Information Thermodynamics: Maxwell's Demon in Nonequilibrium Dynamics

Sagawa, Takahiro; Ueda, Masahito

doi:10.1002/9783527658701.ch6

Cited by 30 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 103 publications

(158 reference statements)

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“…Analysis. As predicted [2,[19][20][21][22][23][24][25], we observe that the asymptotic mean work deviates from ln 2. We then follow the work of Sagawa and Ueda [2,22] to calculate the asymptotic work values as a function of η.…”

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confidence: 84%

“…This case, briefly mentioned but not pursued in Landauer's original paper [1], was followed up in later theoretical work [2,[19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. In addition, erasure in asymmetric states can be interpreted as situations where the initial system is out of global thermodynamic equilibrium.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…2b. Equation 1 may also be interpreted as a generalized Landauer principle [24], where the work to erase a onebit memory,…”

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confidence: 99%

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Erasure without Work in an Asymmetric Double-Well Potential

Gavrilov

Bechhoefer

2016

Phys. Rev. Lett.

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According to Landauer's principle, erasing a memory requires an average work of at least kT ln 2 per bit. Recent experiments have confirmed this prediction for a one-bit memory represented by a symmetric double-well potential. Here, we present an experimental study of erasure for a memory encoded in an asymmetric double-well potential. Using a feedback trap, we find that the average work to erase can be less than kT ln 2. Surprisingly, erasure protocols that differ subtly give measurably different values for the asymptotic work, a result we explain by showing that one protocol is symmetric with the respect to time reversal, while the other is not. The differences between the protocols help clarify the distinctions between thermodynamic and logical reversibility.Introduction. Landauer's principle states that erasing a one-bit memory requires an average work of at least kT ln 2 [1, 2], with the lower bound achieved in the quasistatic limit. It plays a key role in sharpening our understanding of the second law of thermodynamics and of the interplay between information and thermodynamics, an issue first raised Maxwell [3], developed in important contributions by Szilard [4] and Bennett [5] but also subject to a long, sometimes confused discussion [6]. Recent experiments have confirmed Landauer's prediction in simple systems: in a one-bit memory represented by a symmetric double-well potential [7, 8], in memory encoded by nanomagnetic bits [9, 10], and even in quantum bits [11]. These successes have helped to create an extended version of stochastic thermodynamics [12, 13] that views information as another kind of thermodynamic resource, on the same footing as heat, chemical energy, and other sources of work [14]. This new way of looking at thermodynamics has led to experimental realizations of information engines ("Maxwell demons") [15][16][17][18].Despite its success in simple situations, Landauer's principle remains untested in more complex cases, such as systems where the symmetry between states is broken. This case, briefly mentioned but not pursued in Landauer's original paper [1], was followed up in later theoretical work [2,[19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. In addition, erasure in asymmetric states can be interpreted as situations where the initial system is out of global thermodynamic equilibrium. Since nonequilibrium settings are ubiquitous in biological systems, it is important to establish basic scenarios in simpler settings to understand more clearly, for example, why common biological systems may not be able to reach ultimate thermodynamic limits [26].Here, we explore the broken-symmetry case experimentally by studying erasure in a memory represented by an asymmetric, double-well potential. While we find broad agreement with the main predictions of theoretical work,

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Erasure without Work in an Asymmetric Double-Well Potential

Gavrilov

Bechhoefer

2016

Phys. Rev. Lett.

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“…Attempts have been made to explain Maxwell's demon based on fluctuation and dissipation theorems [11]. We discovered the following empirical equation using SDC electrolytes [12]:…”

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Bell’s Non-Locality Theorem Can Be Understood in Terms of Classical Thermodynamics

Miyashita¹

2017

JMP

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Bell's non-locality theorem can be understood in terms of classical thermodynamics, which is already considered to be a complete field. However, inconsistencies in classical thermodynamics have been discovered in the area of solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The use of samarium-doped ceria electrolytes in SOFCs lowers the opencircuit voltage (OCV) to less than the Nernst voltage. This low OCV has been explained by Wagner's equation, which is based on chemical equilibrium theory. However, Wagner's equation is insufficient to explain the low OCV, which should be explained by fluctuation and dissipation theorems. Considering the separation of the Boltzmann distribution and Maxwell's demon, only carrier species with sufficient energy to overcome the activation energy can contribute to current conduction, as determined by incorporating different constants into the definitions of the chemical and electrical potentials. Then, an energy loss equal to the activation energy will occur because of the interactions between ions and electrons. This energy loss means that an additional thermodynamic law based on an advanced model of Maxwell's demon is needed. In this report, the zero-point energy can be explained by this additional thermodynamic law, as can Bell's non-locality theorem.

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“…This outlines an illuminating paradigm for Maxwell's demon, where the information-to-energy conversion is governed by fluctuation theorems, which hold for small systems arbitrarily far from equilibrium [16][17][18][19][20]. Generalizations of the second law in the presence of feedback control can be obtained from this framework, establishing bounds for information-based work extraction [21]. Notwithstanding its fundamental relevance, these relations do not provide a clear recipe for building a demon in a laboratory setting.…”

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Maxwell’s Demon Meets Nonequilibrium Quantum Thermodynamics

Goold

2016

Physics

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Maxwell's demon explores the role of information in physical processes. Employing information about microscopic degrees of freedom, this "intelligent observer" is capable of compensating entropy production (or extracting work), apparently challenging the second law of thermodynamics. In a modern standpoint, it is regarded as a feedback control mechanism and the limits of thermodynamics are recast incorporating information-to-energy conversion. We derive a trade-off relation between information-theoretic quantities empowering the design of an efficient Maxwell's demon in a quantum system. The demon is experimentally implemented as a spin-1=2 quantum memory that acquires information, and employs it to control the dynamics of another spin-1=2 system, through a natural interaction. Noise and imperfections in this protocol are investigated by the assessment of its effectiveness. This realization provides experimental evidence that the irreversibility in a nonequilibrium dynamics can be mitigated by assessing microscopic information and applying a feed-forward strategy at the quantum scale. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.240502 Connections between thermodynamics and information theory have been producing important insights and useful applications in the past few years, which has turned out to be a dynamic field [1][2][3][4]. Its genesis traces back to the famous Maxwell's demon gedanken experiment [5][6][7][8][9]. In 1867, Maxwell conceived a "neat fingered being," which has the ability to gather information about the microscopic state of a gas and use this information to transfer fast particles to a hot medium and slow particles to a cold one, engendering an apparent conflict with the second law of thermodynamics. Several approaches and developments concerning this conundrum had been put forward [5][6][7][8][9], but only after more than a century, in 1982, Bennett [10] realized that the apparent contradiction with the second law could be puzzled out by considering the Landauer's erasure principle [11][12][13][14].Theoretical endeavors to incorporate information into thermodynamics acquire a pragmatic applicability within the recent technological progress, where information just started to be manipulated at the micro-and nanoscale. A modern framework for these endeavors has been provided by explicitly taking into account the change, introduced in the statistical description of the system, due to the assessment of its microscopic information [15]. This outlines an illuminating paradigm for Maxwell's demon, where the information-to-energy conversion is governed by fluctuation theorems, which hold for small systems arbitrarily far from equilibrium [16][17][18][19][20]. Generalizations of the second law in the presence of feedback control can be obtained from this framework, establishing bounds for information-based work extraction [21]. Notwithstanding its fundamental relevance, these relations do not provide a clear recipe for building a demon in a laboratory setting. Owing to the challenges associated with a high prec...

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Information Thermodynamics: Maxwell's Demon in Nonequilibrium Dynamics

Cited by 30 publications

References 103 publications

Erasure without Work in an Asymmetric Double-Well Potential

Erasure without Work in an Asymmetric Double-Well Potential

Bell’s Non-Locality Theorem Can Be Understood in Terms of Classical Thermodynamics

Maxwell’s Demon Meets Nonequilibrium Quantum Thermodynamics

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