Dibyendu Mandal
Physics Dept., University of Maryland (Jarzynski group)
An exactly solvable model of Maxwell’s demon
Monday 14th of January 2013 at 01:00pm
560 Evans
The paradox of Maxwell’s demon has stimulated numerous
thought experiments, leading to discussions about the thermodynamic
implications of information processing. However, the field has lacked
a tangible example or model of an autonomous, mechanical system that
reproduces the actions of the demon. To address this issue, we
introduce an explicit model of a device that can deliver work to lift
a mass against gravity by rectifying thermal fluctuations, while
writing information to a memory register. We solve for the
steady-state behavior of the model and construct its nonequilibrium
phase diagram. In addition to the engine-like action described above,
we identify a Landauer eraser region in the phase diagram where the
model uses externally supplied work to remove information from the
memory register. Our model offers a simple paradigm for investigating
the thermodynamics of information processing by exposing a transparent
mechanism of operation.(video)
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