2014/07/31 by G. B. Lesovik, A. V. Lebedev, I. A. Sadovskyy +3 · 33 citations
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #Entropy (arrow of time) #Formalism (music) #Observable #Physical law #Physics #Quantum #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Quantum information #Quantum mechanics #Second law of thermodynamics #Statistical physics #Theoretical physics #cond-mat.stat-mech #msc:82C10 #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/srep32815
published in Scientific Reports 6(1), 32815 (Nature Portfolio) · 8 pages, 4 figures
openalex publication_date 2016/09/12 · arxiv created 2016/09/22 · arxiv updated 2016/09/26 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Remarkable progress of quantum information theory (QIT) allowed to formulate mathematical theorems for conditions that data-transmitting or data-processing occurs with a non-negative entropy gain. However, relation of these results formulated in terms of entropy gain in quantum channels to temporal evolution of real physical systems is not thoroughly understood. Here we build on the mathematical formalism provided by QIT to formulate the quantum H-theorem in terms of physical observables. We discuss the manifestation of the second law of thermodynamics in quantum physics and uncover special situations where the second law can be violated. We further demonstrate that the typical evolution of energy-isolated quantum systems occurs with non-diminishing entropy.