Large work extraction and the Landauer limit in a continuous Maxwell demon

Observing a quantum Maxwell demon at work.

In apparent contradiction to the laws of thermodynamics, Maxwell's demon is able to cyclically extract work from a system in contact with a thermal bath, exploiting the information about its microstate. The resolution of this paradox required the insight that an intimate relationship exists between information and thermodynamics. Here, we realize a Maxwell demon experiment that tracks the state...

EXORCIST XIV : The Wrath of Maxwell ’ s Demon . Part II . From Szilard to Landauer and Beyond

In this second part of our two-part paper we review and analyse attempts since 1950 to use information theoretic notions to exorcise Maxwell’s Demon. We argue through a simple dilemma that these attempted exorcisms are ineffective, whether they follow Szilard in seeking a compensating entropy cost in information acquisition or Landauer in seeking that cost in memory erasure. In so far as the De...

Demons : Maxwell ’ S Demon , Szilard ’ S Engine and Landauer ’ S Erasure – Dissipation Laszlo

This talk addressed the following questions in the public debate at HoTPI: (i) energy dissipation limits of switches, memories and control; (ii) whether reversible computers are possible, or does their concept violate thermodynamics; (iii) Szilard’s engine, Maxwell’s demon and Landauer’s principle: corrections to their exposition in the literature; (iv) whether Landauer’s erasure– dissipation p...

A Solid-State Maxwell Demon

A laboratory-testable, solid-state Maxwell demon is proposed that utilizes the electric field energy of an open-gap p-n junction. Numerical results from a commercial semiconductor device simulator (Silvaco International – Atlas) verify primary results from a 1-D analytic model. Present day fabrication techniques appear adequate for laboratory tests of principle.

Maxwell ’ s demon