A Maxwell demon model connecting information and thermodynamics

TL;DR

This paper introduces a Maxwell demon model linking information processing with thermodynamic effects, demonstrating how information can influence refrigeration and erasure in a two-reservoir system.

Contribution

It presents a novel two-level Maxwell demon model connecting information states with thermodynamic behavior, expanding theoretical understanding of information-thermodynamics interplay.

Findings

Pure information leads to refrigeration of one reservoir.

Large temperature differences enable information erasure.

The model provides a concrete example of information-thermodynamics connection.

Abstract

In the past decade several theoretical Maxwell's demon models have been proposed exhibiting effects such as refrigerating, doing work at the cost of information, and some experiments have been done to realise these effects. Here we propose a model with a two level demon, information represented by a sequence of bits, and two heat reservoirs. Which reservoir the demon interact with depends on the bit. If information is pure, one reservoir will be refrigerated, on the other hand, information can be erased if temperature difference is large. Genuine examples of such a system are discussed.