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The thermodynamic meaning of negative entropy

Author

Listed:
  • Lídia del Rio

    (Institute for Theoretical Physics, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland)

  • Johan Åberg

    (Institute for Theoretical Physics, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland)

  • Renato Renner

    (Institute for Theoretical Physics, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland)

  • Oscar Dahlsten

    (Institute for Theoretical Physics, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
    Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
    Centre for Quantum Technologies, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore)

  • Vlatko Vedral

    (Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
    Centre for Quantum Technologies, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore
    National University of Singapore, 117542 Singapore)

Abstract

Cool computations Landauer's erasure principle, a widely accepted part of classical information theory first proposed by Rolf Landauer in 1961, asserts that it is necessary to perform work in order to erase data. This occurs when carrying out irreversible operations, thus releasing heat to the environment. For example, in electronics, heat generation is a major obstacle to circuitry miniaturization. Del Rio et al. show that the situation is completely different in the presence of quantum information about the system, and the implications of Landauer's principle are invalid. The more that is known about a system, the less it costs to erase it. An observer who is strongly correlated with a system may even gain work while erasing it, therefore cooling the environment. The quantum systems needed to experimentally demonstrate these results are, in principle, accessible with current technology.

Suggested Citation

  • Lídia del Rio & Johan Åberg & Renato Renner & Oscar Dahlsten & Vlatko Vedral, 2011. "The thermodynamic meaning of negative entropy," Nature, Nature, vol. 474(7349), pages 61-63, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:474:y:2011:i:7349:d:10.1038_nature10123
    DOI: 10.1038/nature10123
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    Cited by:

    1. de Castro, Alexandre, 2014. "One-way-ness in the input-saving (Turing) machine," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 415(C), pages 473-478.
    2. Giulio Chiribella & Fei Meng & Renato Renner & Man-Hong Yung, 2022. "The nonequilibrium cost of accurate information processing," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.

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