(A) study of nonequilibrium fluctuation in transient states

Abstract

Some properties of systems in equilibrium and steady state are no longer applicable in transient state. In this dissertation, ensemble equivalence, Onsager reciprocal relation, and thermodynamic uncertainty relation in transient states were discussed. Although canonical ensemble and microcanonical ensemble are often considered equivalent in thermodynamic limit, I showed it is not the case for the Jarzynski relation unless the nonequilibrium process is quasi-statically slow. In the exchange dynamics of small quantum systems, it was shown that particle and heat may flow spontaneously without affinity bias and the transport matrix violates the Onsager reciprocal relation, unlike the prediction of the standard transport theory. In a heat engine driven by a time-asymmetric protocol, such as a Carnot engine, the thermodynamic uncertainty relation does not holds, indicating that the trade-off between entropy and fluctuation could be broken.