Quantum Maxwell's Demon Assisted by Non-Markovian Effects

TL;DR

This paper investigates how non-Markovian effects can enhance the performance of quantum Maxwell's demons, demonstrating improved entropy reduction and optimized information transfer in a superconducting circuit setup.

Contribution

It introduces a superconducting circuit model of a quantum Maxwell's demon that leverages non-Markovian effects to improve entropy reduction and demon efficiency.

Findings

Non-Markovian effects increase entropy reduction.

Demon performance can be optimized via timing control.

Non-Markovian effects boost information transfer rate.

Abstract

Maxwell's demon is the quintessential example of information control, which is necessary for designing quantum devices. In thermodynamics, the demon is an intelligent being who utilizes the entropic nature of information to sort excitations between reservoirs, thus lowering the total entropy. So far, implementations of Maxwell's demon have largely been limited to Markovian baths. In our work, we study the degree to which such a demon may be assisted by non-Markovian effects using a superconducting circuit platform. The setup is two baths connected by a demon-controlled qutrit interface, allowing the transfer of excitations only if the overall entropy of the two baths is lowered. The largest entropy reduction is achieved in a non-Markovian regime, and importantly, due to non-Markovian effects, the demon performance can be optimized through proper timing. Our results demonstrate that non-Markovian effects can be exploited to boost the information transfer rate in quantum Maxwell demons.