Stochastic thermodynamics in many-particle systems

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the thermodynamic behavior of coupled oscillators undergoing a phase transition, providing analytic insights into power, efficiency, and the effects of disorder in different configurations.

Contribution

It introduces a microscopic model of coupled oscillators with analytical expressions for thermodynamic quantities near criticality, highlighting the impact of disorder on efficiency.

Findings

Efficiency at maximum power can be enhanced by quenched disorder.

Analytic expressions for power and efficiency near the critical coupling.

Disorder influences the thermodynamic performance of oscillator systems.

Abstract

We study the thermodynamic properties of a microscopic model of coupled oscillators that exhibits a dynamical phase transition from a desynchronized to a synchronized phase. We consider two different configurations for the thermodynamic forces applied on the oscillators, one resembling the macroscopic power grids, and one resembling autonomous molecular motors. We characterize the input and the output power as well as the efficiency at maximum power, providing analytic expressions for such quantities near the critical coupling strength. We discuss the role of the quenched disorder in the thermodynamic force distributions and show that such a disorder may lead to an enhancement of the efficiency at maximum power.