Information engine in a nonequilibrium bath

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates experimentally that information engines in nonequilibrium baths can extract significantly more work than in equilibrium, with electric field fluctuations boosting work output up to ten times.

Contribution

It introduces experimental evidence that nonequilibrium baths enable higher work extraction in information engines, surpassing traditional equilibrium limits.

Findings

Work extraction increases with electric field fluctuations

Maximum work output is limited by electric field strength

Information engines outperform conventional engines in nonequilibrium conditions

Abstract

Information engines can convert thermal fluctuations of a bath at temperature $T$ into work at rates of order $k_\mathrm{B}T$ per relaxation time of the system. We show experimentally that such engines, when in contact with a bath that is out of equilibrium, can extract much more work. We place a heavy, micron-scale bead in a harmonic potential that ratchets up to capture favorable fluctuations. Adding a fluctuating electric field increases work extraction up to ten times, limited only by the strength of applied field. Our results connect Maxwell's demon with energy harvesting and an estimate of efficiency shows that information engines in nonequilibrium baths can greatly outperform conventional engines.