Geometrical bounds on irreversibility under correlated noise channels

Abstract

Irreversible entropy production (IEP) plays an important role in the field of quantum thermodynamics. In the present work, we investigate the geometrical bounds of IEP in nonequilibrium thermodynamics by exemplifying a two-qubit system coupled to three noise channels, including amplitude damping channel, phase damping channel, and depolarizing channel, respectively. We find that the geometrical bounds of the IEP always shift in an identical way, namely, only the upper bound becomes tighter under phase damping channel and depolarizing channel, respectively, in the presence of correlation effect of the noise channel. However, both the lower bound and the upper bound turn to be tighter in the situation of amplitude damping channel in the presence of correlation effect of the noise channel. By harvesting the benefits of correlation effect of noise channel and the entanglement between two qubits, the values of the IEP, quantifying the degree of thermodynamic irreversibility, could be suppressed in a controllable manner. Our results are expected to deepen our understanding of the nature of irreversibility under ambient conditions.