Supervisors: David Jennings and Terry Rudolph

Thermodynamics at the quantum scale

I am working in a new branch of quantum information theory whose aim is to understand the fundamental limits of thermodynamic processes happening at the quantum scale. Thermodynamics can be reformulated in a similar way to entanglement theory, in a framework that goes above and beyond standard formulations of the second law and sheds light on the deep connections between thermodynamics and information.

Investigating these extreme regimes is conceptually intriguing, because we expect new quantum effects to take place, and practically important, because a new generation of nanoscale engines will be soon within the reach of these boundaries where classical intuition fails.

During my PhD project I will try to understand better how several aspects of quantum theory, like coherence, entanglement, non-commutativity and uncertainty-disturbance relations, feature in the thermodynamics of arbitrarily small, out-of-equilibrium quantum systems.  What are the fundamental limits that Nature poses to thermodynamic processes? Is there fundamental irreversibility in the quantum world? Many questions still need to be answered in this new exciting field.

Papers

Classical noise and the structure of minimum uncertainty states, K.Korzekwa, M. Lostaglio, Phys. Rev. A 93, 062347 (2016) [also arXiv:1602.01850].

The extraction of work from quantum coherence, K. Korzekwa, M. Lostaglio, J. Oppenheim, D. Jennings, New J. Phys. 18, 023045 (2016) [also arXiv:1506.07875].

Stochastic Independence as a Resource in Small-Scale Thermodynamics, M.Lostaglio, M. P. Mueller, M.Pastena, Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 150402 (2015, Editor's Suggestion) [also arXiv:1409.3258].

Quantum coherence, time-traslation symmetry and thermodynamics, M. Lostaglio, K. Korzekwa, D. Jennings, T. Rudolph, Phys. Rev. X 5 021001 (2015) (open access) [also arXiv:1410.4572]. See alsoPhysics Viewpoint: New Entry in the Thermodynamic Rulebook for Quantum Systems.

Description of quantum coherence in thermodynamic processes requires constraints beyond free energy, M. Lostaglio, D. Jennings, T. Rudolph, Nat. Comm. 6, 6383 (2015) (open access) [alsoarXiv:1405.2188].

Quantum and classical entropic uncertainty relations, K. Korzekwa, M.Lostaglio, D. Jennings, T. Rudolph.  Phys. Rev. A 89, 042122, (2014) [also arXiv:1402.1143].

Scale anomaly as the origin of time, J. Barbour, M.Lostaglio, F. Mercati. Gen. Rel. Grav. 45, 911-938 (2013, Editor's Choice) [also arXiv:1301.6173].

Preprints

Classical noise and the structure of minimum uncertainty states, K.Korzekwa, M. Lostaglio  arXiv:1602.01850 (February 2016).

Thermodynamic resource theories, non-commutativity and maximum entropy principles, M. Lostaglio, D. Jennings, T. Rudolph,  ArXiv:1511.04420 (November 2015).

Talks

Thermodynamics beyond free energy, Scientific meeting of PhD students, Wrocław University, 14th June 2016

Stochastic independence as a resource for small scale thermodynamics, Trento University 22th April 2016

Stochastic Independence as a resource for small-scale thermodynamics, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 3th April 2016

Stochastic Independence as a resource for small-scale thermodynamics, APS March Meeting, 17th March 2016

Stochastic Independence as a resource for small-scale thermodynamics, The Institute for Photonic Sciences (ICFO), Barcelona, 23th February 2016.

The resource theory of coherence in quantum thermodynamics, University of Ulm, Institute of Theoretical Physics, 19th November 2015.

The resource theory approach to thermodynamics and coherence, California Institute of Technology, Institute for Quantum Information and Matter (IQIM), 14th August 2015.

The role of coherence in quantum thermodynamics , University of Nottingham, 8th July 2015.

Extracting work from absence of correlations  , University College London, 11th June 2015.

Thermodynamics beyond free energy relations: a QI perspective on non-equilibrium , University of Pavia, 18th May 2015.

Thermodynamics beyond free energy relations: "quantum" quantum thermodynamics,  2nd Quantum Thermodynamics Conference (University of Balearic Islands, 19-24th April 2015).

Thermodynamics beyond free energy relations, 7th meeting of ColLoQuI - Colleges of London Quantum Information (Imperial College London, 5th November 2014).

Scale anomaly as the origin of time, Loop s 2013 (Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, 22-26th July 2013)

Teaching

Teaching Assistant at Imperial College London at Imperial College for

Quantum Mechanics & Statistics of Measurement (Year 2 Physics, a.y. 2013-2014).

Postgraduate Demonstrator at Imperial College for

Introduction to Quantum Information (Year 3 Physics & MRes in Controlled Quantum Dynamics, a.y. 2013-2014)

Foundations of Quantum Mechanics (Year 3 Physics, a.y. 2014-2015)

Imperial College London Faculty of Natural Sciences Prize for Excellence in the Support of Teaching and Learning awarded in 2015.

Posters

Quantum coherence in thermodynamics requires constraints beyond free energy, Winter School on Physics of Small Quantum Systems: Thermal and Topological Phenomena (University of Aalto and Jyväskylä, 12-16th January 2015). Best poster prize.

Generalized Landauer Erasure, QuICC Summer School (Imperial College London, 26-29th August 2013)

Analogue models of gravity: scale anomaly as the origin of time, Relativistic Quantum Information-North workshop (University of Nottingham, 24-27th June 2013)

Outreach

Show "Amazing Quantum Worlds" at Imperial College London in January 2013, May 2013, May 2014.

Science Busking at Imperial Festival, Imperial College London, May 2013.