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Quantum entropy production as a measure of irreversibility

I. Callens·W. De Roeck·T. Jacobs·C. Maes·K. Netocny
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Abstract

We consider conservative quantum evolutions possibly interrupted by macroscopic measurements. When started in a nonequilibrium state, the resulting path-space measure is not time-reversal invariant and the weight of time-reversal breaking equals the exponential of the entropy production. The mean entropy production can then be expressed via a relative entropy on the level of histories. This gives a partial extension of the result for classical systems, that the entropy production is given by the source term of time-reversal breaking in the path-space measure.

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I. Callens, W. De Roeck, T. Jacobs, C. Maes, K. Netocny. 2003-04-08. Quantum entropy production as a measure of irreversibility. https://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0211252

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