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Main Authors: Li, Hui, Xie, Jie, Kwon, Hyukjoon, Zhao, Yixin, Kim, M. S., Zhang, Lijian
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.00524
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author Li, Hui
Xie, Jie
Kwon, Hyukjoon
Zhao, Yixin
Kim, M. S.
Zhang, Lijian
author_facet Li, Hui
Xie, Jie
Kwon, Hyukjoon
Zhao, Yixin
Kim, M. S.
Zhang, Lijian
contents Fluctuation theorems have elevated the second law of thermodynamics to a statistical realm by establishing a connection between time-forward and time-reversal probabilities, providing invaluable insight into nonequilibrium dynamics. While well established in classical systems, their quantum generalization, incorporating coherence and the diversity of quantum noise, remains open. We report the experimental validation of a quantum fluctuation theorem (QFT) in a photonic system, applicable to general quantum processes with nonclassical characteristics, including quasi-probabilistic descriptions of entropy production and multiple time-reversal processes. Our experiment confirms that the ratio between the quasi-probabilities of the time-forward and any multiple time-reversal processes obeys a generalized Crooks QFT. Moreover, coherence induced by a quantum process leads to the imaginary components of quantum entropy production, governing the phase factor in the QFT. These findings underscore the fundamental symmetry between a general quantum process and its time reversal, providing an elementary toolkit to explore noisy quantum information processing.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_00524
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Experimental demonstration of generalized quantum fluctuation theorems in the presence of coherence
Li, Hui
Xie, Jie
Kwon, Hyukjoon
Zhao, Yixin
Kim, M. S.
Zhang, Lijian
Quantum Physics
Fluctuation theorems have elevated the second law of thermodynamics to a statistical realm by establishing a connection between time-forward and time-reversal probabilities, providing invaluable insight into nonequilibrium dynamics. While well established in classical systems, their quantum generalization, incorporating coherence and the diversity of quantum noise, remains open. We report the experimental validation of a quantum fluctuation theorem (QFT) in a photonic system, applicable to general quantum processes with nonclassical characteristics, including quasi-probabilistic descriptions of entropy production and multiple time-reversal processes. Our experiment confirms that the ratio between the quasi-probabilities of the time-forward and any multiple time-reversal processes obeys a generalized Crooks QFT. Moreover, coherence induced by a quantum process leads to the imaginary components of quantum entropy production, governing the phase factor in the QFT. These findings underscore the fundamental symmetry between a general quantum process and its time reversal, providing an elementary toolkit to explore noisy quantum information processing.
title Experimental demonstration of generalized quantum fluctuation theorems in the presence of coherence
topic Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.00524