Entropy production, energy loss and currents in adiabatically rocked thermal ratchets

Abstract

We study the nature of currents, input energy and entropy production in different types of adiabatically rocked ratchets using the method of stochastic energetics. The currents exhibit a peak as a function of noise strength. We show that there is no underlying resonance or synchronisation phenomena in the dynamics of the particle with these current peaks. This follows from the analysis of energy loss in the medium. We also show that the maxima seen in current as well as the total entropy production are not directly correlated.

Enhanced thermodynamic efficiency in time asymmetric ratchets

“…The question that naturally arises is whether this peak is related to underlying resonance (stochastic resonance [20]) due to the synchronization of the position of the particle with the external drive induced by the noise. Our analysis of input energy E in , rules out the presence of any resonance features in the dynamics of the position of the particle in these systems in the adiabatic regime [9,21]. This follows from the earlier works which show that the existence of stochastic resonance in the dynamics of the particle is revealed by a peak in the input energy [22,23].…”

“…With the emergence of a separate subfield called stochastic energetics [7,8], it has become possible to establish compatibility between the Langevin or Fokker-Planck formalism, which describes stochastic dynamics, and the laws of thermodynamics. Using this framework one can calculate various physical quantities such as the thermodynamic efficiency of energy transduction [9], energy dissipation (hysteresis loss) and entropy (entropy production) [10], thereby providing a new tool for studying systems far from equilibrium.…”

Total entropy production fluctuation theorems in a nonequilibrium time-periodic steady state

“…Even though currents in these systems are generated at the expense of entropy, the peak in the total entropy production is not at the peak for the current. [53]] In the inset of figure 1, we have plotted the relative variance of…”

Stokes efficiency of temporally rocked ratchets

“…In between the above two values of F , the current increases monotonically and peaks around Q/λ 2 . In this range, a high efficiency is expected [11,12,21,25]. In the limit when there is only forward current in the ratchet, i.e.…”

“…With this definition, it has become possible to establish the compatibility between the Langevin or Fokker-Planck formalism with the laws of thermodynamics. This framework helps us to calculate various physical quantities such as the efficiency of energy transduction [10], energy dissipation (hysteresis loss), entropy production [11] etc, thereby rendering a new tool to study systems far from equilibrium.…”