2014/12/31 by Gregory Bulnes Cuetara, A. Engel, Andreas Engel +1 · 59 citations
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #Classical mechanics #Detailed balance #Eigenvalues and eigenvectors #Entropy (arrow of time) #Extended irreversible thermodynamics #Floquet theory #Master equation #Non-equilibrium thermodynamics #Nonlinear system #Physics #Quantum #Quantum Electrodynamics and Casimir Effect #Quantum mechanics #Second law of thermodynamics #Statistical physics #Thermal Radiation and Cooling Technologies #Thermodynamics #Work (physics) #cond-mat.stat-mech
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/1367-2630/17/5/055002
published in New Journal of Physics 17(5), 055002 (IOP Publishing) · Equation (31) removed and subsequent discussion improved. References improved and minor corrections. v3: published version
openalex publication_date 2015/05/06 · arxiv created 2015/05/11 · arxiv updated 2015/05/12 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We present the stochastic thermodynamics analysis of an open quantum system weakly coupled to multiple reservoirs and driven by a rapidly oscillating external field. The analysis is built on a modified stochastic master equation in the Floquet basis. Transition rates are shown to satisfy the local detailed balance involving the entropy flowing out of the reservoirs. The first and second law of thermodynamics are also identified at the trajectory level. Mechanical work is identified by means of initial and final projections on energy eigenstates of the system. We explicitly show that this two step measurement becomes unnecessary in the long time limit. A steady-state fluctuation theorem for the currents and rate of mechanical work is also established. This relation does not require the introduction of a time reversed external driving which is usually needed when considering systems subjected to time asymmetric external fields. This is understood as a consequence of the secular approximation applied in consistency with the large time scale separation between the fast driving oscillations and the slower relaxation dynamics induced by the environment. Our results are finally illustrated on a model describing a thermodynamic engine.