CMT Seminar: Thermodynamics at the nanoscale

Monday, April 12, 2010 – 3:15pm
Reiss 261A
Eric Lutz
University of Augsburg

We present an overview of recent progress in the thermodynamic description of small systems, emphasizing the crucial role of thermal and quantum fluctuations. We discuss the importance of exact nonequilibrium relations (fluctuation theorem and Jarzynski equality) and their verifications using single-particle experiments. We finally focus on the quantum-mechanical definition of thermodynamic quantities, such as work and energy, and suggest a method to measure them in ultracold ion traps.

Host: Marcos Rigol