Backwards heat shows laws of thermodynamics may need a quantum update
Why it matters: This research could revolutionize quantum computing by enabling more efficient control and cooling of qubits, potentially leading to breakthroughs in medicine, materials science, and artificial intelligence, though practical applications are still in the early stages.
- Dawei Lu's team at the Southern University of Science and Technology seemingly broke the second law of thermodynamics by reversing heat flow between qubits, using quantum information as 'fuel'.
- Roberto Serra at the Federal University of ABC in Brazil explains that quantum properties like coherence are thermodynamic resources, and manipulating them can apparently break thermodynamics laws, but this is an 'apparent violation' because new laws must account for access to these microscopic states.
- Researchers aim to develop practical protocols for controlling heat among qubits, potentially improving quantum computing by finding new ways to cool qubits.
A team led by Dawei Lu seemingly reversed the flow of heat between qubits, suggesting the second law of thermodynamics, which dictates heat flows from hot to cold, may need a quantum update. By manipulating quantum information, specifically 'coherence,' researchers were able to make heat flow from a colder to a hotter qubit, a phenomenon that defies classical physics.
