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Power generator driven by Maxwell’s demon

Author

Listed:
  • Kensaku Chida

    (NTT Basic Research Laboratories, NTT Corporation)

  • Samarth Desai

    (NTT Basic Research Laboratories, NTT Corporation)

  • Katsuhiko Nishiguchi

    (NTT Basic Research Laboratories, NTT Corporation)

  • Akira Fujiwara

    (NTT Basic Research Laboratories, NTT Corporation)

Abstract

Maxwell’s demon is an imaginary entity that reduces the entropy of a system and generates free energy in the system. About 150 years after its proposal, theoretical studies explained the physical validity of Maxwell’s demon in the context of information thermodynamics, and there have been successful experimental demonstrations of energy generation by the demon. The demon’s next task is to convert the generated free energy to work that acts on the surroundings. Here, we demonstrate that Maxwell’s demon can generate and output electric current and power with individual randomly moving electrons in small transistors. Real-time monitoring of electron motion shows that two transistors functioning as gates that control an electron’s trajectory so that an electron moves directionally. A numerical calculation reveals that power generation is increased by miniaturizing the room in which the electrons are partitioned. These results suggest that evolving transistor-miniaturization technology can increase the demon’s power output.

Suggested Citation

  • Kensaku Chida & Samarth Desai & Katsuhiko Nishiguchi & Akira Fujiwara, 2017. "Power generator driven by Maxwell’s demon," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-7, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms15301
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15301
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    Cited by:

    1. Qiao, Yu & Shang, Zhaoru, 2022. "Producing useful work in a cycle by absorbing heat from a single thermal reservoir: An investigation on a locally nonchaotic energy barrier," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 596(C).

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