Thermodynamics is a phenomenological theory describing the energy conversion of work and heat. At its origins thermodynamics was developed in order to understand and improve heat engines. In conventional thermodynamics, however, only such processes are completely describable which are slow enough to keep the system of interest in an equilibrium state with its thermal environment at all times. On the contrary, all real physical processes are accompanied by non-equilibrium phenomena. These are mathematically described with the help of the irreversible entropy production. Moreover, the modern trend of miniaturization leads to smaller and smaller devices. On short length scales thermal noise as well as quantum fluctuations become important. Thus, usual thermodynamic quantities as work and heat acquire stochastic nature.The present dissertation contributes to this prevailing field by the derivation of analytical expressions for the entropy production in open and closed quantum system far from thermal equilibrium. To this end, it was dealt with methods and approaches of statistical physics, conventional thermodynamics, quantum information theory and the theory of open quantum systems.

This book explores some of the connections between dissipative and quantum effects from a theoretical point of view. It focuses on three main topics: the relation between synchronization and quantum correlations, the thermodynamical properties of fluctuations, and the performance of quantum thermal machines. Dissipation effects have a profound impact on the behavior and properties of quantum systems, and the unavoidable interaction with the surrounding environment, with which systems continuously exchange information, energy, angular momentum and matter, is ultimately responsible for decoherence phenomena and the emergence of classical behavior. However, there is a wide intermediate regime in which the interplay between dissipative and quantum effects gives rise to a plethora of rich and striking phenomena that has just started to be understood. In addition, the recent breakthrough techniques in controlling and manipulating quantum systems in the laboratory have made this phenomenology accessible in experiments and potentially applicable.

This monograph provides graduate students and also professional researchers aiming to understand the dynamics of open quantum systems with a valuable and self-contained toolbox. Special focus is laid on the link between microscopic models and the resulting open-system dynamics. This includes how to derive the celebrated Lindblad master equation without applying the rotating wave approximation. As typical representatives for non-equilibrium configurations it treats systems coupled to multiple reservoirs (including the description of quantum transport), driven systems and feedback-controlled quantum systems. Each method is illustrated with easy-to-follow examples from recent research. Exercises and short summaries at the end of every chapter enable the reader to approach the frontiers of current research quickly and make the book useful for quick reference.

The Second Law, a cornerstone of thermodynamics, governs the average direction of dissipative, non-equilibrium processes. But it says nothing about their actual rates or the probability of fluctuations about the average. This interdisciplinary book, written and peer-reviewed by international experts, presents recent advances in the search for new non-equilibrium principles beyond the Second Law, and their applications to a wide range of systems across physics, chemistry and biology. Beyond The Second Law brings together traditionally isolated areas of non-equilibrium research and highlights potentially fruitful connections between them, with entropy production playing the unifying role. Key theoretical concepts include the Maximum Entropy Production principle, the Fluctuation Theorem, and the Maximum Entropy method of statistical inference. Applications of these principles are illustrated in such diverse fields as climatology, cosmology, crystal growth morphology, Earth system science, environmental physics, evolutionary biology and technology, fluid turbulence, microbial biogeochemistry, plasma physics, and radiative transport, using a wide variety of analytical and experimental techniques. Beyond The Second Law will appeal to students and researchers wishing to gain an understanding of entropy production and its central place in the science of non-equilibrium systems – both in detail and in terms of the bigger picture.

Understanding dissipative dynamics of open quantum systems remains a challenge in mathematical physics. This problem is relevant in various areas of fundamental and applied physics. From a mathematical point of view, it involves a large body of knowledge. Significant progress in the understanding of such systems has been made during the last decade. These books present in a self-contained way the mathematical theories involved in the modeling of such phenomena. They describe physically relevant models, develop their mathematical analysis and derive their physical implications. In Volume I the Hamiltonian description of quantum open systems is discussed. This includes an introduction to quantum statistical mechanics and its operator algebraic formulation, modular theory, spectral analysis and their applications to quantum dynamical systems. Volume II is dedicated to the Markovian formalism of classical and quantum open systems. A complete exposition of noise theory, Markov processes and stochastic differential equations, both in the classical and the quantum context, is provided. These mathematical tools are put into perspective with physical motivations and applications. Volume III is devoted to recent developments and applications. The topics discussed include the non-equilibrium properties of open quantum systems, the Fermi Golden Rule and weak coupling limit, quantum irreversibility and decoherence, qualitative behaviour of quantum Markov semigroups and continual quantum measurements.

Abstract: On the basis of a random matrix model we investigate the degree of irreversibility of the dynamics of open quantum systems. Starting from the exact expression for the irreversible entropy production in terms of relative entropy, our central goal is the derivation of a suitable approximate expression which only refers to open system degrees of freedom. This expression depends on a freely choosable state $\rho_s^0$ of the open system. We present numerical simulations which demonstrate how this state has to be chosen. Furthermore, on the basis of various approximations an analytic derivation of the best choice for $\rho_s^0$ is developed. The result allows an efficient determination of the entropy production of quantum thermodynamic processes using information theoretical concepts in the regime of weak and intermediate coupling, and in the regime of high and intermediate temperatures

The thematic range of this book is wide and can loosely be described as polydispersive. Figuratively, it resembles a polynuclear path of yielding (poly)crystals. Such path can be taken when looking at it from the first side. However, a closer inspection of the book's contents gives rise to a much more monodispersive/single-crystal and compacted (than crudely expected) picture of the book's contents presented to a potential reader. Namely, all contributions collected can be united under the common denominator of maximum-entropy and entropy production principles experienced by both classical and quantum systems in (non)equilibrium conditions. The proposed order of presenting the material commences with properly subordinated classical systems (seven contributions) and ends up with three remaining quantum systems, presented by the chapters' authors. The overarching editorial makes the presentation of the wide-range material self-contained and compact, irrespective of whether comprehending it from classical or quantum physical viewpoints.

In six lectures aspects of modern non-equilibrium thermodynamics of discrete systems as well as continuum theoretical concepts are represented. Starting out with survey and introduction, state spaces are defined, the existence of internal energy is investigated, and Clausius inequality including negative absolute temperature is derived by diagram technique. Non-equilibrium contact quantities, such as contact temperature ? the dynamic analogue of thermostatic temperature ? and chemical potentials are phenomenologically defined and quantumstatistically founded. Using Clausius inequality the existence of non-negative entropy production is proved which allows to formulate a dissipation inequality in continuum thermodynamics. The transition between thermodynamics of discrete systems and continuum thermodynamics with respect to contact quantities is considered. Different possibilities of exploiting the dissipation inequality for getting constraints for constitutive equations are discussed. Finally hyperbolic heat conduction in non-extended thermodynamics is treated.

Groundbreaking monograph by Nobel Prize winner for researchers and graduate students covers Liouville equation, anharmonic solids, Brownian motion, weakly coupled gases, scattering theory and short-range forces, general kinetic equations, more. 1962 edition.