  Quantum dynamics of driven open systems should be compatible with both
quantum mechanic and thermodynamic principles. By formulating the thermodynamic
principles in terms of a set of postulates we obtain a thermodynamically
consistent master equation. Following an axiomatic approach, we base the
analysis on an autonomous description, incorporating the drive as a large
transient control quantum system. In the appropriate physical limit, we derive
the semi-classical description, where the control is incorporated as a
time-dependent term in the system Hamiltonian. The transition to the
semi-classical description reflects the conservation of global coherence and
highlights the crucial role of coherence in the initial control state. We
demonstrate the theory by analyzing a qubit controlled by a single bosonic mode
in a coherent state.
