Experimental realization of a Szilard engine with a single electron.

ABSTRACT: The most succinct manifestation of the second law of thermodynamics is the limitation imposed by the Landauer principle on the amount of heat a Maxwell demon (MD) can convert into free energy per single bit of information obtained in a measurement. We propose and realize an electronic MD based on a single-electron box operated as a Szilard engine, where kBT ln 2 of heat is extracted from the reservoir at temperature T per one bit of created information. The information is encoded in the position of an extra electron in the box.

SUBMITTER: Koski JV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4183300 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature