Most general class of quasiprobability distributions of work
Gianluca Francica
Abstract
How to give a statistical description of the thermodynamics in quantum systems is an open fundamental question. Concerning the work, the presence of initial quantum coherence in the energy basis can give rise to a quasiprobability of work, which can take negative values. Our aim is to identify the most general quasiprobability of work satisfying some fundamental conditions. By doing so, we introduce a general notion of quasiprobability in analogy to Gleason's theorem. Then, we use these quasiprobabilities to define the quasiprobability of work, and finally we discuss the contextuality of the protocol.
Topics & Concepts
Statistical physicsWork (physics)Basis (linear algebra)Coherence (philosophical gambling strategy)MathematicsClass (philosophy)Theoretical physicsQuantum mechanicsPhysicsComputer scienceArtificial intelligenceGeometryAdvanced Thermodynamics and Statistical MechanicsStatistical Mechanics and EntropyQuantum Mechanics and Applications