Work producing reservoirs: Stochastic thermodynamics with generalized Gibbs ensembles

TL;DR

This paper develops a stochastic thermodynamics framework for systems interacting with nonthermal reservoirs described by generalized Gibbs ensembles, explaining heat and work exchange and their impact on engine efficiency.

Contribution

It introduces a consistent thermodynamics approach for reservoirs in generalized Gibbs ensembles, extending traditional models to nonthermal environments.

Findings

Verified local detailed balance for nonthermal reservoirs

Demonstrated increased efficiency in heat engines with nonthermal reservoirs

Provided a theoretical basis for nonthermal reservoir effects

Abstract

We develop a consistent stochastic thermodynamics for environments composed of thermodynamic reservoirs in an external conservative force field, that is environments described by the Generalized or Gibbs canonical ensemble. We demonstrate that small systems weakly coupled to such reservoirs exchange both heat and work by verifying a local detailed balance relation for the induced stochastic dynamics. Based on this analysis, we help to rationalize the observation that nonthermal reservoirs can increase the efficiency of thermodynamic heat engines.