RQS Seminar: Greeshma Shivali Oruganti

Description

Title:  Quantum thermodynamics of nonequilibrium processes in lattice gauge theories
Speaker:  Greeshma Shivali Oruganti (University of Maryland)
Date & Time:  January 30, 2025, 11:30am
Where to Attend:  PSC 2136 and Virtual Via Zoom: https://umd.zoom.us/j/91598475595?pwd=qZyWafZEggSpDuIxwNnlwxMbnEkb5Z.1

A key objective in nuclear and high-energy physics is to describe nonequilibrium dynamics of matter, e.g., in the early universe and in particle colliders, starting from the Standard Model. Classical-computing methods, via the framework of lattice gauge theory, have experienced limited success in this mission. Quantum simulation of lattice gauge theories holds promise for overcoming computational limitations. Because of local constraints (Gauss's laws), lattice gauge theories have an intricate Hilbert-space structure. This structure complicates the definition of thermodynamic properties of systems coupled to reservoirs during equilibrium and nonequilibrium processes. We show how to define thermodynamic quantities such as work and heat using strong-coupling thermodynamics, a framework that has recently burgeoned within the field of quantum thermodynamics. Our definitions suit instantaneous quenches, simple nonequilibrium processes undertaken in quantum simulators. To illustrate our framework, we compute the work and heat exchanged during a quench in a Z2 lattice gauge theory coupled to matter in 1+1 dimensions. The thermodynamic quantities, as functions of the quench parameter, evidence an expected phase transition. For general thermal states, we derive a simple relation between a quantum many-body system's entanglement Hamiltonian, measurable with quantum-information-processing tools, and the Hamiltonian of mean force, used to define strong-coupling thermodynamic quantities.

Lunch will be served.

 *We strongly encourage attendees to use their full name (and if possible, their UMD credentials) to join the zoom session.*