Inferring entropy production from short experiments

TL;DR

This paper introduces a method to accurately infer average and fluctuating entropy production in non-equilibrium steady states using short experimental data, based on a generalized thermodynamic uncertainty relation.

Contribution

It presents a novel approach for exact inference of entropy production from minimal data, extending the thermodynamic uncertainty relation to finite times.

Findings

Method enables entropy inference from short time series.

Validated with exact and numerical solutions for colloidal heat engines.

Provides a practical tool for experimental non-equilibrium thermodynamics.

Abstract

We provide a strategy for an exact inference of the average as well as the fluctuations of the entropy production in non-equilibrium systems in the steady state, from the measurements of arbitrary current fluctuations. Our results are built upon the finite time generalization of the thermodynamic uncertainty relation, and require only very short time series data from experiments. We illustrate our results with exact and numerical solutions for two colloidal heat engines.