Physics team discovers quantum Mpemba effect with many ‘cool’ implications

Genuine quantum Mpemba effects in multi-qubit systems appear on different timescales. Credit: Physical Review Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.140404
Initially conducting their investigation out of pure curiosity, the researchers made discoveries that bridged the gap between Aristotle’s observations 2,000 years ago and modern understanding, while simultaneously making a difference between various “cool” and “cool” It opened the door to new meanings.
The Mpemba effect is best known as the troubling phenomenon in which hot water freezes faster than cold water. Observations of this counterintuitive effect date back more than 2,000 years to Aristotle. Aristotle noted that the Greeks of Pontus exploited this effect in their fishing practices.
The Mpemba effect has piqued the curiosity of other great figures in history, including René Descartes and Francis Bacon. It continues to be the subject of numerous broadsheet articles and regularly appears as an interesting focus in various settings, including the cooking competition Masterchef. In the contest, contestants attempt to exploit this effect to deliver frozen delicacies faster than would be possible in a dessert challenge.
And now, as the Trinity QuSys team led by Professor John Goold of the School of Physics has published a research paper in the journal Physical Review Letters, this strange effect may be far more ubiquitous than previously expected. This paper outlines breakthrough advances in understanding the implications of quantum physics in a very different and very complex world.
Professor Gould said, “The origin of the name ‘Mpemba Effect’ comes from Erasto Mpemba, who was making ice cream in his home economics class in Tanzania as an elementary school student in 1963. I couldn’t wait.” I was understandably embarrassed that it froze in front of my classmates’ cold samples before I could put it directly in the fridge.
“He pointed this out to his teacher, who scoffed at him for not knowing physics. For example, Newton’s law of cooling states that the rate at which an object cools depends on the difference in temperature between it and its surroundings. However, Mpemba persuaded Dennis Osoborn, a visiting professor at the University of Dar es Salaam, to experiment with what he saw, and the two produced a paper that did prove the strange effect. announced.”
The Mpemba effect is still not fully understood, and its existence is hotly debated on the macroscopic scale, but not on the microscopic scale, where physicists use the theory of quantum mechanics to describe nature. , is more obvious.
The quantum Mpemba effect has been a trending topic lately, but countless questions remain in the air. For example, how do quantum effects relate to the original effects, and can we build on a thermodynamic framework to better understand the phenomenon?
Breakthroughs from the QuSys research group have answered some important questions.
Professor Gould said: “We are experts in the interface between non-equilibrium thermodynamics and quantum theory and therefore have the right toolbox to tackle these questions. Our research is essentially provides a recipe for producing the Mpemba effect in a quantum system. Here, a physical transformation is performed that effectively “heats up” the quantum system, and this transformation of the quantum system, paradoxically, Utilizing the unique capabilities of , it is possible to relax or “cool down” exponentially faster. ”
Using the toolkit of non-equilibrium quantum thermodynamics, the team has successfully bridged the gap between Aristotle’s 2000-year-old observations and modern understanding of quantum mechanics.
And now the door is open to many questions related to research and applications.
Professor Gould continued, “While we initially embarked on this project out of intellectual curiosity, we had some questions about the relationship between the laws of thermodynamics, which describe cooling, and quantum mechanics, which describe reality at a fundamental level. “I have no choice but to ask fundamental questions,” he added. We are currently developing a geometric approach to this problem. This is expected to allow us to understand different types of Mpemba effects within the same mathematical framework.
“What this really ‘cool’ Mpemba effect really gives you is a way to accelerate cooling. And cooling quantum systems is absolutely essential for quantum technology applications. With that in mind, some of the tools we provide are certainly important. Developments to investigate this fundamental effect are critical to understanding heat flow and how future technologies can minimize dissipation. ”
Further information: Mattia Moroder et al, Thermodynamics of the Quantum Mpemba Effect, Physical Review Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.140404. For arXiv: DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2403.16959
Provided by Trinity College Dublin
Citation: Physics team discovers quantum Mpemba effect with many “cool” implications (October 8, 2024) https://phys.org/news/2024-10-physics-team-uncovers-quantum- Retrieved October 8, 2024 from Mpemba.html
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