Semiclassical approach to the work distribution

Abstract

Work in closed quantum systems is usually defined by a two-point measurement. This definition of work is compatible with quantum fluctuation theorems but it fundamentally differs from its classical counterpart. In this paper, we study the correspondence principle in quantum chaotic systems. We derive a semiclassical expression of the work distribution for chaotic systems undergoing a general, finite time, process. This semiclassical distribution converges to the classical distribution in the usual classical limit. We show numerically that, for a particle inside a chaotic cavity, the semiclassical distribution provides a good approximation to quantum distribution.