Probing the power of an electronic Maxwell Demon

Understand

We suggest that a single-electron transistor continuously monitored by a quantum point contact may function as a Maxwell demon when closed-loop feedback operations are applied as time-dependent modifications of the tunneling rates across its junctions.

• The device may induce a current across the single-electron transistor even when no bias voltage or thermal gradient is applied.
• For different feedback schemes, we derive effective master equations and compare the induced feedback current and its fluctuations as well as the generated power.
• Provided that tunneling rates can be modified without changing the transistor level, the device may be implemented with current technology.