Here we demonstrate how the interplay between quantum coherences and a decoherence bath, such as one given by continuos quantum measurements, lead to new kinds of thermodynamic potentials and flows. We show how a mathematical extension of thermodynamics includes decoherence baths leading to a more general sense of the zeroth and first law. We also show how decoherence adds contributions to the change in entropy production in the second law. We derive a thermodynamic potential that depends only on the interplay between quantum coherences and a decoherence thermodynamic bath. This leads to novel thermodynamic effects, such as Onsager relationships that depend on quantum coherences. This provides a thermodynamics interpretation of the role of decoherence on quantum transport in very general systems.

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作为热力学势的量子相干

在这里，我们展示了量子相干和退相干浴之间的相互作用，例如由连续量子测量给出的相互作用，如何导致新的热力学势和流动。我们展示了热力学的数学扩展如何包括退相干浴，从而导致对零定律和第一定律的更一般意义。我们还展示了退相干如何增加第二定律中熵产生变化的贡献。我们推导出仅取决于量子相干和退相干热力学浴之间相互作用的热力学势。这导致了新的热力学效应，例如依赖于量子相干性的 Onsager 关系。这为退相干对非常一般系统中的量子传输的作用提供了热力学解释。