Quantum fluctuation theorems for arbitrary environments: adiabatic and non-adiabatic entropy production

TL;DR

This paper derives quantum fluctuation theorems for entropy production in systems coupled to arbitrary environments, distinguishing adiabatic and non-adiabatic contributions, with conditions for their validity and practical examples.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of entropy production fluctuation theorems in quantum systems with arbitrary environments, including a decomposition into adiabatic and non-adiabatic parts.

Findings

Entropy production obeys fluctuation theorems in quantum systems.

Decomposition into adiabatic and non-adiabatic entropy production is possible.

Fluctuation theorems hold under specific quantum conditions.

Abstract

We analyze the production of entropy along non-equilibrium processes in quantum systems coupled to generic environments. First, we show that the entropy production due to final measurements and the loss of correlations obeys a fluctuation theorem in detailed and integral forms. Second, we discuss the decomposition of the entropy production into two positive contributions, adiabatic and non-adiabatic, based on the existence of invariant states of the local dynamics. Fluctuation theorems for both contributions hold only for evolutions verifying a specific condition of quantum origin. We illustrate our results with three relevant examples of quantum thermodynamic processes far from equilibrium.