The thermodynamic uncertainty relation of a quantum-mechanically coupled two-qubit system

Abstract: The minimal bound of the thermodynamic uncertainty relation (TUR) is modulated from that of the classical counterpart ($\mathcal{Q}{\rm min}=2$) when a quantumness is present in the dynamical process far from equilibrium. A recent study on a dissipative two-level system (TLS) subject to an external field indicates that quantum coherences can suppress the fluctuations of the irreversible current and loosens the TUR bound to $\mathcal{Q}{\rm min}^{\rm TLS}\approx 1.25$. Here, we extend on the field-driven single TLS to a quantum-mechanically coupled two-qubit system (TQS), and explore, in addition to the single qubit coherence, how the quantum coupling between the two qubits affects the photon current, fluctuations, and the TUR bound. We find that the TUR bound of TQS depends on the strength of coupling, such that $\mathcal{Q}{\rm min}^{\rm TQS}=\mathcal{Q}{\rm min}^{\rm TLS}\approx 1.25$ when the two qubits are effectively decoupled under weak coupling, whereas another loose bound $\mathcal{Q}_{\rm min}^{\rm TQS}\approx 1.36$ is identified for two strongly coupled qubits under strong fields. By contrasting the TQS against two coupled noisy oscillators, we illuminate the quantumness unique to the TQS and its effect on the TUR.