A Resource Theoretical Unification of Mpemba Effects - Classical and Quantum

Explore a comprehensive theoretical framework that unifies classical and quantum Mpemba effects through the lens of resource theory in this 35-minute conference talk. Discover how the original Mpemba effect—where hotter samples can cool faster than colder ones under certain conditions—extends beyond classical thermodynamics to encompass anomalous relaxation behaviors in quantum systems, including symmetry restoration phenomena. Learn how resource theories from information theory provide an organizing principle for understanding Mpemba physics, with the conventional thermal Mpemba effect emerging naturally from the resource theory of athermality and symmetry-restoring effects being captured by resource theories of asymmetry. Examine the role of modes of asymmetry in demonstrating that symmetry restoration Mpemba effects are governed by initial overlap with the slowest symmetry-restoring mode, paralleling the function of the slowest Liouvillian eigenmode in thermal Mpemba dynamics. Understand how this resource-theoretical formalism reveals connections between seemingly disparate effects and shows that thermalization dynamics naturally decompose into symmetry-respecting and symmetry-breaking components, providing new insights into the fundamental nature of relaxation processes in both classical and quantum systems.