583,597 research outputs found
Spin Fluctuation Induced Superconductivity Controlled by Orbital Fluctuation
A microscopic Hamiltonian reflecting the correct symmetry of -orbitals is
proposed to discuss superconductivity in heavy fermion systems. In the
orbitally degenerate region in which not only spin fluctuations but also
orbital fluctuations develop considerably, cancellation between spin and
orbital fluctuations destabilizes -wave superconductivity.
Entering the non-degenerate region by increasing the crystalline electric
field, -wave superconductivity mediated by antiferromagnetic
spin fluctuations emerges out of the suppression of orbital fluctuations. We
argue that the present scenario can be applied to recently discovered
superconductors CeTIn (T=Ir, Rh, and Co).Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Fluctuation Theorems
Fluctuation theorems, which have been developed over the past 15 years, have
resulted in fundamental breakthroughs in our understanding of how
irreversibility emerges from reversible dynamics, and have provided new
statistical mechanical relationships for free energy changes. They describe the
statistical fluctuations in time-averaged properties of many-particle systems
such as fluids driven to nonequilibrium states, and provide some of the very
few analytical expressions that describe nonequilibrium states. Quantitative
predictions on fluctuations in small systems that are monitored over short
periods can also be made, and therefore the fluctuation theorems allow
thermodynamic concepts to be extended to apply to finite systems. For this
reason, fluctuation theorems are anticipated to play an important role in the
design of nanotechnological devices and in understanding biological processes.
These theorems, their physical significance and results for experimental and
model systems are discussed.Comment: A review, submitted to Annual Reviews in Physical Chemistry, July
2007 Acknowledgements corrected in revisio
Quantum Fluctuation Theorems
Recent advances in experimental techniques allow one to measure and control
systems at the level of single molecules and atoms. Here gaining information
about fluctuating thermodynamic quantities is crucial for understanding
nonequilibrium thermodynamic behavior of small systems. To achieve this aim,
stochastic thermodynamics offers a theoretical framework, and nonequilibrium
equalities such as Jarzynski equality and fluctuation theorems provide key
information about the fluctuating thermodynamic quantities. We review the
recent progress in quantum fluctuation theorems, including the studies of
Maxwell's demon which plays a crucial role in connecting thermodynamics with
information.Comment: As a chapter of: F. Binder, L. A. Correa, C. Gogolin, J. Anders, and
G. Adesso (eds.), "Thermodynamics in the quantum regime - Fundamental Aspects
and New Directions", (Springer International Publishing, 2018
Energetics of Forced Thermal Ratchet
Molecular motors are known to have the high efficiency of energy
transformation in the presence of thermal fluctuation.
Motivated by the surprising fact, recent studies of thermal ratchet models
are showing how and when work should be extracted from non-equilibrium
fluctuations.
One of the important finding was brought by Magnasco where he studied the
temperature dependence on the fluctuation-induced current in a ratchet
(multistable) system and showed that the current can generically be maximized
in a finite temperature.
The interesting finding has been interpreted that thermal fluctuation is not
harmful for the fluctuation-induced work and even facilitates its efficiency.
We show, however, this interpretation turns out to be incorrect as soon as we
go into the realm of the energetics
[Sekimoto,J.Phys.Soc.Jpn.66,1234-1237(1997)]: the efficiency of energy
transformation is not maximized at finite temperature, even in the same system
that Magnasco considered. The maximum efficiency is realized in the absence of
thermal fluctuation. The result presents an open problem whether thermal
fluctuation could facilitate the efficiency of energetic transformation from
force-fluctuation into work.Comment: 3pages, 4sets of figure
Fluctuation theorems for excess and housekeeping heats for underdamped systems
We present a simple derivation of the integral fluctuation theorems for
excess housekeeping heat for an underdamped Langevin system, without using the
concept of dual dynamics. In conformity with the earlier results, we find that
the fluctuation theorem for housekeeping heat holds when the steady state
distributions are symmetric in velocity, whereas there is no such requirement
for the excess heat. We first prove the integral fluctuation theorem for the
excess heat, and then show that it naturally leads to the integral fluctuation
theorem for housekeeping heat. We also derive the modified detailed fluctuation
theorems for the excess and housekeeping heats.Comment: 10 pages. Section 3 contains further generalization
Macroscopic fluctuation theory
Stationary non-equilibrium states describe steady flows through macroscopic
systems. Although they represent the simplest generalization of equilibrium
states, they exhibit a variety of new phenomena. Within a statistical mechanics
approach, these states have been the subject of several theoretical
investigations, both analytic and numerical. The macroscopic fluctuation
theory, based on a formula for the probability of joint space-time fluctuations
of thermodynamic variables and currents, provides a unified macroscopic
treatment of such states for driven diffusive systems. We give a detailed
review of this theory including its main predictions and most relevant
applications.Comment: Review article. Revised extended versio
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