Invited speaker: Dr. Eric Lutz
Affiliation: Universität Augsburg
Title: Thermodynamics at the Nanoscale
Time and room: 17 h c.t., lecture hall IAP
Abstract: We present an overview of recent progress in the thermodynamic description of small systems, emphasizing the crucial role of thermal and quantum fluctuations. We discuss the importance of exact nonequilibrium relations (fluctuation theorem and Jarzynski equality) and their verifications using single-particle experiments. We finally focus on the quantum-mechanical definition of thermodynamic quantities, such as work and energy, and suggest a method to measure them in ultracold ion traps.