Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Information engines convert information into extractable work through measurements and feedback. We realize an engine that employs information to compress a gas of self-propelled bristle bots. Its work per measurement, $\bar{W}$, is controlled by the size of the detection region $Δx$ and the probability $p_1$ that this region is vacant. In thermal systems, $\bar{W}$ follows the universal form $-p_1 \ln p_1$, whereas the active engine shows a qualitatively modified relation. As particle density increases, the maximum of $\bar{W}(Δx)$ switches between two distinct operating regimes. Notably, this transition is also found in the solutions that maximize power output for finite-time cycles with dynamics affected by dry friction. We attribute this nonequilibrium feature to the accumulation of active particles near the boundaries.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Language: English
Subfield: Statistical and Nonlinear Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: European Commission
OpenAlex ID: W7207770832