260070 VU Foundations of mesoscopic engines - from classical to quantum (2020W)

AIM OF THE COURSE
On the mesoscopic level, thermodynamic engines need to operate in a completely different regime than their well-known macroscopic counterparts.
Investigating these new concepts is part of the broader field of stochastic and quantum thermodynamics.

The goal of this course is to provide the underlying principles of this field. It will enable you to understand some of its open questions and current literature. The course will put an emphasis on connecting the theoretical concepts with state-of-the-art experiments.

OUTLINE OF THE COURSE

Thermodynamics at the macroscopic scale
Principles of stochastic thermodynamics
Fluctuation theorems
Experiments on classical stochastic engines
From stochastic to quantum thermodynamics
Quantum entropy production and measurement of work
Quantum heat engines
Work extraction and engines with batteries
Thermodynamics of computation

METHODS
The course follows largely the structure of the provided textbook (see Reading list) with significant additions from online lectures and scientific articles that are provided in the course, that will enable you to prepare and revisit the lectures.
The major part of the content of the course will be presented by the lecturers in a classic lecture style (blackboard/slides) with ample time for questions reserved.
Home exercises will enable you to test your understanding and actively work with the new concepts. Literature assignments relate the learned concepts to the current literature and our joint discussions are also meant to train your skills in efficiently processing their content.
Due to the university regulations for the CoVID pandemic, the course modality (in person or online) is subject to the availability of seats in the lecture hall. The final modality will be confirmed at the end of the registration period.