Nonequilibrium system-bath entanglement theorem versus heat transport

TL;DR

This paper extends the system-bath entanglement theorem to nonequilibrium conditions, linking quantum entanglement and heat transport in molecular junctions using a generalized Langevin equation framework.

Contribution

The work introduces a nonequilibrium extension of the SBET, connecting entanglement to steady-state quantum transport in systems coupled to multiple thermal baths.

Findings

Extended SBET applies to systems with multiple baths at different temperatures.

Provides a theoretical framework for analyzing quantum heat transport.

Links entanglement properties to nonequilibrium thermodynamics.

Abstract

In this work, we extend the recently established system-bath entanglement theorem (SBET) [J. Chem. Phys. 152, 034102 (2020)] to the nonequilibrium scenario, in which an arbitrary system couples to multiple Gaussian baths environments at different temperatures. While the existing SBET connects the entangled system-bath response functions to those of local systems, the extended theory is concerned with the nonequilibrium steady-state quantum transport current through molecular junctions. The new theory is established on the basis of the generalized Langevin equation, with a close relation to nonequilibrium thermodynamics in the quantum regime.