2019/06/30 by Konstantin Beyer, Kimmo Luoma, Walter T. Strunz · 1 citation
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #Classical mechanics #Computer science #Demon #Heat engine #Maxwell's demon #Physics #Quantum #Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture #Quantum many-body systems #Quantum mechanics #Quantum thermodynamics #Statistical physics #Task (project management) #Theoretical physics #Thermodynamics #Work (physics) #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.123.250606
published as Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 250606 (2019)
arxiv created 2019/11/26 · openalex publication_date 2019/12/20 · arxiv updated 2019/12/25 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We address the question of verifying the quantumness of thermal machines. A Szilárd engine is truly quantum if its work output cannot be described by a local hidden state model, i.e., an objective local statistical ensemble. Quantumness in this scenario is revealed by a steering-type inequality which bounds the classically extractable work. A quantum Maxwell demon can violate that inequality by exploiting quantum correlations between the work medium and the thermal environment. While for a classical Szilárd engine an objective description of the medium always exists, any such description can be ruled out by a steering task in a truly quantum case.