Quantum measurement and its role in thermodynamics
A central goal of the research effort in quantum thermodynamics is the extension of standard thermodynamics to include small scale and quantum effects. Here we lay out consequences of seeing measurement, one of the central pillars of quantum theory, not merely as a mathematical projection but as a thermodynamic process. We uncover that measurement, a component of any experimental realisation, is accompanied by work and heat contributions and that these are distinct in classical and quantum thermodynamics. Implications are far reaching, giving a thermodynamic interpretation to quantum coherence, extending the link between thermodynamics and information theory, and providing key input for the construction of a future quantum thermodynamic framework. Repercussions for existing quantum thermodynamic relations that omitted the role of measurement are discussed, including quantum work fluctuation relations and single shot approaches.