Quantum thermal machines with single nonequilibrium environments

We propose a scheme for a quantum thermal machine made by atoms interacting with a single non-equilibrium electromagnetic field. The field is produced by a simple configuration of macroscopic objects held at thermal equilibrium at different temperatures. We show that these machines can deliver all thermodynamic tasks (cooling, heating and population inversion), and this by establishing quantum coherence with the body on which they act. Remarkably, this system allows to reach efficiencies at maximum power very close to the Carnot limit, much more than in existing models. Our findings offer a new paradigm for efficient quantum energy flux management, and can be relevant for both experimental and technological purposes.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure

Thermally-activated non-local amplification in quantum energy transport

We study energy-transport efficiency in light-harvesting planar and 3D complexes of two-level atomic quantum systems, embedded in a common thermal blackbody radiation. We show that the collective non-local dissipation induced by the thermal bath plays a fundamental role in energy transport. It gives rise to a dramatic enhancement of the energy-transport efficiency, which may largely overcome $100\%$. This effect, which improves the understanding of transport phenomena in experimentally relevant complexes, suggests a particularly promising mechanism for quantum energy management.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures. New version in which the RP line of Figure 1 has been amended with the correct parameter

Heat capacity and entanglement

Starting from a recent result on thermodynamic equilibrium of quantum systems, a connection between thermal properties, originating from Gibbs state probabilistic structure, and quantum correlations is discussed as a consequence of entanglement monogamy. As an example, a simple two-qubit system is analyzed, allowing for an expression of such a connection as an explicit function linking heat capacity to a measure of bipartite entanglement

Distributed thermal tasks on many-body systems through a single quantum machine

We propose a configuration of a single three-level quantum emitter embedded in a non-equilibrium steady electromagnetic environment, able to stabilize and control the local temperatures of a target system it interacts with, consisting of a collection of coupled two-level systems. The temperatures are induced by dissipative processes only, without the need of further external couplings for each qubit. Moreover, by acting on a set of easily tunable geometric parameters, we demonstrate the possibility to manipulate and tune each qubit temperature independently over a remarkably broad range of values. These findings address one standard problem in quantum-scale thermodynamics, providing a way to induce a desired distribution of temperature among interacting qubits and to protect it from external noise sources.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Fluctuation theorems for non-Markovian quantum processes

Exploiting previous results on Markovian dynamics and fluctuation theorems, we study the consequences of memory effects on single realizations of nonequilibrium processes within an open system approach. The entropy production along single trajectories for forward and backward processes is obtained with the help of a recently proposed classical-like non-Markovian stochastic unravelling, which is demonstrated to lead to a correction of the standard entropic fluctuation theorem. This correction is interpreted as resulting from the interplay between the information extracted from the system through measurements and the flow of information from the environment to the open system: Due to memory effects single realizations of a dynamical process are no longer independent, and their correlations fundamentally affect the behavior of entropy fluctuations.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figur

Tomographic approach to the violation of Bell's inequalities for quantum states of two qutrits

The tomographic method is employed to investigate the presence of quantum correlations in two classes of parameter-dependent states of two qutrits. The violation of some Bell's inequalities in a wide domain of the parameter space is shown. A comparison between the tomographic approach and a recent method elaborated by Wu, Poulsen and Molmer shows the better adequacy of the former method with respect to the latter one.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure

Distributed correlations and information flows within a hybrid multipartite quantum-classical system

Understanding the non-Markovian mechanisms underlying the revivals of quantum entanglement in the presence of classical environments is central in the theory of quantum information. Tentative interpretations have been given by either the role of the environment as a control device or the concept of hidden entanglement. We address this issue from an information-theoretic point of view. To this aim, we consider a paradigmatic tripartite system, already realized in the laboratory, made of two independent qubits and a random classical field locally interacting with one qubit alone. We study the dynamical relationship between the two-qubit entanglement and the genuine tripartite correlations of the overall system, finding that collapse and revivals of entanglement correspond, respectively, to raise and fall of the overall tripartite correlations. Interestingly, entanglement dark periods can enable plateaux of nonzero tripartite correlations. We then explain this behavior in terms of information flows among the different parties of the system. Besides showcasing the phenomenon of the freezing of overall correlations, our results provide new insights on the origin of retrieval of entanglement within a hybrid quantum-classical system.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures. To appear on Phys. Rev.

Estimation of Piecewise-Deterministic Trajectories in a Quantum Optics Scenario

International audienceThe manipulation of individual copies of quantum systems is one of the most groundbreaking experimental discoveries in the field of quantum physics. On both an experimental and a theoretical level, it has been shown that the dynamics of a single copy of an open quantum system is a trajectory of a piecewise-deterministic process. To the best of our knowledge, this application field has not been explored by the literature in applied mathematics, from both probabilistic and statistical perspectives. The objective of this chapter is to provide a self-contained presentation of this kind of model, as well as its specificities in terms of observations scheme of the system, and a first attempt to deal with a statistical issue that arises in the quantum world

Label-free approaches for extracellular vesicle detection

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) represent pivotal mediators in cell-to-cell communication. They are lipid-membranous carriers of several biomolecules, which can be produced by almost all cells. In the current Era of precision medicine, EVs gained growing attention thanks to their potential in both biomarker discovery and nanotherapeutics applications. However, current technical limitations in isolating and/or detecting EVs restrain their standard use in clinics. This review explores all the state-of-the-art analytical technologies which are currently overcoming these issues. On one end, several innovative optical-, electrical- and spectroscopy-based detection methods represent advantageous label-free methodologies for faster EV detection. On the other end, microfluidics-based lab-on-a-chip tools support EV purification from low-concentrated samples. Altogether, these technologies will strengthen the routine application of EVs in clinics