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Sergi Vidal

Publications and source records attributed to Sergi Vidal.

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A thermodynamic uncertainty relation for (hybrid) N--S coherent conductors

Thermodynamic uncertainty relations establish fundamental bounds between current fluctuations and entropy production in nonequilibrium systems. In hybrid normal superconducting conductors, transport is governed by the coexistence of quasiparticle transmission and Andreev reflection, where electron hole conversion transfers charge through the superconducting condensate. Using the Anantram Datta scattering formalism, we decompose the charge current and zero-frequency noise into Andreev, quasiparticle, and interference contributions. Although the interference term prevents a simple additive bound at the level of individual noise components, we show that the nonequilibrium excess noise admits a positive representation. This allows us to prove a hybrid quantum thermodynamic uncertainty relation valid for an arbitrary real superconducting gap. Our result extends the pure Andreev quantum TUR to regimes where quasiparticle and Andreev processes coexist, clarifying how superconducting coherence reshapes current fluctuations while preserving a universal dissipation precision constraint in hybrid quantum conductors.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Quantum Coherence Reshapes Thermodynamic Bounds for Thermal Machines

Thermodynamic Uncertainty Relations (TURs) set universal bounds linking current fluctuations to entropy production in nonequilibrium steady states. Their multidimensional generalization (MTUR) introduces matrix inequalities connecting current covariances and mean values. We analyze these bounds in a paradigmatic quantum thermal device, a two-terminal conductor, operating as a heat engine, refrigerator, or heat pump. We show that classical performance limits on efficiency and coefficient of performance remain constrained by the TUR when finite power or heat flow from cold to hot reservoirs is maintained, even in regimes dominated by coherent transport. We further identify the conditions that optimize TUR and MTUR violations, demonstrating that cross-correlations can enhance the joint precision of charge and heat currents near the linear-response regime.

cond-mat.mes-hall