Unravelling the role of coherence in the first law of quantum thermodynamics

Abstract: One of the fundamental questions in the emerging field of quantum thermodynamics is the role played by coherence in energetic processes that occur at the quantum level. Here, we address this issue by investigating two different quantum versions of the first law of thermodynamics, derived from the classical definitions of work and heat. By doing so, we find out that there exists a mathematical inconsistency between both scenarios. We further show that the energetic contribution of the dynamics of coherence is the key ingredient to establish the consistency. Some examples involving two-level atomic systems are discussed in order to illustrate our findings.