论文标题

热力学演变与相反时间的箭头的量子叠加

Quantum superposition of thermodynamic evolutions with opposing time's arrows

论文作者

Rubino, Giulia, Manzano, Gonzalo, Brukner, Časlav

论文摘要

微观物理定律是时间对称的,因此,先验的存在没有优先的时间方向。但是,热力学的第二定律使人们可以将“正向”的时间方向与热力学过程中产生的总熵的正变化相关联,而其“时间逆转”对应物的负变化。通常认为对时间轴的定义适用于经典和量子上下文。然而,量子物理学也承认向前和时间反向过程之间的叠加,从而热力学箭头变成量子力学不确定。在这项工作中,我们证明,可以通过对熵产生的量子测量来恢复确定的热力学时间的箭头,当测量大型的正(负)值时,该熵产生有效地将这些叠加在正向(时间转换)时间方向上。值得注意的是,对于较小的值(加上或负1的顺序),与单独或更少的可逆过程相比,与单独的两个组件中的任何一个或任何经典混合物相比,前进和时间反转过程的幅度可能会干扰,从而产生熵产生的分布。

Microscopic physical laws are time-symmetric, hence, a priori there exists no preferential temporal direction. However, the second law of thermodynamics allows one to associate the "forward" temporal direction to a positive variation of the total entropy produced in a thermodynamic process, and a negative variation with its "time-reversal" counterpart. This definition of a temporal axis is normally considered to apply in both classical and quantum contexts. Yet, quantum physics admits also superpositions between forward and time-reversal processes, whereby the thermodynamic arrow of time becomes quantum-mechanically undefined. In this work, we demonstrate that a definite thermodynamic time's arrow can be restored by a quantum measurement of entropy production, which effectively projects such superpositions onto the forward (time-reversal) time-direction when large positive (negative) values are measured. Remarkably, for small values (of the order of plus or minus one), the amplitudes of forward and time-reversal processes can interfere, giving rise to entropy-production distributions featuring a more or less reversible process than either of the two components individually, or any classical mixture thereof.

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