Thermodynamically consistent collisional master equation in a low-density gas with internal structure

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Gaida, Michael, Gasbarri, Giulio, Nimmrichter, Stefan
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Gaida, Michael
Gasbarri, Giulio
Nimmrichter, Stefan
author_facet Gaida, Michael
Gasbarri, Giulio
Nimmrichter, Stefan
contents Quantum thermodynamics with open systems is often based on the quantum optical weak-coupling master equation or on operational repeated interaction models, whereas early works on thermalisation and on decoherence theory were mostly concerned with the kinetics of gas collisions. Here we formulate a master equation for the dynamics of a quantum system under inelastic scattering with a dilute thermal gas in three dimensions, comprised of ancilla particles that also possess internal degrees of freedom. We show thermodynamic consistency when the gas is at thermal equilibrium, irrespective of whether or not the ancillas are in resonance with the system. In contrast, when the internal and the motional state of the gas are thermalised to different temperatures, the gas acts not as two distinct heat baths, but as a structured non-equilibrium reservoir that can generate useful energy through uncontrolled collisions.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_21394
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Thermodynamically consistent collisional master equation in a low-density gas with internal structure
Gaida, Michael
Gasbarri, Giulio
Nimmrichter, Stefan
Quantum Physics
Quantum thermodynamics with open systems is often based on the quantum optical weak-coupling master equation or on operational repeated interaction models, whereas early works on thermalisation and on decoherence theory were mostly concerned with the kinetics of gas collisions. Here we formulate a master equation for the dynamics of a quantum system under inelastic scattering with a dilute thermal gas in three dimensions, comprised of ancilla particles that also possess internal degrees of freedom. We show thermodynamic consistency when the gas is at thermal equilibrium, irrespective of whether or not the ancillas are in resonance with the system. In contrast, when the internal and the motional state of the gas are thermalised to different temperatures, the gas acts not as two distinct heat baths, but as a structured non-equilibrium reservoir that can generate useful energy through uncontrolled collisions.
title Thermodynamically consistent collisional master equation in a low-density gas with internal structure
topic Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.21394