Northwestern Events Calendar

Oct
11
2013

Prof. Jukka Pekola: "Thermodynamics and Maxwell Demon in an Electronic Circuit"

When: Friday, October 11, 2013
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM CT

Where: Technological Institute, L211, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 map it

Audience: Faculty/Staff - Student - Public

Contact: Leah Birge Handel   13645

Group: Physics and Astronomy Colloquia

Category: Academic

Description:

Title: Thermodynamics and Maxwell Demon in an Electronic Circuit

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> </xml><![endif]-->Speaker: Prof. Jukka Pekola, Aalto University

Host: Prof. William Halperin

Abstract:

Thermodynamics governs averages in large systems. On the other hand, in small “nano-systems”, temporal energy fluctuations play an important role. In them the dissipated heat and the work performed under non-equilibrium conditions are governed by relatively recently introduced fluctuation relations. We apply these concepts to our experiments on a single-electron box [1,2]. Single-electron circuits provide an illustrative set-up for realizing a Maxwell Demon, where information can be converted into energy; we have recently realized a Szilard Engine which does work that approaches kBT ln(2) in an operation cycle [3].

[1] O.-P. Saira, Y. Yoon, T. Tanttu, M. Möttönen, D. V. Averin, and J. P. Pekola, Test of Jarzynski and Crooks fluctuation relations in an electronic system, Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 180601 (2012).


[2] J. V. Koski, T. Sagawa, O.-P. Saira, Y. Yoon, A. Kutvonen, P. Solinas, M. Möttönen, T. Ala-Nissila, and J. P. Pekola, Distribution of entropy production in nonequilibrium single-electron tunneling, arXiv:1303.6405, Nature Physics (2013).

[3] J. V. Koski et al., in preparation (2013).

 

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