Quantum thermodynamic advantage in work extraction from steerable quantum correlations

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a quantum thermodynamic advantage in work extraction enabled by steerable quantum correlations, with the advantage increasing with system dimension, using a protocol involving mutually unbiased bases and entangled states.

Contribution

It introduces a work extraction game that leverages steerability as a resource, establishing bounds and showing unbounded advantage in quantum thermodynamics.

Findings

Steerability enables higher work extraction than unsteerable correlations.

Maximum advantage occurs with maximally entangled states and mutually unbiased bases.

The quantum advantage grows unbounded with system dimension.

Abstract

Inspired by the primary goal of quantum thermodynamics -- to characterize quantum signatures and leverage their benefits in thermodynamic scenarios -- , we design a work extraction game within a bipartite framework that exhibits a quantum thermodynamic advantage. The steerability of quantum correlations between the two parties is the key resource enabling such an advantage. In designing the game, we exploit the correspondence between steerability and the incompatibility of observables. Our work extraction protocol involves mutually unbiased bases, which exhibit maximum incompatibility and therefore maximum steerability, showcased in maximally entangled quantum states. We derive upper bounds on the extractable work for unsteerable and steerable correlations and devise a protocol that saturates the latter. The ratio between the extractable work in steerable and unsteerable scenarios, which encapsulates the quantum advantage, increases with the dimension of the underlying system (sometimes referred to as an unbounded advantage). This proves a quantum thermodynamic advantage arising from steerable quantum correlations.