Single-atom demonstration of quantum Landauer principle

TL;DR

This paper experimentally demonstrates a quantum version of Landauer's principle using a trapped ultracold ion, establishing a fundamental link between quantum information erasure and energy cost.

Contribution

It provides the first experimental verification of the quantum Landauer principle, connecting quantum thermodynamics with information processing.

Findings

Confirmed the quantum Landauer equality in a trapped ion system

Linked information erasure energy cost with entropy change in a quantum environment

Supported the fundamental thermodynamic limits in quantum information processing

Abstract

One of the outstanding challenges to information processing is the eloquent suppression of energy consumption in execution of logic operations. Landauer principle sets an energy constraint in deletion of a classical bit of information. Although some attempts have been paid to experimentally approach the fundamental limit restricted by this principle, exploring Landauer principle in a purely quantum mechanical fashion is still an open question. Employing a trapped ultracold ion, we experimentally demonstrate a quantum version of Landauer principle, i.e., an equality associated with energy cost of information erasure in conjunction with entropy change of the associated quantized environment. Our experimental investigation substantiates an intimate link between information thermodynamics and quantum candidate systems for information processing.