Thermodynamic reversibility in feedback processes

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Published 20 June 2011 Europhysics Letters Association
, , Citation Jordan M. Horowitz and Juan M. R. Parrondo 2011 EPL 95 10005 DOI 10.1209/0295-5075/95/10005

0295-5075/95/1/10005

Abstract

The sum of the average work dissipated plus the information gained during a thermodynamic process with discrete feedback must exceed zero. We demonstrate that the minimum value of zero is attained only by feedback-reversible processes that are indistinguishable from their time-reversal, thereby extending the notion of thermodynamic reversibility to feedback processes. In addition, we prove that in every realization of a feedback-reversible process the sum of the work dissipated and change in uncertainty is zero.

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10.1209/0295-5075/95/10005