Efficiency of Brownian motors

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1998 EDP Sciences
, , Citation J. M. R. Parrondo et al 1998 EPL 43 248 DOI 10.1209/epl/i1998-00348-5

0295-5075/43/3/248

Abstract

The efficiency of different types of Brownian motors is calculated analytically and numerically. We find that motors based on flashing ratchets present a low efficiency and an unavoidable entropy production. On the other hand, a certain class of motors based on adiabatically changing potentials, named reversible ratchets, exhibit a higher efficiency and the entropy production can be arbitrarily reduced.

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10.1209/epl/i1998-00348-5