Optimal nonequilibrium entanglement of nanomechanical oscillators

TL;DR

This paper explores how to optimally generate entanglement in a chain of harmonic oscillators through time-dependent coupling, linking it to thermodynamic work and mode synchronization.

Contribution

It introduces an optimal control approach to maximize entanglement in oscillator chains and relates it to thermodynamic irreversibility.

Findings

Maximum entanglement achieved via mode synchronization

Optimal control determines coupling modulation for best entanglement

Entanglement related to irreversible work in the system

Abstract

We investigate nonequilibrium entanglement generation in a chain of harmonic oscillators with time-dependent linear coupling. We use optimal control theory to determine the coupling modulation that leads to maximum logarithmic negativity for a pair of opposite oscillators and show that it corresponds to a synchronization of the eigenmodes of the chain. We further analytically relate the maximum attainable entanglement to the irreversible work done to produce it, thus bridging nonequilibrium entanglement production and nonequilibrium thermodynamics.