By-passing fluctuation theorems

Understand

Fluctuation theorems impose constraints on possible work extraction probabilities in thermodynamical processes.

• These constraints are stronger than the usual second law, which is concerned only with average values.
• Here, we show that such constraints, expressed in the form of the Jarzysnki equality, can be bypassed if one allows for the use of catalysts - additional degrees of freedom that may become correlated with the system from which work is extracted, but whose reduced state remains unchanged so that they can be re-used.
• This violation can be achieved both for small systems but also for macroscopic many-body systems and leads to positive work extraction per particle with finite probability from macroscopic states in equilibrium.