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arXiv:2108.08855 · Physical review. E

Quantum Maxwell's demon assisted by non-Markovian effects

Kasper Poulsen, Marco Majland, Seth Lloyd, Morten Kjærgaard, Nikolaj Thomas Zinner

Published Apr 26, 2022• 16 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Maxwell's demon is the quintessential example of information control, which is necessary for designing quantum devices. In thermodynamics, the demon is an intelligent being who utilizes the entropic nature of information to sort excitations between reservoirs, thus lowering the total entropy. So far, implementations of Maxwell's demon have largely been limited to Markovian baths. In our work, we study the degree to which such a demon may be assisted by non-Markovian effects using a superconducting circuit platform. The setup is two baths connected by a demon-controlled qutrit interface, allowing the transfer of excitations only if the overall entropy of the two baths is lowered. The largest entropy reduction is achieved in a non-Markovian regime and, importantly, due to non-Markovian effects, the demon performance can be optimized through proper timing. Our results demonstrate that non-Markovian effects can be exploited to boost the information transfer rate in quantum Maxwell demons.

DOI
10.1103/physreve.105.044141

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Maxwell's demon is the quintessential example of information control, which is necessary for designing quantum devices. In thermodynamics, the demon is an intelligent being who utilizes the entropic nature of information to sort excitations between reservoirs, thus lowering the total entropy. So far, implementations of Maxwell's demon have largely been limited to Markovian baths. In our work, we study the degree to which such a demon may be assisted by non-Markovian effects using a superconducting circuit platform. The setup is two baths connected by a demon-controlled qutrit interface, allowing the transfer of excitations only if the overall entropy of the two baths is lowered. The largest entropy reduction is achieved in a non-Markovian regime and, importantly, due to non-Markovian effects, the demon performance can be optimized through proper timing. Our results demonstrate that non-Markovian effects can be exploited to boost the information transfer rate in quantum Maxwell demons.
Maxwell's demon is the quintessential example of information control, which is necessary for designing quantum devices. In thermodynamics, the demon is an intelligent being who utilizes the entropic nature of information to sort excitations between reservoirs thus lowering the total entropy. So far, implementations of Maxwell's demon have largely been limited to Markovian baths. In our work, we study the degree to which such a demon may be assisted by non-Markovian effects using a superconducting circuit platform. The setup is two baths connected by a demon controlled qutrit interface, allowing the transfer of excitations only if the overall entropy of the two baths is lowered. Importantly, we show that non-Markovian effects yield the largest entropy reduction through appropriate timing of the demon operation. Our results demonstrate that non-Markovian effects can be exploited to boost the information transfer rate in quantum Maxwell demons.
In apparent contradiction to the laws of thermodynamics, Maxwell's demon is able to cyclically extract work from a system in contact with a thermal bath, exploiting the information about its microstate. The resolution of this paradox required the insight that an intimate relationship exists between information and thermodynamics. Here, we realize a Maxwell demon experiment that tracks the state of each constituent in both the classical and quantum regimes. The demon is a microwave cavity that encodes quantum information about a superconducting qubit and converts information into work by powering up a propagating microwave pulse by stimulated emission. Thanks to the high level of control of superconducting circuits, we directly measure the extracted work and quantify the entropy remaining in the demon's memory. This experiment provides an enlightening illustration of the interplay of thermodynamics with quantum information.
Maxwell's demon explores the role of information in physical processes. Employing information about microscopic degrees of freedom, this "intelligent observer" is capable of compensating entropy production (or extracting work), apparently challenging the second law of thermodynamics. In a modern standpoint, it is regarded as a feedback control mechanism and the limits of thermodynamics are recast incorporating information-to-energy conversion. We derive a trade-off relation between information-theoretic quantities empowering the design of an efficient Maxwell's demon in a quantum system. The demon is experimentally implemented as a spin-1/2 quantum memory that acquires information, and employs it to control the dynamics of another spin-1/2 system, through a natural interaction. Noise and imperfections in this protocol are investigated by the assessment of its effectiveness. This realization provides experimental evidence that the irreversibility in a nonequilibrium dynamics can be mitigated by assessing microscopic information and applying a feed-forward strategy at the quantum scale.
Maxwell's demon explores the role of information in physical processes.Employing information about microscopic degrees of freedom, this "intelligent observer" is capable of compensating entropy production (or extracting work), apparently challenging the second law of thermodynamics.In a modern standpoint, it is regarded as a feedback control mechanism and the limits of thermodynamics are recast incorporating information-to-energy conversion.We derive a trade-off relation between information-theoretic quantities empowering the design of an efficient Maxwell's demon in a quantum system.The demon is experimentally implemented as a spin-1=2 quantum memory that acquires information, and employs it to control the dynamics of another spin-1=2 system, through a natural interaction.Noise and imperfections in this protocol are investigated by the assessment of its effectiveness.This realization provides experimental evidence that the irreversibility in a nonequilibrium dynamics can be mitigated by assessing microscopic information and applying a feed-forward strategy at the quantum scale.
Information thermodynamics bridges information theory and statistical physics by connecting information content and entropy production through measurement and feedback control. Maxwell's demon is a hypothetical character that uses information about a system to reduce its entropy. Here we realize a Maxwell's demon acting on a superconducting quantum circuit. We implement quantum non-demolition projective measurement and feedback operation of a qubit and verify the generalized integral fluctuation theorem. We also evaluate the conversion efficiency from information gain to work in the feedback protocol. Our experiment constitutes a step toward experimental studies of quantum information thermodynamics in artificially made quantum machines.
With the approaching second quantum revolution, the study of quantum thermodynamics, particularly heat flow, has become even more relevant for two main reasons. First, understanding heat and other types of noise is essential for protecting quantum information and preventing decoherence. Second, the ability to manufacture and control quantum systems developed for the quantum computer allows for experimental study of quantum thermodynamics in entirely new settings. In this thesis, several systems involving quantum systems in contact with baths are studied theoretically in experimentally available settings. First, two rectification or diode setups for heat currents are proposed using a dark-state mechanism. In one system, the dark-state mechanism is imperfect but very robust. In the other system, the dark-state mechanism relies on quantum entanglement and is much better but more fragile towards decoherence. Next, a quantum version of the Wheatstone bridge is built using the same entanglement-powered dark state mechanism. After having studied several boundary-driven quantum systems, the lessons learned are generalized into resonance conditions using a general linear chain of weakly interacting chains of strongly interacting spins. The final two chapters focus on the ability to study statistical physics in realizable quantum systems. First, a Maxwell's demon setup is proposed. A demon-controlled qutrit is coupled to two non-Markovian baths. The information back-flow from the non-Markovian baths allows the demon to more effectively transfer heat from the cold bath to the hot bath. Second, the Mott insulator to superfluid phase transition in a lattice of transmons is examined. The ground state has a variable particle number and is prepared using adiabatic state preparation. This allows for the exploration of the entire phase diagram.