Diagnosing Thermality from Geometric Observables

We address the problem of determining whether a given mixed quantum state corresponds to thermal equilibrium or to a zero-temperature statistical mixture. We show that geometric observables, in particular the quantum Fisher information, provide a direct diagnostic criterion. Thermal states satisfy fluctuation–response relations linking energy variance to parameter sensitivity, while generic mixed states do not. This establishes a geometric test of thermality that does not require prior knowledge of the Hamiltonian and connects requilibrium statistical mechanics with quantum information geometry.

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Publication Details

Journal
Quantum Reports
Published
2026-07-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/quantum8030067
Primary Topic
Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Diagnosing Thermality from Geometric Observables

A. Plastino
Quantum Reports
Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
article

Diagnosing Thermality from Geometric Observables

A. Plastino
article en

Abstract

We address the problem of determining whether a given mixed quantum state corresponds to thermal equilibrium or to a zero-temperature statistical mixture. We show that geometric observables, in particular the quantum Fisher information, provide a direct diagnostic criterion. Thermal states satisfy fluctuation–response relations linking energy variance to parameter sensitivity, while generic mixed states do not. This establishes a geometric test of thermality that does not require prior knowledge of the Hamiltonian and connects requilibrium statistical mechanics with quantum information geometry.

Quantum ReportsVol. 8(3)
Universidad Nacional de La Plata (AR)
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 8%
Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
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