# Maxwell's demons with finite size and response time

## TL;DR

This paper investigates the rate limitations of Maxwell's demon due to finite response time and gate size, analyzing different selection criteria and optimizing gate size through simulations.

## Contribution

It introduces a model accounting for finite response time and gate area, analyzing rate limits and optimal gate size for various types of Maxwell's demons.

## Key findings

- Rate limits depend on response time and gate size.
- Optimal gate size maximizes transfer rates.
- Simulations validate theoretical predictions.

## Abstract

Nearly all theoretical analyses of the Maxwell's demon focus on its energetic and entropic costs of operation. Here, we focus on its rate of operation. In our model, a demon's rate limitation stems from its finite response time and gate area. We determine the rate limits of mass and energy transfer, as well as entropic reduction for four such demons: Those that select particles according to (1) direction, (2) energy, (3) number and (4) entropy. Lastly, we determine the optimal gate size for a demon with small, finite response time, and compare our predictions with molecular dynamics simulations with both ideal and non-ideal gasses. Lastly, we study the conditions under which the demons are able to move both energy and particles in the chosen direction when attempting to only move one.