Two-point measurement energy statistics from particle scattering

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that energy statistics from a two-point quantum measurement can be experimentally probed through particle scattering, enabling autonomous energy fluctuation measurements.

Contribution

It introduces a method where a single particle acts as both a driving force and an energy measurement device for a quantum system.

Findings

Energy fluctuations can be defined in a fully autonomous setting.

Particle scattering can probe two-point energy statistics.

The approach unifies driving and measurement in quantum thermodynamics.

Abstract

We show that the energy statistics resulting from a two-point measurement of an isolated quantum system subject to a time-dependent driving protocol can be probed by subjecting the same system to a collision with a suitably prepared incoming particle. This means that the particle acts both as an external drive and as an energy measurement device for the quantum system and that energy fluctuations can be defined within a fully autonomous setting.