Quantum Thermodynamics
Classical thermodynamics has been applied successfully to most areas of science. Classical thermodynamics assumes that the number of constituents of a system is large, and variations of relevant quantities around the mean are small.
Quantum thermodynamics extends concepts of classical thermodynamics, such as temperature and work, to quantum systems with few (potentially one) constituents. This approach has opened the way to a better understanding of nature in the quantum realm, using concepts that have a simple yet powerful interpetation in the classical world.
The basic intuition behind this field is that the thermodynamic limit for quantities of interest cannot be taken when few (quantum) constituents are considered. In this case, fluctuations around the mean become important and novel phenomena can be expected.
Out of equilibrium pheonomena are expected to become more relevant due to the fact that relaxation times become shorter, and even small interactions can have significant effects.
Reserach group: Mathematical Physics
Reserach topics:
- Quantum Thermodynamics
- Cavity-field thermodynamics
External links:
- Wikipedia page
- Focus on Quantum Thermodynamics article by Janet Anders