Efficiency Fluctuations in Microscopic Machines

• Nanoscale machines are strongly influenced by thermal fluctuations, contrary to their macroscopic counterparts. As a consequence, even the efficiency of such microscopic machines becomes a fluctuating random variable. Using geometric properties and the fluctuation theorem for the total entropy production, a universal theory of efficiency fluctuations at long times, for machines with a finite state space, was developed by Verley et al. [Nat. Commun. 5, 4721 (2014); Phys. Rev. E 90, 052145 (2014)]. We extend this theory to machines with an arbitrary state space. Thereby, we work out more detailed prerequisites for the universal features and explain under which circumstances deviations can occur. We also illustrate our findings with exact results for two nontrivial models of colloidal engines.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Annan fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Other Physics Topics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Theoretical Physics

teoretisk fysik

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)