Information-thermodynamics link revisited

Abstract

The so-called information-thermodynamics link created by a thought experiment of Szilard became a core of modern orthodoxy in the field of quantum information and resources theory in quantum thermodynamics. We recall existing objections against standard interpretation of Szilard engine operation and illustrate them by two quantum models: a particle in a box with time-dependent thin potential barrier and the spin-boson model. The consequences of the emerging superselection rules for thermodynamics and foundations of quantum mechanics are discussed. The role of non-ergodic systems as information carriers and the thermodynamic cost of stability and accuracy of information processing is briefly discussed and compared to the generally accepted Landauer’s principle.