Nonlocal contributions to ergotropy: A thermodynamic perspective

TL;DR

This paper introduces a quantifier for nonlocal contributions to work extraction in quantum systems, revealing how nonlocality can enhance or diminish ergotropy depending on interactions and state structure.

Contribution

It provides a new measure for nonlocal contributions to ergotropy and derives closed-form expressions based on Schmidt coefficients, linking nonlocality to work extraction.

Findings

Nonlocal resources generally increase extractable work in non-interacting systems.

The relationship between ergotropy and correlations is explicitly established for non-interacting Hamiltonians.

Nonlocal contributions can either increase or decrease work extraction depending on interactions and state structure.

Abstract

Nonlocality is a defining feature of quantum mechanics and has long served as a key indicator of quantum resources since the formulation of Bell's inequalities. Identifying the contribution of nonlocality to extractable work remains a central problem in quantum thermodynamics. We address this by introducing a quantifier of nonlocal contributions to extractable work in bipartite systems. It is shown that closed form expressions can be calculated for our quantity in terms of the Schmidt coefficients. Further for strictly non-interacting Hamiltonian, the direct relationship between ergotropy and correlations is established. Our results reveal that nonlocal resources invariably enhance extractable work under non-interacting Hamiltonians, while in the presence of interactions, their contribution can either increase or diminish depending on the structure of the state and the Hamiltonian.