Work required for selective quantum measurement

Abstract: In quantum mechanics, we define the measuring system

M

in a selective measurement by two conditions. Firstly, when we define the measured system

S

as the system in which the non-selective measurement part acts,

M

is independent from the measured system

S

as a quantum system in the sense that any time-dependent process in the total system

S + M

is divisible into parts for

S

and

M

. Secondly, when we can separate

S

and

M

from each other without changing the unitary equivalence class of the state of

S

from that obtained by the partial trace of

M

, the eigenstate selection in the selective measurement cannot be realized. In order for such a system

M

to exist, we show that in one selective measurement of an observable of a quantum system

S_{0}

of particles in

S

, there exists a negative entropy transfer from

M

to

S

that can be directly transformed into an amount of Helmholtz free energy of

k_{B} T

where

T

is the thermodynamic temperature of the system

S

. Equivalently, an extra amount of work,

k_{B} T

, is required to be done by the system

M

.

Recommendations

Cites work

Cited in

(4)

This page was built for publication: Work required for selective quantum measurement