Work and its fluctuations in a driven quantum system

TL;DR

This paper investigates the work done on a driven quantum system, specifically a superconducting Cooper-pair box, analyzing both average work and fluctuations in closed and open system scenarios.

Contribution

It provides new analytical expressions for average work and work distribution in quantum systems, including effects of control fields and environment interactions.

Findings

Derived formulas for average work in closed quantum systems.

Analyzed work fluctuations and distribution in a superconducting qubit.

Discussed impact of environment on work in open quantum systems.

Abstract

We analyze work done on a quantum system driven by a control field. The average work depends on the whole dynamics of the system, and is obtained as the integral of the average power operator. As a specific example we focus on a superconducting Cooper-pair box forming a two-level system. We obtain expressions for the average work and work distribution in a closed system, and discuss control field and environment contributions to the average work for an open system.