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arXiv · 2202.02630

Non-equilibrium thermodynamics of diffusion in fluctuating potentials

Henry Alston·Luca Cocconi·Thibault Bertrand
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Abstract

A positive rate of entropy production at steady state is a distinctive feature of truly non-equilibrium processes. Exact results, while being often limited to simple models, offer a unique opportunity to explore the thermodynamic features of these processes in full details. Here we derive analytical results for the steady-state rate of entropy production in single particle systems driven away from equilibrium by the fluctuations of an external potential of arbitrary shapes. Subsequently, we provide exact results for a diffusive particle in a harmonic trap whose potential stiffness varies in time according to both discrete and continuous Markov processes. In particular, studying the case of a fully intermittent potential allows us to introduce an effective model of stochastic resetting for which it is possible to obtain finite non-negative entropy production. Altogether, this work lays the foundation for a non-equilibrium thermodynamic theory of fluctuating potentials, with immediate applications to stochastic resetting processes, fluctuations in optical traps and fluctuating interactions in living systems.

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Henry Alston, Luca Cocconi, Thibault Bertrand. 2022-02-05. Non-equilibrium thermodynamics of diffusion in fluctuating potentials. https://doi.org/10.1088/1751-8121%2Fac726b

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