Quantum Coherence as a Thermodynamic Resource Beyond the Classical Uncertainty Bound

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2510.20873v1
• Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2025 10:01:30 GMT
• Title: Quantum Coherence as a Thermodynamic Resource Beyond the Classical Uncertainty Bound
• Authors: Shanhe Su, Cong Fu, Ousi Pan, Shihao Xia, Fei Liu, Jincan Chen,
• Abstract summary: A general theoretical framework is introduced that explicitly links quantum coherence to thermodynamic uncertainty relations.<n>By defining a coherence-sensitive measure, it is shown that quantum effects can relax the classical trade-off between the entropy production and the current fluctuations.<n>Results establish quantum coherence as a genuine thermodynamic resource and provide a unified perspective connecting classical and quantum approaches to nonequilibrium thermodynamics.
• Score: 3.113240421873188
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Abstract: The precision of nonequilibrium thermodynamic systems is fundamentally limited, yet how quantum coherence shapes these limits remains largely unexplored. A general theoretical framework is introduced that explicitly links quantum coherence to thermodynamic uncertainty relations. By defining a coherence-sensitive measure, it is shown that quantum effects can relax the classical trade-off between the entropy production and the current fluctuations, enabling the precision beyond classical bounds. Application to a three-level quantum maser illustrates the framework in a concrete setting. These results establish quantum coherence as a genuine thermodynamic resource and provide a unified perspective connecting classical and quantum approaches to nonequilibrium thermodynamics.

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