Traditional refrigeration is driven either by external forces or by the information-feedback mechanism. Surprisingly, quantum measurement and collapse, typically viewed as detrimental, can also power a quantum cooling engine without requiring any feedback mechanism. In this work, we perform a proof-of-principle demonstration of quantum measurement cooling (QMC) powered by entangled measurements using a highly controllable linear optical simulator. The simulator can simulate qubits with different energy-level spacings and their thermalizing processes at different temperatures, and also allows for arbitrary projections of two qubits at different energy levels. We show the effect of changes in energy levels and measurement bases on the cooling process and demonstrate the robustness of QMC. These results reveal the special role of entangled measurements in quantum thermodynamics, indicate that quantum measurement is not always detrimental but can be a valuable thermodynamic resource. Our setup also offers a highly controllable simulation platform for multiqubit quantum engines.

中文翻译：

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由纠缠测量驱动的量子冷却引擎的光学模拟


传统制冷要么由外力驱动，要么由信息反馈机制驱动。令人惊讶的是，通常被视为有害的量子测量和崩溃也可以为量子冷却引擎提供动力，而无需任何反馈机制。在这项工作中，我们使用高度可控的线性光学模拟器对由纠缠测量提供支持的量子测量冷却（QMC）进行了原理验证演示。该模拟器可以模拟具有不同能级间距的量子位及其在不同温度下的热化过程，并且还允许两个量子位在不同能级下的任意投影。我们展示了能量水平和测量基础的变化对冷却过程的影响，并证明了 QMC 的稳健性。这些结果揭示了纠缠测量在量子热力学中的特殊作用，表明量子测量并不总是有害的，而是可以成为宝贵的热力学资源。我们的设置还为多量子位量子引擎提供高度可控的模拟平台。