Fluctuating work in coherent quantum systems: proposals and limitations

TL;DR

This paper reviews proposals and limitations related to defining and measuring work fluctuations in quantum systems, emphasizing quantum interference, measurement back-action, and quantum contextuality in thermodynamics.

Contribution

It synthesizes existing proposals for capturing quantum effects in work fluctuations and discusses fundamental limitations, highlighting areas for future research.

Findings

Quantum interference affects work fluctuation measurements.

Measurement back-action imposes fundamental limitations.

Quantum contextuality relates to work distribution properties.

Abstract

One of the most important goals in quantum thermodynamics is to demonstrate advantages of thermodynamic protocols over their classical counterparts. For that, it is necessary to (i) develop theoretical tools and experimental set-ups to deal with quantum coherence in thermodynamic contexts, and to (ii) elucidate which properties are genuinely quantum in a thermodynamic process. In this short review, we discuss proposals to define and measure work fluctuations that allow to capture quantum interference phenomena. We also discuss fundamental limitations arising due to measurement back-action, as well as connections between work distributions and quantum contextuality. We hope the different results summarised here motivate further research on the role of quantum phenomena in thermodynamics.