Observation of quantum-limited heat conduction over macroscopic distances

Abstract

The emerging quantum technological apparatuses [1,2], such as the quantum computer [3-5], call for extreme performance in thermal engineering at the nanoscale [6]. Importantly, quantum mechanics sets a fundamental upper limit for the flow of information and heat, which is quantified by the quantum of thermal conductance [7,8]. The physics of this kind of quantum-limited heat conduction has been experimentally studied for lattice vibrations, or phonons [9], for electromagnetic interactions [10], and for electrons [11]. However, the short distance between the heat-exchanging bodies in the previous experiments hinders the applicability of these systems in quantum technology. Here, we present experimental observations of quantum-limited heat conduction over macroscopic distances extending to a metre. We achieved this striking improvement of four orders of magnitude in the distance by utilizing microwave photons travelling in superconducting transmission lines. Thus it seems that quantum-limited heat conduction has no fundamental restriction in its distance. This work lays the foundation for the integration of normal-metal components into superconducting transmission lines, and hence provides an important tool for circuit quantum electrodynamics [12-14], which is the basis of the emerging superconducting quantum computer [15]. In particular, our results demonstrate that cooling of nanoelectronic devices can be carried out remotely with the help of a far-away engineered heat sink. In addition, quantum-limited heat conduction plays an important role in the contemporary studies of thermodynamics such as fluctuation relations and Maxwell's demon [16,17]. Here, the long distance provided by our results may, for example, lead to an ultimate efficiency of mesoscopic heat engines with promising practical applications [18].