Finite-Time Thermodynamics of an Autonomous Information Machine

TL;DR

This paper explores the finite-time thermodynamics of autonomous information machines, revealing bounds on irreversibility, optimal operation regimes, and a fundamental trade-off relation for their performance.

Contribution

It introduces a novel analysis of autonomous information machines' thermodynamics, including bounds, optimal regimes, and a key trade-off relation, advancing understanding of their efficiency and speed.

Findings

Irreversibility is bounded by transient information geometry.

A unique regime where erasure power and efficiency increase together.

Performance governed by a trade-off relation involving speed, efficiency, and information distance.

Abstract

While externally driven information engines are well understood, the thermodynamic constraints of their autonomous counterparts remain an open question. Here, we investigate the finite-time operation of an autonomous machine functioning as both an information eraser and a refrigerator, revealing that its irreversibility is bounded by the transient information geometry. Beyond steady-state boundaries, we map the landscape of optimal operation times across both functional modes, uncovering a unique synergistic regime where erasure power $P$ and efficiency $\eta$ increase simultaneously. Fundamentally, this performance is governed by a trade-off relation, $v(1-\eta)P/\eta \le D$, where $v$ is the operational speed and $D$ denotes an information-geometric distance. Our findings pave the way for optimizing fast autonomous information-energy conversion.