Biochemical machines for the interconversion of mutual information and work

TL;DR

This paper introduces a biochemical device that interconverts mutual information and work, demonstrating how information can be harnessed to perform work or generated through biochemical processes, with potential for autonomous operation.

Contribution

It presents a physically realizable biochemical system that couples mutual information with work, including a design that operates without external control.

Findings

Mutual information enables work extraction even at equilibrium.

The system can generate mutual information by driving from fuel or bath.

A modified device functions autonomously without external manipulation.

Abstract

We propose a physically-realisable biochemical device that is coupled to a biochemical reservoir of mutual information, fuel molecules and a chemical bath. Mutual information allows work to be done on the bath even when the fuel molecules appear to be in equilibrium; alternatively, mutual information can be created by driving from the fuel or the bath. The system exhibits diverse behaviour, including a regime in which the information, despite increasing during the reaction, enhances the extracted work. We further demonstrate that a modified device can function without the need for external manipulation, eliminating the need for a complex and potentially costly control.