The zeroth law of thermodynamics involves a transitivity relation (pairwise between three objects) expressed either in terms of `equal temperature' (ET), or `in equilibrium' (EQ) conditions. In conventional thermodynamics conditional on vanishingly weak system-bath coupling these two conditions are commonly regarded as equivalent. In this work we show that for thermodynamics at strong coupling they are inequivalent: namely, two systems can be in equilibrium and yet have different effective temperatures. A recent result \cite{NEqFE} for Gaussian quantum systems shows that an effective temperature $T^{*}$ can be defined at all times during a system's nonequilibrium evolution, but because of the inclusion of interaction energy, after equilibration the system's $T^*$ is slightly higher than the bath temperature $T_{\textsc{b}}$, with the deviation depending on the coupling. A second object coupled with a different strength with an identical bath at temperature $T_{\textsc{b}}$ will not have the same equilibrated temperature as the first object. Thus $ET \neq EQ $ for strong coupling thermodynamics. We then investigate the conditions for dynamical equilibration for two objects 1 and 2 strongly coupled with a common bath $B$, each with a different equilibrated effective temperature. We show this is possible, and prove the existence of a generalized fluctuation-dissipation relation under this configuration. This affirms that `in equilibrium' is a valid and perhaps more fundamental notion which the zeroth law for quantum thermodynamics at strong coupling should be based on. Only when the system-bath coupling becomes vanishingly weak that `temperature' appearing in thermodynamic relations becomes universally defined and makes better physical sense.
We show that the zeroth law of thermodynamics holds within an alternative version of nonextensive statistical mechanics based on {\it incomplete probability distribution}. The generalized zeroth law leads to a generalized definition of thermodynamic functions which are possible to be used for systems with important nonextensivity (nonadditivity) in energy, volume or other external variables.
We reconsider the basic building blocks of classical phenomenological thermodynamics. While doing so we show that the zeroth law is a redundant postulate for the theory by deriving it from the first and the second laws. This is in stark contrast to the prevalent conception that the three laws, the zeroth, first and second, are all necessary and independent axioms.
Motivated by black holes thermodynamics, we consider the zeroth law of thermodynamics for systems whose entropy is a quasi-homogeneous function of the extensive variables. We show that the generalized Gibbs-Duhem identity and the Maxwell construction for phase coexistence based on the standard zeroth law are incompatible in this case. We argue that the generalized Gibbs-Duhem identity suggests a revision of the zeroth law which in turns permits to reconsider Maxwell's construction in analogy with the standard case. The physical feasibility of our proposal is considered in the particular case o…
Two important problems existing in Tsallis' statistics are investigated, where one is whether energy is extensive or not, and the other is whether it is necessary to introduce the so-called generalized zeroth law of thermodynamics or not. The results obtained show clearly that like entropy, energy is also nonextensive in Tsallis' statistics, and that the zeroth law of thermodynamics has been implicitly used in Tsallis' statistics since 1988. Moreover, it is expounded that the standard energy additivity rule adopted by a great number of researchers is not suitable in Tsallis' statistics, becaus…
We show an attempt to establish the zeroth law of thermodynamics within the framework of nonextensive statistical mechanics based on the classic normalization $\texttt{Tr}\hatρ=1$ and the unnormalized expectation $x=\texttt{Tr}\hatρ^q\hat{x}$. The first law of thermodynamics and the definition of heat and work in this formalism are discussed.
Thermalization of isolated quantum systems has been studied intensively in recent years and significant progresses have been achieved. Here, we study thermalization of small quantum systems that interact with large chaotic environments under the consideration of Schrödinger evolution of composite systems, from the perspective of the zeroth law of thermodynamics. Namely, we consider a small quantum system that is brought into contact with a large environmental system; after they have relaxed, they are separated and their temperatures are studied. Our question is under what conditions the small …
The phenomenon described by our title should surprise no one. What may be surprising though is how easy it is to produce a quantum system with this feature; moreover, that system is one that is often used for the purpose of showing how systems equilibrate. The violation can be variously manifested. In our detailed example, bringing a detuned 2-level system into contact with a monochromatic reservoir does not cause it to relax to the reservoir temperature; rather, the system acquires the reservoir's level-occupation-ratio.
On the basis of the entropy of incomplete statistics (IS) and the joint probability factorization condition, two controversial problems existing in IS are investigated, where one is what the correct expression of the internal energy for a composite system is and the other is whether the zeroth law of thermodynamics is true or not. Some new equivalent expressions of the internal energy of a composite system are derived through a precise mathematical calculation. Moreover, a self-consistent calculation is used to expound that the zeroth law of thermodynamics is also suitable for IS, but it can't…
We show that the zeroth principle of thermodynamics applies to aging quasistationary states of long-range interacting $N$-body Hamiltonian systems. We also discuss the measurability of the temperature in these out-of-equilibrium states using a {\it short-range} interacting thermometer. As many connections are already established between such quasistationary states and nonextensive statistical mechanics, our results are the first evidence that such basic concepts apply to systems that the nonextensive formalism aims to describe.
Several models of quantum open systems are known at present to violate, according to principles of the standard quantum theory of open systems, the second law of thermodynamics. Here, a new and rather trivial model of another type is suggested describing mechanism that violates, according to the same principles, the zeroth and the second laws of thermodynamics simultaneously. Up to a technically minor modification, the model resembles some models already known, solved by standard means, and properly understood. Universal validity of two basic principles of thermodynamics in strictly quantum si…
Within the nonextensive framework, it is shown that zeroth law of thermodynamics determines not only the mapping between Lagrange multipliers and intensive variables, but also the mapping between nonextensive and extensive entropy. The form of constraints decides the form of the extensive entropy, standard averages lead to Boltzmann-Shannon-Gibbs entropy while normalised biased averages lead to Renyi entropy. The mapping between Lagrange multipliers and intensive variables is also discussed in the more general context of composable entropy.
We show that systems with negative specific heat can violate the zeroth law of thermodynamics. By both numerical simulations and by using exact expressions for free energy and microcanonical entropy it is shown that if two systems with the same intensive parameters but with negative specific heat are thermally coupled, they undergo a process in which the total entropy increases irreversibly. The final equilibrium is such that two phases appear, that is, the subsystems have different magnetizations and internal energies at temperatures which are equal in both systems, but that can be different …
An exact closed relativistic kinetic equation is derived for a system of identical classical particles interacting with each other through a scalar field. The microscopic deterministic mechanism of the irreversible equilibration process in a relativistic classical system of interacting particles has been established. Keywords: Irreversible equilibration process; Classical relativistic dynamics; Retarded interactions.
We critically revisit the definition of thermal equilibrium, in its operational formulation, provided by standard thermodynamics. We show that it refers to experimental conditions which break the covariance of the theory at a fundamental level and that, therefore, it cannot be applied to the case of moving bodies. We propose an extension of this definition which is manifestly covariant and can be applied to the study of isolated systems in special relativity. The zeroth law of thermodynamics is, then, proven to establish an equivalence relation among bodies which have not only the same tempera…
We ask what happens when two systems having a nonequilibrium steady state are kept in contact and allowed to exchange a quantity, say mass, which is conserved in the combined system. Will the systems eventually evolve to a new stationary state where certain intensive thermodynamic variable, like equilibrium chemical potential, equalizes following zeroth law of thermodynamics and, if so, under what conditions is it possible? We argue that the zeroth law would hold, provided both systems have short-ranged spatial correlations and they {\it interact weakly} to exchange mass with rates satisfying …
We study two small quantum systems coupled to the same reservoir which is in thermal equilibrium. By studying the particle density and the energy density in the two systems before and after they contact each other, we find that the two systems are not in thermal equilibrium with each other. Our result shows that the zeroth law of thermodynamics is broken in small quantum systems at low temperatures. Therefore, the traditional way of defining temperature fails due to the breakdown of the transitive relation of thermal equilibrium. Then we show a different way of defining temperature by attachin…
The dynamics of free vibrations of a chain of atoms is investigated taking into account the retardation of interactions. It is shown that all oscillations of the circuit are damped. The dynamics of forced vibrations of this chain of atoms is investigated. It is shown that, regardless of the initial conditions, the system passes into a stationary state of dynamic equilibrium with an external field, which depends both on the properties of the system and on the parameters of the external field. A non-statistical dynamic mechanism of the process of irreversible establishment of the state of thermo…
We propose a mathematical formulation of the zeroth law of thermodynamics and develop a stochastic dynamical theory, with a consistent irreversible thermodynamics, for systems possessing sustained conservative stationary current in phase space while in equilibrium with a heat bath. The theory generalizes underdamped mechanical equilibrium: $dx=gdt+\{-D\nablaϕdt+\sqrt{2D}dB(t)\}$, with $\nabla\cdot g=0$ and $\{\cdots\}$ respectively representing phase-volume preserving dynamics and stochastic damping. The zeroth law implies stationary distribution $u^{ss}(x)=e^{-ϕ(x)}$. We find an orthogonality…
The relative stability and ergodicity of deterministic time-reversible thermostats, both singly and in coupled pairs, are assessed through their Lyapunov spectra. Five types of thermostat are coupled to one another through a single Hooke's-Law harmonic spring. The resulting dynamics shows that three specific thermostat types, Hoover-Holian, Ju-Bulgac, and Martyna-Klein-Tuckerman, have very similar Lyapunov spectra in their equilibrium four-dimensional phase spaces and when coupled in equilibrium or nonequilibrium pairs. All three of these oscillator-based thermostats are shown to be ergodic, w…
We address the issue of extending thermodynamics to nonequilibrium steady states. Using driven stochastic lattice gases, we ask whether consistent definitions of an effective chemical potential mu, and an effective temperature T_e, are possible. mu and T_e are determined via coexistence, i.e., zero flux of particles and energy between the driven system and a reservoir. In the lattice gas with nearest-neighbor exclusion, temperature is not relevant, and we find that the effective chemical potential, a function of density and drive strength, satisfies the zeroth law, and correctly predicts the d…
We resolve the long standing question of temperature dependence of uniformly moving bodies by means of a quantum statistical treatment centred on the zeroth law of thermodynamics. The key to our treatment is the result, established by Kossakowski et al, that a macroscopic body behaves as a thermal reservoir with well-defined temperature, in the sense of the zeroth law, if and only if its state satisfies the Kubo-Martin-Schwinger (KMS) condition. In order to relate this result to the relativistic thermodynamics of moving bodies, we employ the Tomita-Takesaki modular theory to prove that a state…
We present an exactly solvable non-linear elastic model of a volume collapse transition in an isotropic solid. Integrity of the lattice through the transition leads to an infinite-range density-density interaction, which drives classical critical behavior. Nucleation is forbidden within a pressure window leading to intrinsic hysteresis and an unavoidable discontinuity of the thermodynamic potential (zeroth order transition). The window shrinks with increasing temperature ending at a critical point at a temperature related to the shear modulus. Mixed phases behave non-extensively and show negat…
We study the dynamic and thermodynamic origin of non-canonical equilibria, and we discuss their connection with the generalized central limit theorem and the micro-canonical Boltzmann principle. We reach the conclusion that the zeroth law of thermodynamics and the Boltzmann principle are fulfilled thanks to an apparent fault turned into a benefit: the dynamic approach can only produce a truncated form of inverse power law equilibrium.
We provide a quantum statistical thermodynamical solution of the long standing problem of temperature transformations of uniformly moving bodies. Our treatment of this question is based on the well established quantum statistical result that the thermal equilibrium conditions demanded by both the Zeroth and Second Laws of Thermodynamics are precisely those of Kubo, Martin and Schwinger (KMS). We prove that, in both the special relativistic and nonrelativistic settings, a state of a body cannot satisfy these conditions for different inertial frames with non-zero relative velocity. Hence a body …
The recent experimental realization of exotic matter states in isolated quantum systems and the ensuing controversy about the existence of negative absolute temperatures demand a careful analysis of the conceptual foundations underlying microcanonical thermostatistics. Here, we provide a detailed comparison of the most commonly considered microcanonical entropy definitions, focussing specifically on whether they satisfy or violate the zeroth, first and second law of thermodynamics. Our analysis shows that, for a broad class of systems that includes all standard classical Hamiltonian systems, o…
We consider a time-dependent quantum linear oscillator coupled to a bath at an arbitrary strength. We then introduce a generalized Jarzynski equality (GJE) which includes the terms reflecting the system-bath coupling. This enables us to study systematically the coupling effect on the linear oscillator in a non-equilibrium process. This is also associated with the second law of thermodynamics beyond the weak-coupling limit. We next take into consideration the GJE in the classical limit. By this generalization we show that the Jarzynski equality in its original form can be associated with the se…
We investigate the connection between recent results in quantum thermodynamics and fluctuation relations by adopting a fully quantum mechanical description of thermodynamics. By including a work system whose energy is allowed to fluctuate, we derive a set of equalities which all thermodynamical transitions have to satisfy. This extends the condition for maps to be Gibbs-preserving to the case of fluctuating work, providing a more general characterisation of maps commonly used in the information theoretic approach to thermodynamics. For final states, block diagonal in the energy basis, this set…
In this note it is shown that in his ``Comments'', Tsallis did not point out any flaws in the main criticism of my paper, namely, that the nonextensive q-entropy formalism fails to satisfy the zeroth law of thermodynamics. Details are also given of a rigorous thermodynamic proof which demonstrates that, contrary to Tsallis's assertion, the application of a nonextensive formalism to black-body radiation does not lead to the well known $T^4$ Stefan-Boltzman law.
Thermodynamics of rotating black holes described by the Rényi formula as equilibrium and zeroth law compatible entropy function is investigated. We show that similarly to the standard Boltzmann approach, isolated Kerr black holes are stable with respect to axisymmetric perturbations in the Rényi model. On the other hand, when the black holes are surrounded by a bath of thermal radiation, slowly rotating black holes can also be in stable equilibrium with the heat bath at a fixed temperature, in contrast to the Boltzmann description. For the question of possible phase transitions in the system, …
We show that the generalized Boltzmann distribution is the only distribution for which the Gibbs-Shannon entropy equals the thermodynamic entropy. This result means that the thermodynamic entropy and the Gibbs-Shannon entropy are not generally equal, but rather than the equality holds only in the special case where a system is in equilibrium with a reservoir.
The generalized zeroth law of thermodynamics indicates that the physical temperature in nonextensive statistical mechanics is different from the inverse of the Lagrange multiplier, beta. This leads to modifications of some of thermodynamic relations for nonextensive systems. Here, taking the first law of thermodynamics and the Legendre transform structure as the basic premises, it is found that Clausius definition of the thermodynamic entropy has to be appropriately modified, and accordingly the thermodynamic relations proposed by Tsallis, Mendes and Plastino [Physica A 261 (1998) 534] are als…
The meaning of temperature in nonequilibrium thermodynamics is considered by using a forced harmonic oscillator in a heat bath, where we have two effective temperatures for the position and the momentum, respectively. We invent a concrete model of a thermometer to testify the validity of these different temperatures from the operational point of view. It is found that the measured temperature depends on a specific form of interaction between the system and a thermometer, which means the zeroth law of thermodynamics cannot be immediately extended to nonequilibrium cases.
The theory of phenomenological Non-equilibrium Thermodynamics is extended by includimg stochastic processes in order to account for recently derived thermodynamical relations such as the Jarzynski equality. Four phenomenological axioms are postulated resulting in a phenomenological interpretation of Jarzynski's equality. Especially, considering the class of Jarzynski processes Jarzynski's equality follows from the axiom that the statistical average of the exponential work is protocol independent.
We combine the formalisms of diagonal entropy and Jarzynski Equality to study the thermodynamic properties of closed quantum systems. Applying this approach to a quantum harmonic oscillator, the diagonal entropy offers a notion of temperature for closed systems away from equilibrium, and allows computing free-energy profiles. We also apply this approach to a hard-core boson lattice model, and discuss measures how to estimate temperature, entropy and measure work distribution functions. This technique offers a path to investigate the non-equilibrium quantum dynamics by means of performing work …
In this paper we carefully reexamine the various framworks existing in the field of relativistic thermodynamics. We scrutinize in particular the different conceptual foundations of notions like the relativistic work, heat force, moving heat and relativistic temperature. As to the latter notion we argue that, as in ordinary thermodynamics, relativistic absolute temperature should be introduced operationally via relativistic Carnot processes. We exhibit the more implicit or even hidden tacit preassumptions being made and point to a couple of gaps, errors and inconclusive statements in some of th…
We formulate, under general conditions, the problem of maximisation of the total entropy of the system, assumed to be in a composable form, for fixed total value of the constrained quantity. We derive the general form of the composability function and also point out the criterion which leads to a violation of the zeroth law of thermodynamics.
Microcanonical equations for several thermodynamic properties of a system, suitable for molecular dynamics simulations, are derived from the nonextensive Tsallis entropy functional. Two possible definitions of temperature, the usual one and a ``physical'' modification which satisfies the zeroth law of thermodynamics, are considered, and the results from both choices are compared. Results for the ideal gas using the first definition of temperature are provided and discussed in relation with the canonical results reported in the literature. The second choice leaves most formulae unchanged from t…
We introduce a continuous time-reversal operation which connects the time-forward and time-reversed trajectories in the steady state of an irreversible Markovian dynamics via a continuous family of stochastic dynamics. This continuous time-reversal allows us to derive a tighter version of the thermodynamic uncertainty relation (TUR) involving observables evaluated relative to their local mean value. Moreover, the family of dynamics realizing the continuous time-reversal contains an equilibrium dynamics halfway between the time-forward and time-reversed dynamics. We show that this equilibrium d…
We employ the quantum jump trajectory approach to construct a systematic framework to study the thermodynamics at the trajectory level in a nonequilibrium open quantum system under discrete feedback control. Within this framework, we derive quantum versions of the generalized Jarzynski equalities, which are demonstrated in an isolated pseudospin system and a coherently driven two-level open quantum system. Due to quantum coherence and measurement backaction, a fundamental distinction from the classical generalized Jarzynski equalities emerges in the quantum versions, which is characterized by …
Recent advances in experimental techniques allow one to measure and control systems at the level of single molecules and atoms. Here gaining information about fluctuating thermodynamic quantities is crucial for understanding nonequilibrium thermodynamic behavior of small systems. To achieve this aim, stochastic thermodynamics offers a theoretical framework, and nonequilibrium equalities such as Jarzynski equality and fluctuation theorems provide key information about the fluctuating thermodynamic quantities. We review the recent progress in quantum fluctuation theorems, including the studies o…
We show how the local temperature of out-of-equilibrium, quantum electron systems can be consistently defined with the help of an external voltage and temperature probe. We determine sufficient conditions under which the temperature measured by the probe (i) is independent of details of the system-probe coupling, (ii) is equal to the temperature obtained from an independent current-noise measurement, (iii) satisfies the transitivity condition expressed by the zeroth law of thermodynamics, and (iv) is consistent with Carnot's theorem. This local temperature therefore characterizes the system in…
We study thermodynamic operations which bring a nonequilibrium steady state (NESS) to another NESS in physical systems under nonequilibrium conditions. We model the system by a suitable Markov jump process, and treat thermodynamic operations as protocols according to which the external agent varies parameters of the Markov process. Then we prove, among other relations, a NESS version of the Jarzynski equality and the extended Clausius relation. The latter can be a starting point of thermodynamics for NESS. We also find that the corresponding nonequilibrium entropy has a microscopic representat…
The temperature of a physical system is operationally defined in physics as "that quantity which is measured by a thermometer" weakly coupled to, and at equilibrium with the system. This definition is unique only at global equilibrium in view of the zeroth law of thermodynamics: when the system and the thermometer have reached equilibrium, the "thermometer degrees of freedom" can be traced out and the temperature read by the thermometer can be uniquely assigned to the system. Unfortunately, such a procedure cannot be straightforwardly extended to a system out of equilibrium, where local excita…
Directional motion of nanoscale motors and driven particles in an isothermal environment costs a finite amount of energy despite zero work as decreed by the 2nd law, but quantifying this general limit remains difficult. Here we derive a universal equality linking directional fidelity of an arbitrary nanoscale object to the least possible energy driving it. The fidelity-energy equality depends on the environmental temperature alone; any lower energy would violate the 2nd law in a thought experiment. Real experimental proof for the equality comes from force-induced motion of biological nanomotor…
Thermodynamics, the branch of physics concerned with the description of macroscopic bodies, heat exchange and the conversion of different forms of energy is based on four laws: the zeroth law, which states that bodies in thermal contact reach a state of thermal equilibrium, the first law, which postulates the energy conservation and establishes the way in which different forms of energy transform into each-other, the second law, which states that the entropy increases or stays constant in time in any isolated system, and, finally, the third law (or Nernst postulate), which states that the entr…
In the presence of feedback control by "Maxwell's demon," the second law of thermodynamics and the nonequilibrium equalities such as the Jarzynski equality need to be generalized. In this paper, we derive the generalized Jarzynski equalities for classical Hamiltonian dynamics based on the Liouville's theorem, which is the same approach as the original proof of the Jarzynski equality [Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 2690 (1997)]. The obtained equalities lead to the generalizations of the second law of thermodynamics for the Hamiltonian systems in the presence of feedback control.
Thermodynamics is the phenomenological theory of heat and work. Here we analyze to what extent quantum thermodynamic relations are immune to the underlying mathematical formulation of quantum mechanics. As a main result, we show that the Jarzynski equality holds true for all non-hermitian quantum systems with real spectrum. This equality expresses the second law of thermodynamics for isothermal processes arbitrarily far from equilibrium. In the quasistatic limit however, the second law leads to the Carnot bound which is fulfilled even if some eigenenergies are complex provided they appear in c…
University of Copenhagen（哥本哈根大学）；Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light（马克斯·普朗克光科学研究所）；Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg（埃尔朗根-纽伦堡大学）；University of Warwick（华威大学）；Technical University of Munich（慕尼黑工业大学）
Although Boltzmann's definition of entropy, and, hence, the existence of negative temperatures, are widely accepted, we will show scenarios which apparently at a first glance are inconsistent with our normal notion of thermodynamics. This is shown in the framework of stochastic thermodynamics for special geometrical frustrated systems (GFSs), which have maximum entropy at its ground state and constant negative temperature. For two GFSs in weak thermal contact and at same temperature, all energetic constellations are equal probable. A hot and a cool GFS in contact is driven by entropic forces v…
A candidate for a consistent steady state thermodynamics is constructed for a radiation field in vacuum sandwiched by two black bodies of different temperatures. Because of the collisionless nature of photons, a steady state of a radiation field is completely determined by the temperatures of the two black bodies. Then the zeroth, first, second and third laws can be extended to steady states, where the idea of local steady states plays an important role for the system whose geometrical shape is anisotropic and inhomogeneous. The thermodynamic formalism presented in this paper does not include …
Almost all processes -- highly correlated, weakly correlated, or correlated not at all---exhibit statistical fluctuations. Often physical laws, such as the Second Law of Thermodynamics, address only typical realizations -- as highlighted by Shannon's asymptotic equipartition property and as entailed by taking the thermodynamic limit of an infinite number of degrees of freedom. Indeed, our interpretations of the functioning of macroscopic thermodynamic cycles are so focused. Using a recently derived Second Law for information processing, we show that different subsets of fluctuations lead to di…
For genuine non-equilibrium states that even at fixed external control parameter exhibit dissipation, we extend the Hatano-Sasa equality to processes with feedback control. The resulting bound on the maximal extractable work is substantially sharper than what would follow from applying the Sagawa-Ueda equality to transitions involving such states. For repeated measurements at short enough intervals, the power thus extracted can even exceed the average cost of driving as demonstrated explicitly with a simple, analytically solvable example.
In the derivation of fluctuation relations, and in stochastic thermodynamics in general, it is tacitly assumed that we can measure the system perfectly, i.e., without measurement errors. We here demonstrate for a driven system immersed in a single heat bath, for which the classic Jarzynski equality $\langle e^{-β(W-ΔF)}\rangle = 1$ holds, how to relax this assumption. Based on a general measurement model akin to Bayesian inference we derive a general expression for the fluctuation relation of the measured work and we study the case of an overdamped Brownian particle and of a two-level system i…
