Work distribution under continuous quantum histories

Abstract

We present a general scheme to obtain work distribution in closed systems under continuous quantum histories of corresponding "power" operator. The scheme is tested by analytically calculating the quantum work distribution for a prototype model of a center-shifted one-dimensional quantum harmonic oscillator. Furthermore, its relationship to the path integral formalism with the Wick rotation is immediately noticed. We find that, based on the continuous measurement, generally Jarzynski equality in quantum regime is not valid, though it is recovered in high-temperature limit. Also we briefly explore the extension to open systems, in which the work done and heat transfer can be calculated in the same set of quantum histories. Our results for this model can be directly verified by single-molecule force spectroscopy.