Reconciliation of quantum local master equations with thermodynamics

• Published in: New journal of physics Vol. 20; no. 11; pp. 113024 - 113039
• Main Authors: De Chiara, Gabriele, Landi, Gabriel, Hewgill, Adam, Reid, Brendan, Ferraro, Alessandro, Roncaglia, Augusto J, Antezza, Mauro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 16.11.2018; Institute of Physics: Open Access Journals
• Subjects: Atomic and Molecular Clusters; Atomic Physics; Collisions; Condensed Matter; Harmonic oscillators; Heat engines; master equations; Mathematical models; open quantum systems; Optics; Physics; Quantum Gases; quantum harmonic oscillators; Quantum Physics; quantum thermodynamics; Subsystems; Thermodynamics; Open quantum systems; Quantum thermodynamics; Master equations; Quantum harmonic oscillators

The study of open quantum systems often relies on approximate master equations derived under the assumptions of weak coupling to the environment. However when the system is made of several interacting subsystems such a derivation is in many cases very hard. An alternative method, employed especially...