Reversing Heat Flow by Coherence in a Multipartite Quantum System

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2601.00198v1
• Date: Thu, 01 Jan 2026 04:19:26 GMT
• Title: Reversing Heat Flow by Coherence in a Multipartite Quantum System
• Authors: Keyi Huang, Qi Zhang, Xiangjing Liu, Ruiqing Li, Xinyue Long, Hongfeng Liu, Xiangyu Wang, Yu-ang Fan, Yuxuan Zheng, Yufang Feng, Yu Zhou, Jack Ng, Xinfang Nie, Zhong-Xiao Man, Dawei Lu,
• Abstract summary: We show that internal quantum coherence in a multipartite spin system can reverse heat flow.<n>Results enable precise control of heat flow using only local quantum properties.
• Score: 9.613297423446216
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
• Abstract: The second law of thermodynamics dictates that heat flows spontaneously from a high-temperature entity to a lower-temperature one. Yet, recent advances have demonstrated that quantum correlations between a system and its thermal environment can induce a reversal of heat flow, challenging classical thermodynamic expectations. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that internal quantum coherence in a multipartite spin system can also reverse heat flow, without relying on initial correlations with the environment. Under the collision model with cascade interaction, we verify that both the strength and the phase of the coherence term determine the direction and magnitude of energy transfer. These results enable precise control of heat flow using only local quantum properties.

Related papers

• Heat, work, and fluctuations in a driven quantum resonator [1.849691543273889]
  In nanoscale heat engines, the working fluid can be a quantum system whose behavior and dynamics are non-classical.<n>Here, we investigate the thermodynamic properties of a driven quantum resonator whose temperature is controlled by modulating its natural frequency.<n>Our results provide quantitative insights into the interplay between heat, work, and fluctuations, and may help in designing future heat engines.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-01-16T18:03:06Z)
• Coherence-Mediated Quantum Thermometry in a Hybrid Circuit-QED Architecture [39.391428786947685]
  We analyze a hybrid circuit quantum electrodynamics architecture in which a superconducting qubit is dispersively coupled to two bosonic modes.<n>We show that the qubit serves as a sensitive readout of the probe mode, mapping the interference between thermal and coherent photon-number fluctuations onto measurable dephasing.<n>We derive analytic expressions for the qubit coherence envelope, compute the quantum Fisher information for temperature estimation, and demonstrate numerically that the presence of a coherent reference amplifies the qubit's sensitivity to small changes in thermal photon occupancy.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-10-18T03:06:40Z)
• Strong-coupling quantum thermodynamics using a superconducting flux qubit [3.391674777083244]
  We show experimental evidence of strong coupling by observing a hybridized state of the qubit with two cavities coupled to it.<n>We also demonstrate close to 100% on-off ratio of heat current mediated by photons by applying magnetic flux to the qubit.<n>Our experiment opens new possibilities for quantum thermodynamics, aiming to realize true quantum heat engines and refrigerators with enhanced power and efficiency.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2024-11-16T11:20:05Z)
• Thermodynamic Roles of Quantum Environments: From Heat Baths to Work Reservoirs [49.1574468325115]
  Environments in quantum thermodynamics usually take the role of heat baths. We show that within the same model, the environment can take three different thermodynamic roles. The exact role of the environment is determined by the strength and structure of the coupling.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2024-08-01T15:39:06Z)
• Demonstrating Quantum Microscopic Reversibility Using Coherent States of Light [58.8645797643406]
  We propose and experimentally test a quantum generalization of the microscopic reversibility when a quantum system interacts with a heat bath. We verify that the quantum modification for the principle of microscopic reversibility is critical in the low-temperature limit.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-05-26T00:25:29Z)
• Inducing Heat Reversal in a Three-Qubit Spin Chain [0.0]
  We propose a quantum system consisting of a chain of qubits, each in local Gibbs states, where only adjacent qubits are allowed to thermally interact. We demonstrate non-classical heat reversal for the special case of a three-qubit chain on a quantum computer.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-05-19T03:09:03Z)
• Heat transport and rectification via quantum statistical and coherence asymmetries [0.0]
  We show that heat rectification is possible even with symmetric medium-bath couplings if the two baths differ in quantum statistics or coherence. Our results can be significant for heat management in hybrid open quantum systems or solid-state thermal circuits.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-04-14T15:59:03Z)
• Implementation of a two-stroke quantum heat engine with a collisional model [50.591267188664666]
  We put forth a quantum simulation of a stroboscopic two-stroke thermal engine in the IBMQ processor. The system consists of a quantum spin chain connected to two baths at their boundaries, prepared at different temperatures using the variational quantum thermalizer algorithm.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-03-25T16:55:08Z)
• Evolution of a Non-Hermitian Quantum Single-Molecule Junction at Constant Temperature [62.997667081978825]
  We present a theory for describing non-Hermitian quantum systems embedded in constant-temperature environments. We find that the combined action of probability losses and thermal fluctuations assists quantum transport through the molecular junction.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2021-01-21T14:33:34Z)
• Probing eigenstate thermalization in quantum simulators via fluctuation-dissipation relations [77.34726150561087]
  The eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH) offers a universal mechanism for the approach to equilibrium of closed quantum many-body systems. Here, we propose a theory-independent route to probe the full ETH in quantum simulators by observing the emergence of fluctuation-dissipation relations. Our work presents a theory-independent way to characterize thermalization in quantum simulators and paves the way to quantum simulate condensed matter pump-probe experiments.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2020-07-20T18:00:02Z)
• Out-of-equilibrium quantum thermodynamics in the Bloch sphere: temperature and internal entropy production [68.8204255655161]
  An explicit expression for the temperature of an open two-level quantum system is obtained. This temperature coincides with the environment temperature if the system reaches thermal equilibrium with a heat reservoir. We show that within this theoretical framework the total entropy production can be partitioned into two contributions.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2020-04-09T23:06:43Z)
• Heat flow and noncommutative quantum mechanics in phase-space [0.0]
  We show that by controlling the new constants introduced in the quantum theory, due to a deformed Heisenberg-Weyl algebra, the heat flow from the hot to the cold system may be enhanced. We also give a brief discussion on the robustness of the second law of thermodynamics in the context of noncommutative quantum mechanics.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2019-12-26T15:28:51Z)

This list is automatically generated from the titles and abstracts of the papers in this site.

This site does not guarantee the quality of this site (including all information) and is not responsible for any consequences.