Toward relaxation asymmetry: Heating is faster than cooling
An asymmetry in thermal relaxation toward equilibrium has been uncovered for Langevin systems near stable minima [Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 110602 (2020)10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.110602]. It has been shown that, given the same degree of nonequilibrium of the initial distributions, relaxation from a lower...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Physical Society
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Physical Review Research |
| Online Access: | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.3.043160 |
| _version_ | 1827285563463434240 |
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| author | Tan Van Vu Yoshihiko Hasegawa |
| author_facet | Tan Van Vu Yoshihiko Hasegawa |
| author_sort | Tan Van Vu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | An asymmetry in thermal relaxation toward equilibrium has been uncovered for Langevin systems near stable minima [Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 110602 (2020)10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.110602]. It has been shown that, given the same degree of nonequilibrium of the initial distributions, relaxation from a lower temperature state (heating) is faster than that from a higher temperature state (cooling). In this paper, we elucidate this relaxation asymmetry for discrete-state Markovian systems described by the master equation. We rigorously prove that heating is faster than cooling for arbitrary two-state systems, whereas for systems with more than two distinct energy levels, the relaxation asymmetry is no longer universal. Furthermore, for systems whose energy levels degenerate into two energy states, we find that there exist critical thresholds of the energy gap. Depending on the magnitude of the energy gap, heating can be faster or slower than cooling, irrespective of the transition rates between states. Our results clarify the relaxation asymmetry for discrete-state systems and reveal several hidden features inherent in thermal relaxation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:16:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0341bef3c12b4c438000be82c9cbd285 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2643-1564 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:16:53Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | American Physical Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physical Review Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-0341bef3c12b4c438000be82c9cbd2852024-04-12T17:16:07ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review Research2643-15642021-12-013404316010.1103/PhysRevResearch.3.043160Toward relaxation asymmetry: Heating is faster than coolingTan Van VuYoshihiko HasegawaAn asymmetry in thermal relaxation toward equilibrium has been uncovered for Langevin systems near stable minima [Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 110602 (2020)10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.110602]. It has been shown that, given the same degree of nonequilibrium of the initial distributions, relaxation from a lower temperature state (heating) is faster than that from a higher temperature state (cooling). In this paper, we elucidate this relaxation asymmetry for discrete-state Markovian systems described by the master equation. We rigorously prove that heating is faster than cooling for arbitrary two-state systems, whereas for systems with more than two distinct energy levels, the relaxation asymmetry is no longer universal. Furthermore, for systems whose energy levels degenerate into two energy states, we find that there exist critical thresholds of the energy gap. Depending on the magnitude of the energy gap, heating can be faster or slower than cooling, irrespective of the transition rates between states. Our results clarify the relaxation asymmetry for discrete-state systems and reveal several hidden features inherent in thermal relaxation.http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.3.043160 |
| spellingShingle | Tan Van Vu Yoshihiko Hasegawa Toward relaxation asymmetry: Heating is faster than cooling Physical Review Research |
| title | Toward relaxation asymmetry: Heating is faster than cooling |
| title_full | Toward relaxation asymmetry: Heating is faster than cooling |
| title_fullStr | Toward relaxation asymmetry: Heating is faster than cooling |
| title_full_unstemmed | Toward relaxation asymmetry: Heating is faster than cooling |
| title_short | Toward relaxation asymmetry: Heating is faster than cooling |
| title_sort | toward relaxation asymmetry heating is faster than cooling |
| url | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.3.043160 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tanvanvu towardrelaxationasymmetryheatingisfasterthancooling AT yoshihikohasegawa towardrelaxationasymmetryheatingisfasterthancooling |