On the Quasi-Static Evolution of Nonequilibrium Steady States

The quasi-static evolution of steady states far from equilibrium is investigated from the point of view of quantum statistical mechanics. As a concrete example of a thermodynamic system, a two-level quantum dot coupled to several reservoirs of free fermions at different temperatures is considered. A novel adiabatic theorem for unbounded and nonnormal generators of evolution is proven and applied to study the quasi-static evolution of the nonequilibrium steady state (NESS) of the coupled system. Submitted: April 23, 2006. Accepted: October 4, 2006.