title: Thermodynamics of Weakly Measured Quantum Systems.
abstract: We consider continuously monitored quantum systems and introduce definitions of work and heat along individual quantum trajectories that are valid for coherent superposition of energy eigenstates. We use these quantities to extend the first and second laws of stochastic thermodynamics to the quantum domain. We illustrate our results with the case of a weakly measured driven two-level system and show how to distinguish between quantum work and heat contributions. We finally employ quantum feedback control to suppress detector backaction and determine the work statistics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Jose Joaquin
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.affiliation: Dahlem Center for Complex Quantum Systems, FU Berlin, D-14195 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romito