Exact results about the nonequilibrium thermodynamics of open quantum systems at arbitrary timescales are obtained by considering all possible variations of initial conditions of a system. First we obtain a quantum-information theoretic equality for entropy production, valid for an arbitrary initial joint state of system and environment. For any finite-time process with a fixed initial environment, we then show that the system's loss of distinction—relative to the minimally dissipative state—exactly quantifies its thermodynamic dissipation. The quantum component of this dissipation is the change in coherence relative to the minimally dissipative state. Implications for quantum state preparation and local control are explored. For nonunitary processes—like the preparation of any particular quantum state—we find that mismatched expectations lead to divergent dissipation as the actual initial state becomes orthogonal to the anticipated one.

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任何量子过程的热力学耗散的初始状态相关性

通过考虑系统初始条件的所有可能变化，可以获得关于任意时间尺度上开放量子系统的非平衡热力学的精确结果。首先，我们获得熵产生的量子信息理论等式，对系统和环境的任意初始联合状态有效。然后，对于具有固定初始环境的任何有限时间过程，我们都将证明系统的区别损失（相对于最小耗散状态）准确地量化了其热力学耗散。这种耗散的量子成分是相干相对于最小耗散状态的变化。探索了量子态制备和局部控制的含义。