Limits to catalysis in quantum thermodynamics

TL;DR

This paper investigates the fundamental limits of catalytic processes in quantum thermodynamics, identifying optimal catalysts and restrictions on state transformations under physical constraints.

Contribution

It introduces a family of optimal catalysts with minimal error and establishes significant restrictions on quantum state transformations considering physical bounds.

Findings

Identified a family of optimal catalysts for quantum state transformations.

Established restrictions on transformations under dimension and energy bounds.

Discussed implications for thermodynamic processes in quantum systems.

Abstract

Quantum thermodynamics is a research field that aims at fleshing out the ultimate limits of thermodynamic processes in the deep quantum regime. A complete picture of quantum thermodynamics allows for catalysts, i.e., systems facilitating state transformations while remaining essentially intact in their state, very much reminding of catalysts in chemical reactions. In this work, we present a comprehensive analysis of the power and limitation of such thermal catalysis. Specifically, we provide a family of optimal catalysts that can be returned with minimal trace distance error after facilitating a state transformation process. To incorporate the genuine physical role of a catalyst, we identify very significant restrictions on arbitrary state transformations under dimension or mean energy bounds, using methods of convex relaxations. We discuss the implication of these findings on possible thermodynamic state transformations in the quantum regime.