Robust Nonequilibrium Edge Currents with and without Band Topology.

We study two-dimensional bosonic and fermionic lattice systems under nonequilibrium conditions corresponding to a sharp gradient of temperature imposed by two thermal baths. In particular, we consider a lattice model with broken time-reversal symmetry that exhibits both topologically trivial and nontrivial phases. Using a nonperturbative Green function approach, we characterize the nonequilibrium current distribution in different parameter regimes.

Strong Coupling Thermodynamics of Open Quantum Systems.

A general thermodynamic framework is presented for open quantum systems in fixed contact with a thermal reservoir. The first and second law are obtained for arbitrary system-reservoir coupling strengths, and including both factorized and correlated initial conditions. The thermodynamic properties are adapted to the generally strong coupling regime, approaching the ones defined for equilibrium, and their standard weak-coupling counterparts as appropriate limits.

Quantum Thermodynamics in the Refined Weak Coupling Limit.

We present a thermodynamic framework for the refined weak coupling limit. In this limit, the interaction between system and environment is weak, but not negligible. As a result, the system dynamics becomes non-Markovian breaking divisibility conditions.

Divisibility and Information Flow Notions of Quantum Markovianity for Noninvertible Dynamical Maps.

We analyze the relation between completely positive (CP) divisibility and the lack of information backflow for an arbitrary-not necessarily invertible-dynamical map. It is well known that CP divisibility always implies a lack of information backflow. Moreover, these two notions are equivalent for invertible maps.

Topological Heat Transport and Symmetry-Protected Boson Currents.

The study of non-equilibrium properties in topological systems is of practical and fundamental importance. Here, we analyze the stationary properties of a two-dimensional bosonic Hofstadter lattice coupled to two thermal baths in the quantum open-system formalism. Novel phenomena appear like chiral edge heat currents that are the out-of-equilibrium counterparts of the zero-temperature edge currents.

Quantum non-Markovianity: characterization, quantification and detection.

We present a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the concept of quantum non-Markovianity, a central theme in the theory of open quantum systems. We introduce the concept of a quantum Markovian process as a generalization of the classical definition of Markovianity via the so-called divisibility property and relate this notion to the intuitive idea that links non-Markovianity with the persistence of memory effects. A detailed comparison with other definitions presented in the literature is provided.

Non-Markovianity-assisted steady state entanglement.

We analyze the steady state entanglement generated in a coherently coupled dimer system subject to dephasing noise as a function of the degree of Markovianity of the evolution. By keeping fixed the effective noise strength while varying the memory time of the environment, we demonstrate that non-Markovianity is an essential, quantifiable resource that may support the formation of steady state entanglement whereas purely Markovian dynamics governed by Lindblad master equations lead to separable steady states. This result illustrates possible mechanisms leading to long-lived entanglement in purely decohering, possibly local, environments.

Entanglement and non-markovianity of quantum evolutions.

We address the problem of quantifying the non-markovian character of quantum time evolutions of general systems in contact with an environment. We introduce two different measures of non-markovianity that exploit the specific traits of quantum correlations and are suitable for opposite experimental contexts. When complete tomographic knowledge about the evolution is available, our measure provides a necessary and sufficient condition to quantify strictly the non-markovianity.

Precision quantum metrology and nonclassicality in linear and nonlinear detection schemes.

We examine whether metrological resolution beyond coherent states is a nonclassical effect. We show that this is true for linear detection schemes but false for nonlinear schemes, and propose a very simple experimental setup to test it. We find a nonclassicality criterion derived from quantum Fisher information.

Synthesis, structural characterization, and ligand replacement reactions of gem-dithiolato-bridged rhodium and iridium complexes.

The reaction of gem-dithiol compounds R 2C(SH) 2 (R = Bn (benzyl), (i) Pr; R 2 = -(CH 2) 4-) with dinuclear rhodium or iridium complexes containing basic ligands such as [M(mu-OH)(cod)] 2 and [M(mu-OMe)(cod)] 2, or the mononuclear [M(acac)(cod)] (M = Rh, Ir, cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) in the presence of a external base, afforded the dinuclear complexes [M 2(mu-S 2CR 2)(cod) 2] ( 1- 4). The monodeprotonation of 1,1-dimercaptocyclopentane gave the mononuclear complex [Rh(HS 2Cptn)(cod)] ( 5) that is a precursor for the dinuclear compound [Rh 2(mu-S 2Cptn)(cod) 2] ( 6). Carbonylation of the diolefin compounds gave the complexes [Rh 2(mu-S 2CR 2)(CO) 4] ( 7- 9), which reacted with P-donor ligands to stereoselectively produce the trans isomer of the disubstituted complexes [Rh 2(mu-S 2CR 2)(CO) 2(PR' 3) 2] (R' = Ph, Cy (cyclohexyl)) ( 10- 13) and [Rh 2(mu-S 2CBn 2)(CO) 2{P(OR') 3} 2] (R' = Me, Ph) ( 14- 15).