Single-shot quantum thermodynamics applies quantum information techniques to study thermodynamic systems in regimes that fall outside the scope of traditional statistical treatments: a small number of quantum systems, far from equilibrium and displaying quantum coherence, thermalise in contact to a heat bath.

Akin to the theory of entanglement, the single-shot approach to thermodynamics is built around the concept of agents allowed to perform a limited set of operations. In turn this leads to restrictions on various tasks -- such as work extraction or the manipulation of the coherence properties of the quantum state. Standard thermodynamic results can be recovered in the thermodynamic (i.i.d.) limit.

The goal of this mini-series is to give an introduction to the conceptual and mathematical foundation of the resource theory approach to thermodynamics to help navigate the growing literature on the subject.


Theory Lecture, May 29, 2018, 10:15. Blue Lecture Room