Dresden 2011 – scientific programme

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DY: Fachverband Dynamik und Statistische Physik

DY 11: Focus Session: Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics of Small Systems

DY 11.5: Invited Talk

Tuesday, March 15, 2011, 12:15–12:45, HÜL 186

Quantum Fluctuation Theorems — •Michele Campisi — Pisa, Italy — Institute for Physics, University of Augsburg, Germany

The second law of thermodynamics poses a stringent constraint on the direction that physical processes may take in macroscopic systems. As their size shrinks, processes taking the opposite direction, apparently defying the second law, become possible and the fluctuation theorems quantify the likelihood of their occurrence. We will address the following issues concerning quantum fluctuation theorems i) the problem of gauge freedom affecting the definitions of work and free energy, ii) the notions of inclusive, exclusive and dissipated work [1], iii) the absence of a work operator in quantum mechanics and the notion of two-point quantum observable iv) the difficulties related to the experimental verification of quantum fluctuation theorems and the possibility to overcome them [2].

[1] M. Campisi et al. ``Quantum Bochkov-Kuzovlev work fluctuation theorem'' arXiv:1003.1052.

[2] M. Campisi, et al. ``Fluctuation theorems for continuously monitored quantum fluxes'' Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 104601 (2010)