Fluctuation theorems for autonomous work in the quantum regime

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2607.24690v1
• Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2026 17:32:45 GMT
• Title: Fluctuation theorems for autonomous work in the quantum regime
• Abstract summary: We extend fluctuation theorems for autonomous work from the classical regime to the quantum regime.<n>We show that quantum noncommutativity prevents a consistent reduction to the nonautonomous counterparts.<n>Our results are illustrated with the Dicke model, where a single-mode radiation field and an ensemble of two-level atoms act as the system of interest.
• Score: 0.0
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Abstract: Fluctuation theorems for work provide universal constraints on nonequilibrium fluctuations, yet their quantum generalizations often rely on externally prescribed classical driving protocols. While for classical systems, fluctuation theorems have been extended to autonomous work, where the dynamics of the work source is subject to the backaction of the system, their generalization to the quantum regime is constrained by the uncertainty principle. Here, we extend fluctuation theorems for autonomous work from the classical regime to the quantum regime. By performing successive projective measurements over the work source and the system, we derive Jarzynski-type and Crooks-type fluctuation theorems for autonomous inclusive work from initial mixed thermal states. These relations are analogous to fluctuation theorems for autonomous work in the classical regime and explicitly incorporate the fluctuations of the work source. However, quantum noncommutativity prevents a consistent reduction to the nonautonomous counterparts, even in the limit of a large work source and correspondingly negligible backaction. By contrast, under the exclusive work definition, the nonautonomous limit is recovered when the measured observable of the work source commutes with its bare Hamiltonian and the backaction of the system on the work source is negligible. Our results are illustrated with the Dicke model, where a single-mode radiation field and an ensemble of two-level atoms act as the system of interest and the work source, respectively.

Related papers

• Autonomization of Quantum Systems and the Emergence of the Work Operator [0.0]
  Estimation of work at the quantum scale remains a central challenge in quantum thermodynamics.<n>We show that the quantum work operator evades a no-go theorem by deriving a quantum fluctuation theorem.<n>We extend the framework to open quantum systems and obtain an operatorial first law in which work, heat, and internal-energy changes are represented by distinct operators.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-07-22T18:00:00Z)
• Fluctuations of path-dependent thermodynamic quantities in open quantum systems via two-point system-only measurements [39.146761527401424]
  We propose a method to evaluate general thermodynamic fluctuations in open quantum systems.<n>Our approach allows one to obtain exact equalities for fluctuations of path-dependent thermodynamic quantities such as work and heat.<n>We look explicitly at the shape and size of the correction factors to Jarzynski's equality for a qubit undergoing phase covariant dynamics.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-04-29T16:23:44Z)
• Open quantum spin chains with non-reciprocity: a theoretical approach based on the time-dependent generalized Gibbs ensemble [0.0]
  We study an open quantum spin chain with non-reciprocal dissipation using a theoretical approach known as time-dependent generalized Gibbs ensemble.<n>Our work constitutes a theoretical approach that is able to describe the physics of non-reciprocal open quantum spin chains beyond analyses based on non-interacting fermions.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-01-13T14:49:41Z)
• Work Statistics and Quantum Trajectories: No-Click Limit and non-Hermitian Hamiltonians [50.24983453990065]
  We present a framework for quantum work statistics in continuously monitored quantum systems.<n>Our approach naturally incorporates non-Hermitian dynamics arising from quantum jump processes.<n>We illustrate our theoretical framework by analyzing a one-dimensional transverse-field Ising model under local spin monitoring.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-04-15T23:21:58Z)
• Operational work fluctuation theorem for open quantum systems [0.0]
  The Jarzynski equality establishes an exact relation between the work performed on a system driven out of thermal equilibrium and the free energy difference.<n>We propose a quantum fluctuation theorem that is valid for externally measurable quantum work determined during the driving protocol.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2024-08-24T01:01:50Z)
• Signatures of quantum phases in a dissipative system [13.23575512928342]
  Lindbladian formalism has been all-pervasive to interpret non-equilibrium steady states of quantum many-body systems. We study the fate of free fermionic and superconducting phases in a dissipative one-dimensional Kitaev model.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-12-28T17:53:26Z)
• Constraining work fluctuations of non-Hermitian dynamics across the exceptional point of a superconducting qubit [0.31747404144117775]
  We show that fluctuations in a non-Hermitian qubit obey the Jarzynski equality even if its Hamiltonian has complex or purely imaginary eigenvalues. Our results provide the recipe for investigating the non-equilibrium quantum thermodynamics of such open systems.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-09-21T18:00:03Z)
• Work statistics, quantum signatures and enhanced work extraction in quadratic fermionic models [62.997667081978825]
  In quadratic fermionic models we determine a quantum correction to the work statistics after a sudden and a time-dependent driving. Such a correction lies in the non-commutativity of the initial quantum state and the time-dependent Hamiltonian. Thanks to the latter, one can assess the onset of non-classical signatures in the KDQ distribution of work.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-02-27T13:42:40Z)
• Fluctuation theorems for genuine quantum mechanical regimes [0.0]
  We look for corrections to work fluctuations theorems when the acting system is allowed to enter the quantum domain. For some specific processes, we derive several fluctuation theorems within both the quantum and classical statistical arenas.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-11-29T13:14:30Z)
• Correspondence Between the Energy Equipartition Theorem in Classical Mechanics and its Phase-Space Formulation in Quantum Mechanics [62.997667081978825]
  In quantum mechanics, the energy per degree of freedom is not equally distributed. We show that in the high-temperature regime, the classical result is recovered.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-05-24T20:51:03Z)
• Finite resolution ancilla-assisted measurements of quantum work distributions [77.34726150561087]
  We consider an ancilla-assisted protocol measuring the work done on a quantum system driven by a time-dependent Hamiltonian. We consider system Hamiltonians which both commute and do not commute at different times, finding corrections to fluctuation relations like the Jarzynski equality and the Crooks relation.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2021-11-30T15:08:25Z)
• Non-equilibrium stationary states of quantum non-Hermitian lattice models [68.8204255655161]
  We show how generic non-Hermitian tight-binding lattice models can be realized in an unconditional, quantum-mechanically consistent manner. We focus on the quantum steady states of such models for both fermionic and bosonic systems.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2021-03-02T18:56:44Z)

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.