Work

Tightening the thermodynamic uncertainty relations with null-entropy events: What we learn when nothing happens

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Fluctuation theorems establish that thermodynamic processes at the microscale can occasionally result in negative entropy production. At such scales, another distinct possibility becomes more likely: processes in which no entropy is produced overall. In this work, we explore the constraints imposed by such null-entropy events on the fluctuations of thermodynamic currents. By incorporating the probability of null-entropy events, we obtain tighter bounds on finite-time thermodynamic uncertainty relations derived from fluctuation theorems. Our results are directly applicable to both quantum and classical systems that satisfy the fluctuation theorem. We validate our framework using an example of a qudit SWAP engine.

Source: Physical review. E

DOI: 10.1103/nbp6-kmyv

Authors: Abhaya S. Hegde, André M. Timpanaro, Gabriel T. Landi

Institutions: University of Rochester, Universidade Federal do ABC

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics

Subfield: Statistical and Nonlinear Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences

Awards: G1541891105, G3035020956