Experimental implications of new developments in quantum thermodynamic theory

Thermodynamics is a phenomenological theory that allows the investigation of equilibrium properties of macroscopic objects. Based on fundamental measurable quantities - heat and work - it provides a universal framework to study the conversion of different forms of energy. Introduced at the beginning of the industrial revolution, to analyse and improve the performance of the newly invented steam engine, it has been successfully applied ever since to design a great variety of useful devices, from car engines and fridges to power plants and solar cells. Now technological progress is increasingly miniaturising to the nanoscale and into the quantum regime where thermal fluctuations compete with quantum fluctuations.

Detailed mathematical and practical knowledge of quantum thermodynamic processes that can support these advances is however not well-established. Only recently have a number of theoretical developments, pursued by different communities and with different methods, started to fill this gap with breakthroughs in non-equilibrium quantum fluctuation relations, single shot thermodynamics and thermodynamic resource theory. The key aim of the project is to identify how these disparate theoretical approaches fit together, what experimental predictions they imply, and to generalise them to general quantum processes whenever possible. This is an essential step towards a unified theoretical framework for quantum thermodynamics that can underpin future technological development at the nanoscale that promise to have applications from computer chips to medicine.

The proposed research project addresses primarily fundamental physics questions in the emerging field of quantum thermodynamics. Impact is expected within the field and beyond - many scientific disciplines, including engineering and biochemistry, have a strong need for tools developed for thermodynamics when applied to small ensembles and in the presence of quantum properties. Industry is also starting to require knowledge of how quantum fluctuations affect thermal fluctuations, for instance in data recording processes. This will, in the long term, lead to economic growth and eventually to applications that will benefit society at large.

The project's impact on industry lies in advancing the understanding of thermodynamic and non-equilibrium processes at the nano-scale, which is key in uncovering and making optimal use of the power of new technologies. These include nano-electromechanical systems, molecular motors and ultra-high precision nano-mechanical sensors, that miniaturise into the regime where quantum effects become important. In this regime, it is uncertain which parts of the established theoretical framework of thermodynamics are applicable and which have to be modified. The programme's research will remove this uncertainty and provide the necessary scientific basis for further technological progress. The long term impact on society of advancing these technologies is expected to include the improvement of healthcare through precision sensing, and the provision of small scale and powerful computer chips and data storage devices that can handle large amounts of data.

The programme will train people in skills that are highly sought by UK academia and industry, including computer programming, team-working, public speaking, project and people management, and problem solving in general.