Quantum Thermodynamics: An introduction to the thermodynamics of quantum information

TL;DR

This book introduces quantum thermodynamics, exploring its connection to quantum information and implications for quantum computing, emphasizing the development of thermodynamic principles in quantum systems and information processing.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of quantum thermodynamics, integrating classical thermodynamics with quantum information theory, and discusses recent advances in the field.

Findings

Quantum thermodynamics bridges classical and quantum physics.

Protocols for work extraction in quantum systems are analyzed.

Thermodynamics of quantum information processing is explored.

Abstract

This book provides an introduction to the emerging field of quantum thermodynamics, with particular focus on its relation to quantum information and its implications for quantum computers and next generation quantum technologies. The text, aimed at graduate level physics students with a working knowledge of quantum mechanics and statistical physics, provides a brief overview of the development of classical thermodynamics and its quantum formulation in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 then explores typical thermodynamic settings, such as cycles and work extraction protocols, when the working material is genuinely quantum. Finally, Chapter 3 explores the thermodynamics of quantum information processing and introduces the reader to some more state-of-the-art topics in this exciting and rapidly developing research field.