title: Quantum thermodynamics of general quantum processes.
abstract: Accurately describing work extraction from a quantum system is a central objective for the extension of thermodynamics to individual quantum systems. The concepts of work and heat are surprisingly subtle when generalizations are made to arbitrary quantum states. We formulate an operational thermodynamics suitable for application to an open quantum system undergoing quantum evolution under a general quantum process by which we mean a completely positive and trace-preserving map. We derive an operational first law of thermodynamics for such processes and show consistency with the second law. We show that heat, from the first law, is positive when the input state of the map majorizes the output state. Moreover, the change in entropy is also positive for the same majorization condition. This makes a strong connection between the two operational laws of thermodynamics.
authors: Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom.
authors: Felix
authors: F
authors: Binder
authors: Center for Quantum Technologies, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 2, 117543 Singapore, Singapore.
authors: Sai
authors: S
authors: Vinjanampathy
authors: School of Physics, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
authors: Kavan
authors: K
authors: Modi
authors: The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, 34151 Trieste, Italy.
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Goold