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Thermodynamic approach to quantum cooling limit of continuous Gaussian feedback

Kousuke Kumasaki1,*, Toshihiro Yada1, Ken Funo1, and Takahiro Sagawa1,2

  • *Contact author: kumasaki@noneq.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp
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Phys. Rev. Research 7, 043147 – Published 10 November, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/5cz5-n6jt

Abstract

Feedback cooling plays a critical role in stabilizing quantum systems and achieving low temperatures, where a key question is to determine the fundamental thermodynamic limits on cooling performance. We establish a fundamental bound on quantum feedback cooling in Gaussian systems, by deriving a generalized second law of thermodynamics involving the kinetic temperatures of the system and a measure of quantum information flow obtained by continuous measurement. In contrast to previously known bounds, the obtained bound can be saturated by experimentally feasible situations using the quantum Kalman filter with a large feedback gain, where the cooling efficiency approaches its maximum. Our theoretical result is numerically demonstrated using parameters from an experiment of levitated nanoparticles. Our theory provides a general framework for understanding the thermodynamic constraints on quantum feedback cooling.

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Phys. Rev. Research 7, 043147– Published 10 November, 2025
  • Received 6 March 2025
  • Accepted 8 September 2025
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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