Heat transport in quantum devices

自然界中的许多现象都可以用温差引起的能量自发转移来描述。例如，留在杯子里的热咖啡会由于与周围环境的能量交换而逐渐冷却，直到咖啡的温度达到平衡。模拟量子物体的冷却机制对于研究影响量子设备（例如量子计算机）的耗散过程至关重要。该项目的目标是模拟小型量子设备中的热传输。这些可以通过连接到具有温度T_i的几个恒温器的量子比特网络来体现。恒温器的作用将使用所谓的Lindblad主方程和记忆（非马尔可夫）对能量流的影响进行建模。一旦建模阶段完成，下一个目标是研究如何控制和优化网络不同部分之间的能量流动。例如，我们可以控制两个恒温器之间的热流，通过作用于第三个终端来放大、抑制和反转它，从而实现量子热阀或晶体管。计算将以解析和数值两种方式进行。

Many phenomena in nature can be described by spontaneous transfer of energy due to a temperature difference. For example a warm coffee left in a cup will gradually cool down due to energy exchange with the surroundings until the temperature of the coffee reaches an equilibrium. Modelling the cooling mechanism of quantum objects is pivotal for studying dissipation processes affecting quantum devices, e.g. quantum computers. The objective of the project is to model heat transport in small quantum devices. These could be embodied by a network of qubits connected to several thermostats with a temperature T_i. The action of the thermostats will be modelled using so-called Lindblad master equations and memory (non-Markovian) effects on the energy flow will be explored. Once the modelling stage is completed, the next goal is to investigate how energy flow between different parts of the network can be controlled and optimised. One can, for instance, control the heat flow between two thermostats, amplifying, suppressing and inverting it, by acting on a third terminal thus realising a quantum heat valve or transistor.Calculations will be performed both analytically and numerically.