Related papers: A unified, geometric framework for nonequilibrium …
Active matter represents a class of non-equilibrium systems that constantly dissipate energy to produce directed motion. The thermodynamic control of active matter holds great potential for advancements in synthetic molecular motors,…
Optimal control is a central problem in quantum thermodynamics. When minimizing dissipated work and work fluctuations defined via the two-point measurement scheme in open quantum systems, existing approaches largely focus on the rapid- and…
For systems in an externally controllable time-dependent potential, the optimal protocol minimizes the mean work spent in a finite-time transition between two given equilibrium states. For overdamped dynamics which ignores inertia effects,…
Optimal control of stochastic systems plays a central role in nonequilibrium physics, with applications in the study of biological molecular motors and the design of single-molecule experiments. While exact analytic solutions to…
What are the fundamental limitations placed by the laws of thermodynamics on the energy expenditure needed to carry out a given task in a nonequilibrium environment in finite time? In this thesis, we investigate "optimal nonequilibrium…
Improvement of thermoelectric systems in terms of performance and range of applications relies on progress in materials science and optimization of device operation. In this chapter, we focuse on optimization by taking into account the…
Performing thermodynamic tasks within finite time while minimizing thermodynamic costs is a central challenge in stochastic thermodynamics. Here, we develop a unified framework for optimizing the thermodynamic cost of performing various…
We establish universal relations between pattern formation and dissipation with a geometric approach to nonequilibrium thermodynamics of deterministic reaction-diffusion systems. We first provide a way to systematically decompose the…
The energy cost of computation has emerged as a central challenge at the intersection of physics and computer science. Recent advances in statistical physics -- particularly in stochastic thermodynamics -- enable precise characterizations…
Transferring a physical system from an initial to a final state while minimizing energetic losses is an interdisciplinary control problem that bridges stochastic thermodynamics and optimal transport theory. Recent research typically…
We propose a reformulation of the problem of optimally controlled transitions in stochastic thermodynamics. We impose that any terminal cost specified by a thermodynamic functional should depend only on state variables and not on control…
Asking for the optimal protocol of an external control parameter that minimizes the mean work required to drive a nano-scale system from one equilibrium state to another in finite time, Schmiedl and Seifert ({\it Phys. Rev. Lett.} {\bf 98},…
This work is focused on optimal control of mechanical compression refrigeration systems. A reduced-order state-space model based on the moving boundary approach is proposed for the canonical cycle, which eases the controller design. The…
The development of efficient artificial nanodevices poses challenges which are of fundamental and technological nature. Recent progress has been made in the context of finite-time thermodynamics. A central question in finite-time…
Information processing machines at the nanoscales are unavoidably affected by thermal fluctuations. Efficient design requires understanding how nanomachines can operate at minimal energy dissipation. In this letter we focus on mechanical…
Optimizing the energy efficiency of driving processes provides valuable insights into the underlying physics and is of crucial importance for numerous applications, from biological processes to the design of machines and robots. Knowledge…
Constructing optimal thermodynamic processes in quantum systems relies on managing the balance between the average excess work and its stochastic fluctuations. Recently it has been shown that two different quantum generalisations of…
Optimal control theory deals with finding protocols to steer a system between assigned initial and final states, such that a trajectory-dependent cost function is minimized. The application of optimal control to stochastic systems is an…
Differential geometry offers a powerful framework for optimising and characterising finite-time thermodynamic processes, both classical and quantum. Here, we start by a pedagogical introduction to the notion of thermodynamic length. We…
Temperature gradients represent energy sources that can be harvested to generate steady reaction or transport fluxes. Technological developments could lead to the transfer of free energy from heat sources and sinks to chemical systems for…