Quantum entropy production in phase space

TL;DR

This paper derives a quantum fluctuation theorem for entropy production in phase space, enabling a consistent thermodynamic description of quantum systems and contrasting it with existing measurement-based approaches.

Contribution

It introduces a phase space approach to quantum entropy production, generalizing classical fluctuation theorems to quantum systems.

Findings

Numerical solution for a dragged harmonic oscillator in a thermal bath.

The phase space approach offers a consistent thermodynamic framework.

Comparison with two-time energy measurement approach highlights advantages.

Abstract

A fluctuation theorem for the nonequilibrium entropy production in quantum phase space is derived, which enables the consistent thermodynamic description of arbitrary quantum systems, open and closed. The new treatment naturally generalizes classical results to the quantum domain. As an illustration the harmonic oscillator dragged through a thermal bath is solved numerically. Finally, the significance of the new approach is discussed in detail, and the phase space treatment is opposed to the two time energy measurement approach.