2020/08/31 by Daniel Heineken, Konstantin Beyer, Kimmo Luoma +1
Chemistry · Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #Chemistry #Concurrence #Dissipative system #Heat current #Materials science #Physics #Quantum #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Quantum discord #Quantum entanglement #Quantum mechanics #Qubit #Range (aeronautics) #Statistical physics #Steady state (chemistry) #Thermal conductivity #Thermodynamic limit #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreva.104.052426
arxiv created 2021/03/03 · openalex publication_date 2021/11/24 · arxiv updated 2021/12/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
This article investigates dissipative preparation of entangled nonequilibrium steady states (NESS). We construct a collision model where the open system consists of two qubits which are coupled to heat reservoirs with different temperatures. The baths are modeled by sequences of qubits interacting with the open system. The model can be studied in different dynamical regimes: with and without environmental memory effects. We report that only a certain bath temperature range allows for entangled NESS. Furthermore, we obtain minimal and maximal critical values for the heat current through the system. Surprisingly, quantum memory effects play a crucial role in the long-time limit. First, memory effects broaden the parameter region where quantum correlated NESS may be dissipatively prepared and, second, they increase the attainable concurrence. Most remarkably, we find a heat current range that does not only allow, but even guarantees that the NESS is entangled. Thus, the heat current can witness entanglement of nonequilibrium steady states.