Quantum steampunk: Quantum information, thermodynamics, their intersection, and applications thereof across physics

Abstract

Combining quantum information theory with thermodynamics unites 21st-century technology with 19th-century principles. The union elucidates the spread of information, the flow of time, and the leveraging of energy. This thesis contributes to the theory of quantum thermodynamics, particularly to quantum-information-theoretic thermodynamics. The thesis also contains applications of the theory, wielded as a toolkit, across physics. Fields touched on include atomic, molecular, and optical physics; nonequilibrium statistical mechanics; condensed matter; high-energy physics; and chemistry. I propose the name "quantum steampunk" for this program. The term derives from the steampunk genre of literature, art, and cinema that juxtaposes futuristic technologies with 19th-century settings.