Trajectory control using an information engine

TL;DR

This paper presents a feedback control algorithm for an information engine that enables precise trajectory control of a bead, overcoming previous limitations of fluctuating velocity and enabling path tracking within certain velocity constraints.

Contribution

The authors introduce a novel feedback algorithm that allows an information engine to control the position of a bead along a desired trajectory.

Findings

The bead can follow the desired path if the target velocity is below the engine’s maximum velocity.

The feedback algorithm's bandwidth is slightly lower than the bead's corner frequency in the trap.

The system effectively tracks trajectories within specific velocity limits.

Abstract

We have built an information engine that can transport a bead in a desired direction by using favorable fluctuations from the thermal bath. However, in its original formulation, the information engine generates a fluctuating velocity and cannot control the position of the bead. Here, we introduce a feedback algorithm that can control the bead's position, to follow a desired trajectory. The bead can track the path if the maximum desired velocity is below the engine's maximum average velocity. Measuring the range of frequency that the feedback algorithm can track, we find a bandwidth that is slightly lower than the corner frequency of the bead in the trap.