Thermodynamics of quantum systems strongly coupled to a heat bath I. Operator thermodynamic functions and relations

TL;DR

This paper develops a quantum thermodynamics framework for strongly coupled small systems, introducing operator thermodynamic functions and relations, and unifying existing theories within a comprehensive formulation.

Contribution

It provides a quantum formulation of strong coupling thermodynamics theories, unifies them, and introduces operator thermodynamic potentials and relations.

Findings

Unified quantum thermodynamics framework for strong coupling.

Operator thermodynamic potentials and relations established.

Connections to open system nonequilibrium dynamics discussed.

Abstract

The thermodynamics of small quantum many-body systems strongly coupled to a heat bath at low temperatures with non-Markovian behavior are new challenges for quantum thermodynamics, as traditional thermodynamics is built on large systems vanishingly weakly coupled to a non-dynamical reservoir. Important also are the quantum attributes, as in quantum coherence, correlations, entanglement and fluctuations. All told, one needs to reexamine the meaning of the thermodynamic functions, the viability of the thermodynamic relations and the validity of the thermodynamic laws anew. In one popular approach to quantum thermodynamics the closed system, comprising the system of interest and the bath it is strongly coupled to, is assumed to be in a global thermal state throughout. In this set-up three theories of thermodynamics at strong coupling have been proposed, those of Gelin & Thoss [1], Seifert [2] and Jarzynski [3]. This paper provides a quantum formulation of them, with Jarzynski's two different representations encompassing the former two. Operator thermodynamic potentials and thermodynamic relations are presented. We mention issues related to energy and entropy in the two representations, a possible way to define quantum work in our functional formulation, and how to connect with the open system nonequilibrium dynamics approach to quantum thermodynamics, as proposed in [4].