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Information Thermodynamics and Fluctuations in Quantum Dots

Barker, David LU (2022)
Abstract
In small systems with large fluctuations, the classical description of thermodynamics is no longer sufficient which has led to the development of stochastic thermodynamics. One important result from stochastic thermodynamics is that with measurement and feedback it is possible to use those fluctuations to extract work from a single heat bath coupled to the system. This is thanks to the connection between information and thermodynamics which is the subject of this thesis. Specifically, dissipation and fluctuations have been experimentally studied for thermodynamic processes involving information using a quantum dot system embedded in an InAs nanowire.
Paper I details the fabrication and measurement of double quantum dot devices using... (More)
In small systems with large fluctuations, the classical description of thermodynamics is no longer sufficient which has led to the development of stochastic thermodynamics. One important result from stochastic thermodynamics is that with measurement and feedback it is possible to use those fluctuations to extract work from a single heat bath coupled to the system. This is thanks to the connection between information and thermodynamics which is the subject of this thesis. Specifically, dissipation and fluctuations have been experimentally studied for thermodynamic processes involving information using a quantum dot system embedded in an InAs nanowire.
Paper I details the fabrication and measurement of double quantum dot devices using the InAs nanowires. Then, in the thesis, the development of real-time readout of the state of the quantum dots using charge sensing is described. In addition, an investigation into the back-action effects of the charge detector was performed.
In Paper II, the work fluctuation-dissipation relation was studied for the operation of the resulting device as a Szilard engine which extracts work from the information about the quantum dot charge state. It was found that as the engine's dissipation decreased, so did its fluctuations.
The results from Paper III show that it is possible to develop and experimentally implement protocols that minimize the dissipation by modifying the shape of the drive used on the system. Finally, Paper IV investigated a recently discovered thermodynamic uncertainty relation which forces a trade-off between thermodynamic cost and precision. For measurement-feedback scenarios like the Szilard engine, the TUR can be violated unless one also takes into account a time-reversed protocol. (Less)
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author
supervisor
opponent
  • Prof. Anthore, Anne, Université Paris Cité, France.
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
stochastic thermodynamics, Maxwell's demon, quantum dot, charge sensing, information, feedback, Fysicumarkivet A:2022:Barker
pages
132 pages
publisher
Department of Physics, Lund University
defense location
Lecture Hall Rydbergsalen, Department of Physics, Professorsgatan 1, Faculty of Engineering LTH, Lund University, Lund.
defense date
2022-12-09 09:15:00
ISBN
978-91-8039-452-9
978-91-8039-451-2
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
967142e7-62c0-40ba-ad23-36f39cdb5517
date added to LUP
2022-11-15 13:06:43
date last changed
2023-05-31 09:41:08
@phdthesis{967142e7-62c0-40ba-ad23-36f39cdb5517,
  abstract     = {{In small systems with large fluctuations, the classical description of thermodynamics is no longer sufficient which has led to the development of stochastic thermodynamics. One important result from stochastic thermodynamics is that with measurement and feedback it is possible to use those fluctuations to extract work from a single heat bath coupled to the system. This is thanks to the connection between information and thermodynamics which is the subject of this thesis. Specifically, dissipation and fluctuations have been experimentally studied for thermodynamic processes involving information using a quantum dot system embedded in an InAs nanowire.<br/>Paper I details the fabrication and measurement of double quantum dot devices using the InAs nanowires. Then, in the thesis, the development of real-time readout of the state of the quantum dots using charge sensing is described. In addition, an investigation into the back-action effects of the charge detector was performed.<br/>In Paper II, the work fluctuation-dissipation relation was studied for the operation of the resulting device as a Szilard engine which extracts work from the information about the quantum dot charge state. It was found that as the engine's dissipation decreased, so did its fluctuations.<br/>The results from Paper III show that it is possible to develop and experimentally implement protocols that minimize the dissipation by modifying the shape of the drive used on the system. Finally, Paper IV investigated a recently discovered thermodynamic uncertainty relation which forces a trade-off between thermodynamic cost and precision. For measurement-feedback scenarios like the Szilard engine, the TUR can be violated unless one also takes into account a time-reversed protocol.}},
  author       = {{Barker, David}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-8039-452-9}},
  keywords     = {{stochastic thermodynamics; Maxwell's demon; quantum dot; charge sensing; information; feedback; Fysicumarkivet A:2022:Barker}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Department of Physics, Lund University}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  title        = {{Information Thermodynamics and Fluctuations in Quantum Dots}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/129841634/kappa_1.pdf}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}