TY - JOUR
T1 - Smoothed generalized free energies for thermodynamics
AU - Van Der Meer, Remco
AU - Ng, Nelly Huei Ying
AU - Wehner, Stephanie
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - In the study of thermodynamics for nanoscale quantum systems, a family of quantities known as generalized free energies have been derived as necessary and sufficient conditions that govern state transitions. These free energies become important especially in the regime where the system of interest consists of only a few (quantum) particles. In this work, we introduce a family of smoothed generalized free energies, by constructing explicit smoothing procedures that maximize or minimize the free energy over an ball of quantum states. In contrast to previously known smoothed free energies, these quantities now allow us to make an operational statement for approximate thermodynamic state transitions. We show that these smoothed quantities converge to the standard free energy in the thermodynamic limit.
AB - In the study of thermodynamics for nanoscale quantum systems, a family of quantities known as generalized free energies have been derived as necessary and sufficient conditions that govern state transitions. These free energies become important especially in the regime where the system of interest consists of only a few (quantum) particles. In this work, we introduce a family of smoothed generalized free energies, by constructing explicit smoothing procedures that maximize or minimize the free energy over an ball of quantum states. In contrast to previously known smoothed free energies, these quantities now allow us to make an operational statement for approximate thermodynamic state transitions. We show that these smoothed quantities converge to the standard free energy in the thermodynamic limit.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85039861861&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:ce5e2955-a8fb-4f1f-b9f3-56056759eb04
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevA.96.062135
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevA.96.062135
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85039861861
SN - 2469-9926
VL - 96
SP - 062135-1 - 062135-18
JO - Physical Review A: covering atomic, molecular, and optical physics and quantum information
JF - Physical Review A: covering atomic, molecular, and optical physics and quantum information
IS - 6
M1 - 062135
ER -