Symmetry, irreversibility and information flow - David Jennings

What kinds of irreversibly can arise within a system displaying symmetry-constrained dynamics? In this talk I shall describe research that combines symmetry principles with quantum information-theoretic notions of irreversibility. In particular, I will discuss a method of decomposing general causal processes with respect to a particular symmetry group that highlights a novel form of quantum incompatibility. This type of incompatibility relates to the consumption of abstract quantum resources and is distinct from more traditional notions such as measurement-disturbance, no-cloning and complementarity. Central to the work is an information-theoretic framework that quantifies 'asymmetry'. Such a framework has a surprisingly complex structure and provides a powerful new tool-set for a range of topics such as quantum metrology and recent approaches in quantum thermodynamics.