Abstract
We address the out-of-equilibrium thermodynamics of an isolated quantum system consisting of a cavity optomechanical device. We explore the dynamical response of the system when driven out of equilibrium by a sudden quench of the coupling parameter and compute analytically the full distribution of the work generated by the process. We consider linear and quadratic optomechanical coupling, where the cavity field is parametrically coupled to either the position or the square of the position of a mechanical oscillator, respectively. In the former case we find that the average work generated by the quench is zero, whilst the latter leads to a non-zero average value. Through fluctuations theorems we access the most relevant thermodynamical figures of merit, such as the free energy difference and the amount of irreversible work generated. We thus provide a full characterization of the out-of-equilibrium thermodynamics in the quantum regime for nonlinearly coupled bosonic modes. Our study is the first due step towards the construction and full quantum analysis of an optomechanical machine working fully out of equilibrium.
Highlights
Problems, e.g. the comprehension of the mechanism of decoherence, and for quantum technology
By retaining the full optomechanical coupling, our work aims to address the out-ofequilibrium thermodynamical behavior of nonlinearly coupled bosonic modes in the quantum regime, and go beyond the results reported in literature so far
Optomechanical systems, more so than other systems, offer the tantalizing perspective of naturally bridging the study of quantum thermodynamics with the macroscopic domain. We believe that this class of systems offers the possibility of a captivating analogy: movable mirrors and cavity fields closely resemble pistons and working media in a piston–chamber engine; in turn, this embodies the archetypal example of a thermal machine
Summary
M Brunelli, A Xuereb, A Ferraro, G De Chiara, N Kiesel and M Paternostro. Commons Attribution 3.0 Abstract licence. We consider linear and quadratic optomechanical coupling, where the cavity field is parametrically coupled to either the position or the square of the position of a mechanical oscillator, respectively In the former case we find that the average work generated by the quench is zero, whilst the latter leads to a non-zero average value. Performances of thermal machines working in the quantum regime have recently been investigated in a plethora of different physical systems [6], and the statistics of relevant figures of merit such as work and entropy generated during time-dependent protocols inquired for different models [7]. The starting point for most analyses of optomechanical devices is a linearization of the interaction, where the Hamiltonian is cast into a quadratic form that is more amenable to analysis We eschew this simplification, which is formally valid when the cavity field is strongly driven [9], and address the full nonlinear optomechanical Hamiltonian.
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