English

Out-of-equilibrium Frenkel-Kontorova model

Statistical Mechanics 2021-03-03 v2

Abstract

A 1D model of interacting particles moving over a periodic substrate and in a position dependent temperature profile is considered. When the substrate and the temperature profile are spatially asymmetric a center-of-mass velocity develops, corresponding to a directed transport of the chain. This autonomous system can thus transform heath currents into motion. The model parameters can be tuned such that the particles exhibit a crossover from an ordered configuration on the substrate to a disordered one, the maximal motor effect being reached in such a disordered phase. In this case the manybody motor outperforms the single motor system, showing the great importance of collective effects in microscopic thermal devices. Such collective effects represent thus a free resource that can be exploited to enhance the dynamic and thermodynamic performances in microscopic machines.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2010.06541,
  title  = {Out-of-equilibrium Frenkel-Kontorova model},
  author = {A. Imparato},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2010.06541},
  year   = {2021}
}