Equilibrium free energy measurement of a confined electron driven out of equilibrium

TL;DR

This study investigates the out-of-equilibrium thermodynamics of a quantum dot by measuring work and heat distributions, linking them to free energy changes, and exploring effects of energy state degeneracy and tunneling rates.

Contribution

It provides experimental validation of fluctuation relations in a quantum dot system and analyzes how degeneracy and tunneling influence free energy measurements.

Findings

Work and heat distributions match theoretical predictions

Degeneracy affects free energy change calculations

Tunneling rates influence out-of-equilibrium behavior

Abstract

We study out-of equilibrium properties of a quantum dot in a GaAs/AlGaAs two-dimensional electron gas. By means of single electron counting experiments, we measure the distribution of work and dissipated heat of the driven quantum dot and relate these quantities to the equilibrium free energy change, as it has been proposed by C. Jarzynski [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf78}, 2690 (1997)]. We discuss the influence of the degeneracy of the quantized energy state on the free energy change as well as its relation to the tunnel rates between the dot and the reservoir.