Experimental Demonstration of Violations of the Second Law of Thermodynamics for Small Systems and Short Time Scales
Top Cited Papers
- 15 July 2002
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Physical Society (APS) in Physical Review Letters
- Vol. 89 (5) , 050601
- https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.89.050601
Abstract
We experimentally demonstrate the fluctuation theorem, which predicts appreciable and measurable violations of the second law of thermodynamics for small systems over short time scales, by following the trajectory of a colloidal particle captured in an optical trap that is translated relative to surrounding water molecules. From each particle trajectory, we calculate the entropy production/consumption over the duration of the trajectory and determine the fraction of second law–defying trajectories. Our results show entropy consumption can occur over colloidal length and time scales.Keywords
This publication has 15 references indexed in Scilit:
- Isobaric–isothermal fluctuation theoremThe Journal of Chemical Physics, 2002
- A local fluctuation theoremThe Journal of Chemical Physics, 2001
- Fluctuation theorem for Hamiltonian Systems: Le Chatelier’s principlePhysical Review E, 2001
- Ensemble dependence of the transient fluctuation theoremThe Journal of Chemical Physics, 2000
- Path-ensemble averages in systems driven far from equilibriumPhysical Review E, 2000
- Optical trapping and manipulation of neutral particles using lasersProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1997
- Nonequilibrium Equality for Free Energy DifferencesPhysical Review Letters, 1997
- Dynamical Ensembles in Nonequilibrium Statistical MechanicsPhysical Review Letters, 1995
- Equilibrium microstates which generate second law violating steady statesPhysical Review E, 1994
- Probability of second law violations in shearing steady statesPhysical Review Letters, 1993