Establishment of statistical equilibrium in a quantum chain of harmonic oscillators

K. Jezuita, B.-S. Skagerstam

Boris Volodumurovich Bondarev

Specific nonequilibrium states of the quantum harmonic oscillator described by the Lindblad equation have been hereby suggested. This equation makes it possible to determine time-varying effects produced by statistical operator or statistical matrix. Thus, respective representation-varied equilibrium statistical matrixes have been found. Specific mean value equations have been found and their equilibrium solutions have been obtained.

P. Caldirola

Boris Volodumurovich Bondarev

Specific nonequilibrium states of the quantum harmonic oscillator described by the Lindblad equation have been hereby suggested. This equation makes it possible to determine time-varying effects produced by statistical operator or statistical matrix. Thus, respective representation-varied equilibrium statistical matrixes have been found. Specific mean value equations have been found and their equilibrium solutions have been obtained.

Mauro Paternostro, Gabriele De Chiara, Alessandro Ferraro +5 more

Abstract The thermodynamic implications for the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of quantum systems are to date largely unexplored, especially for quantum many-body systems. In this paper we investigate the paradigmatic case of an array of nearest-neighbor coupled quantum harmonic oscillators interacting with a thermal bath and subjected to a quench of the inter-oscillator coupling strength. We study the work done on the system and its irreversible counterpart, and characterize analytically the fluctuation relations of the ensuing out-of-equilibrium dynamics. Finally, we showcase an interesting functional link between the dissipated work produced across a two-element chain and their degree of general quantum correlations. Our results suggest that, for the specific model at hand, the non-classical features of a harmonic system can influence significantly its thermodynamics.

Thomas A. Garrity