2019/09/29 by Esteban Calzetta, Calzetta, Esteban
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #FOS: Physical sciences #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1909.13178
openalex publication_date 2019/09/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Energy exchanges under form of heat is neither the most natural or efficient way to operate an engine in the quantum realm. Recently there have been in the literature several proposals for "quantum measurement engines" where energy is fed into the machine by operations which otherwise would be conducive to quantum measurements on the working substance (henceforth "the system"). In the analysis of the working of these devices, oftentimes it is assumed that the only effect of measurement is to turn the state of the system from whatever prior state to an eigenstate of the measured property, and energy exchanges are determined therefrom. This ignores the intricacies of the quantum measurement process. We propose a simple model of a quantum measurement engine where the measurement process may be analyzed in detail, and therefore energy exchanges, and limitations on their duration, may be traced more fully.