2017/10/06 by Josef Hloušek, J. Hloušek, Miroslav Ježek +3 · 1 citation
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #Computer science #Dissipation #Entropy (arrow of time) #Heat transfer #Mechanical and Optical Resonators #Physics #Quantum #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum information #Quantum mechanics #Quantum thermodynamics #Statistical physics #Thermal #Thermal energy #Thermal equilibrium #Thermal reservoir #Thermodynamics #Work (physics) #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s41598-017-13502-0
published as Scientific Reports 7, Article number: 13046 (2017) · 10 pages, 6 figures
openalex publication_date 2017/10/06 · arxiv created 2018/01/19 · arxiv updated 2018/01/22 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Quantum oscillators prepared out of thermal equilibrium can be used to produce work and transmit information. By intensive cooling of a single oscillator, its thermal energy deterministically dissipates to a colder environment, and the oscillator substantially reduces its entropy. This out-of-equilibrium state allows us to obtain work and to carry information. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate an advanced approach, conditionally preparing more efficient out-of-equilibrium states only by a weak dissipation, an inefficient quantum measurement of the dissipated thermal energy, and subsequent triggering of that states. Although it conditionally subtracts the energy quanta from the oscillator, average energy grows, and second-order correlation function approaches unity as by coherent external driving. On the other hand, the Fano factor remains constant and the entropy of the subtracted state increases, which raise doubts about a possible application of this approach. To resolve it, we predict and experimentally verify that both available work and transmitted information can be conditionally higher in this case than by arbitrary cooling or adequate thermal heating up to the same average energy. It qualifies the conditional procedure as a useful source for experiments in quantum information and thermodynamics.