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Title: Temperature and voltage measurement in quantum systems far from equilibrium

Journal Article · · Physical Review B
 [1];  [1]
  1. Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States)

In this work, we show that a local measurement of temperature and voltage for a quantum system in steady state, arbitrarily far from equilibrium, with arbitrary interactions within the system, is unique when it exists. This is interpreted as a consequence of the second law of thermodynamics. We further derive a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of a solution. In this regard, we find that a positive temperature solution exists whenever there is no net population inversion. However, when there is a net population inversion, we may characterize the system with a unique negative temperature. Voltage and temperature measurements are treated on an equal footing: They are simultaneously measured in a noninvasive manner, via a weakly coupled thermoelectric probe, defined by requiring vanishing charge and heat dissipation into the probe. Our results strongly suggest that a local temperature measurement without a simultaneous local voltage measurement, or vice versa, is a misleading characterization of the state of a nonequilibrium quantum electron system. These results provide a firm mathematical foundation for voltage and temperature measurements far from equilibrium.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0006699
OSTI ID:
1535779
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1329348
Journal Information:
Physical Review B, Vol. 94, Issue 15; ISSN 2469-9950
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 15 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (4)

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Thermionic cooling devices based on resonant-tunneling AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructure journal January 2018
Quantum thermodynamics of nanoscale steady states far from equilibrium journal April 2018
Quantum thermodynamics of nanoscale steady states far from equilibrium text January 2017