Non-Abelian transport distinguishes three usually equivalent notions of entropy production
- CQuIC Seminars
January 20, 2026 4:00 PM -
January 20, 2026 5:00 PM
PAIS 2540
- Host:
- Milad Marvian
- Presenter:
- Billy Braasch
Abstract: A fundamental challenge is to define quantum thermodynamic quantities—for example, heat, work, and entropy production. We extend the definition of entropy production to a deeply quantum regime involving noncommuting observables. Consider two systems prepared in different thermal states. A unitary transports observables (“charges”) between the systems. Three common formulas model the entropy produced. They cast entropy as an extensive thermodynamic variable, an information-theoretic uncertainty measure, and a quantifier of irreversibility. Often, the charges are assumed to commute with each other (e.g., energy and particle number), and the entropy-production formulas equal each other. Yet quantum charges can fail to commute, inviting generalizations of the three formulas. Charges’ noncommutation, we find, breaks the formulas’ equivalence. Furthermore, different formulas quantify different physical effects of charges’ noncommutation on entropy production. This work opens the door of stochastic thermodynamics to charges that are peculiarly quantum by failing to commute with each other.
Zoom password availible upon request. Email nlordi AT unm.edu
