Experimental study of the thermodynamic uncertainty relation

Abstract

A cost-precision trade-off relationship, the so-called thermodynamic uncertainty relation (TUR), has been recently discovered in stochastic thermodynamics. It bounds certain thermodynamic observables in terms of the associated entropy production. In this Rapid Communication, we experimentally study the TUR in a two-qubit system using an NMR setup. Each qubit is prepared in an equilibrium state, but at different temperatures. The qubits are then coupled, allowing energy exchange (in the form of heat). Using the quantum state tomography technique we obtain the moments of heat exchange within a certain time interval and analyze the relative uncertainty of the energy exchange process. We find that generalized versions of the TUR, which are based on the fluctuation relation, are obeyed. However, the specialized TUR, a tighter bound that is valid under specific dynamics, is violated in certain regimes of operation, in excellent agreement with analytic results. Altogether, this experiment-theory study provides a deep understanding of heat exchange in quantum systems, revealing favorable noise-dissipation regimes of operation.