LMEs) containing Lindblad operators acting locally only on the corresponding subsystem. It has been shown that this approach however generates inconsistencies with the laws of thermodynamics. In this paper we demonstrate that using a microscopic model of LMEs based on repeated collisions all thermodynamic inconsistencies can be resolved by correctly taking into account the breaking of global detailed balance related to the work cost of maintaining the collisions. We provide examples based on a chain of quantum harmonic oscillators whose ends are connected to thermal reservoirs at different temperatures. We prove that this system behaves precisely as a quantum heat engine or refrigerator, with properties that are fully consistent with basic thermodynamics. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 16/08721-7 - Stochastic modeling of non-equilibrium quantum systems
Grantee:Gabriel Teixeira Landi
Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants