Finite-Time Thermodynamics of an Autonomous Information Machine

Abstract:While externally driven information engines are well understood, the thermodynamic constraints of their autonomous counterparts remain an open question. Here, we investigate the finite-time operation of an autonomous machine functioning as both an information eraser and a refrigerator, revealing that its irreversibility is bounded by the transient information geometry. Beyond steady-state boundaries, we map the landscape of optimal operation times across both functional modes, uncovering a unique synergistic regime where erasure power $P$ and efficiency $\eta$ increase simultaneously. Fundamentally, this performance is governed by a trade-off relation, $v(1-\eta)P/\eta \le D$, where $v$ is the operational speed and $D$ denotes an information-geometric distance. Our findings pave the way for optimizing fast autonomous information-energy conversion.

6 pages,3 figures. Comments are welcome! For more relevant studies, refer to our homepage [this https URL]

Quantum Physics (quant-ph); Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech)

arXiv:2604.15953 [quant-ph]

(or arXiv:2604.15953v2 [quant-ph] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2604.15953 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite

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