Correlation-Powered Work: Equivalence in Peak Yield, Differences in Robustness

TL;DR

This paper compares classical, quantum, and hypothetical stronger correlations as thermodynamic resources, highlighting that quantum correlations are more robust to measurement misalignment despite similar peak work potential.

Contribution

It introduces a comparative analysis of different correlation types in thermodynamics, emphasizing robustness over maximum yield as a key resource characteristic.

Findings

All models can achieve the same peak work of k_B T ln 2.

Classical correlations decay linearly with misalignment.

Quantum correlations decay quadratically, showing greater robustness.

Abstract

Initial system-environment correlations are a thermodynamic resource, enabling work extraction via their erasure. We compare the work potential of classical, quantum, and hypothetical stronger-than-quantum correlations as a function of measurement misalignment. While all models can yield a peak extractable work of k_B T ln 2, corresponding to a mutual information of ln 2, their value as a resource differs critically in its robustness. The classical resource is fragile, decaying linearly with misalignment, whereas the quantum resource is robust, decaying only quadratically. Thus, the degree of nonlocality maps not to the maximum energetic value of a correlation, but to its operational robustness as a thermodynamic fuel.