Speaker
Description
Quantum measurement is an inherently probabilistic process. Given this stochastic nature of quantum measurements, principles of stochastic thermodynamics can greatly help to understand and characterize the dynamics of a quantum system subject to continuous quantum measurements. I will discuss methods to characterize the irreversibility of quantum measurements from a thermodynamic perspective, by associating a statistical arrow of time for individual realizations of the quantum measurement process. I will show that continuous quantum measurements are absolutely irreversible---similar to the free expansion of a single gas molecule in a box---and I will discuss a cold atom experiment which demonstrates this. I will conclude the talk by presenting some of our recent results: (1) a quantum clock realization where quantum spin and fluorescence measurements are used to fuel the ticks of an autonomous quantum clock, (2) simultaneous measurements of position and momentum of a mechanical oscillator are used for optimal quantum parametric feedback cooling, and (3) time-continuous energy measurements of massive acoustic bar resonators are used for table-top tests of gravity in the quantum regime.
