SELF-CONTAINED MACHINES IN QUANTUM THERMODYNAMICS

Abstract

Fuelled by better control of miniaturized systems, the field of quantum thermodynamics has been thriving in the past decade and has witnessed its first proof-of-principle experiments exploring the laws of thermodynamics in the quantum realm. The advent of quantum information theory has further sparked interest with regards to possible exploitation of quantum correlations to build devices that are not bounded by the conventional laws of thermodynamics. This thesis focuses primarily on self-contained thermal machines that do not assume any hidden energy costs. These machines would form the building blocks of nanomechanical devices while serving as testbeds for identifying genuine quantum advantages.