Nonequilibrium thermodynamics of a superconducting Szilard engine

We implement a Szilard engine using a 2-bit logical unit consisting of inductively coupled quantum flux parametrons—Josephson-junction superconducting circuits with applications in both the classical and quantum information processing regimes. Detailed simulations show that it is highly thermodynami...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kuen Wai Tang, Kyle J Ray, James P Crutchfield
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:New Journal of Physics
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/adba81
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Summary:We implement a Szilard engine using a 2-bit logical unit consisting of inductively coupled quantum flux parametrons—Josephson-junction superconducting circuits with applications in both the classical and quantum information processing regimes. Detailed simulations show that it is highly thermodynamically efficient while functioning as a Maxwell demon—converting heat to work. The physically-calibrated design is targeted to direct experimental exploration. However, in realizing experiments variations in Josephson junction fabrication introduce asymmetries that result in energy inefficiency and low operational fidelity. We provide a design solution that mitigates these practical challenges. The resulting platform is ideally suited to probe the thermodynamic foundations of information processing devices far from equilibrium.
ISSN:1367-2630