Stochastic entropy production in scattering theory

TL;DR

This paper develops a stochastic framework for entropy production in quantum scattering theory, linking thermodynamics and coherent transport, and reproduces known transport formulas while enabling analysis of entropy fluctuations.

Contribution

It introduces a stochastic description of entropy production in scattering theory, connecting stochastic thermodynamics with coherent quantum transport and extending analysis to entropy currents.

Findings

Reproduces Landauer-Büttiker formulas for particle and energy transport.

Provides a method to analyze entropy fluctuations in coherent transport.

Connects stochastic thermodynamics with quantum scattering theory.

Abstract

We formulate a stochastic description of entropy production in scattering theory for coherent transport. We distinguish between the information entropy change due to partial knowledge of the leads' state and the thermodynamic entropy change due to the equilibration of each lead with its bath. By employing a two-point measurement scheme, we access the stochastic entropy production at these different stages of the process, as well as the statistics of generic transport quantities. When restricted to particle or energy transport, our approach reproduces the Landauer-B\"uttiker formulas. The possibility to consider more general quantities such as the entropy currents and their fluctuations, provides a systematic connection between stochastic thermodynamics and coherent transport.