Quantum thermodynamics addresses the emergence of thermodynamic phenomena from quantum mechanics and aims to clarify to what extent the paradigms of thermodynamics apply in the quantum domain when quantum effects come into play, such as quantum correlations, quantum fluctuations, coherences, and entanglement. Quantum thermodynamics is closely linked with the theory of quantum measurement, as both require an open quantum systems approach. The establishment of a quantum thermodynamic framework is central for the development of future quantum technologies, such as quantum information processing, quantum sensing, and simulation, which rely on cooling and control at the quantum limit.

Recently, quantum thermodynamics, measurement, and control have seen rapid developments with contributions coming from many research fields, such as quantum information, quantum optics, open quantum systems, statistical physics, solid state physics, cold atoms, opto-mechanics, and quantum simulation with many-body systems.

The goal of this program is to bring together leading researchers representing these many faces of quantum thermodynamics, measurement, and control to have time to discuss and resolve together key questions in the field, including:

What are the key differences between the thermodynamics of small quantum systems and classical thermodynamics?
What is the role of quantum measurements and feedback in quantum thermodynamics?
How can one experimentally realize quantum heat machines and quantum refrigerators?
How to quantum simulate thermal states?
How can one identify thermodynamic bounds and thermodynamical laws at the quantum scale?
An associated conference will be held from June 25-29, 2018.