The molecules that make up the matter around us are in constant motion. What if we could harness that energy and put it to use? Over 150 years ago Maxwell theorized that if molecules' motion could be measured accurately, this information could be used to power an engine. Until recently this was a thought experiment, but technological breakthroughs have made it possible to build working information engines in the lab.
With funding from the Foundational Questions Institute, SFU Physics professors John Bechhoefer and David Sivak teamed up to build an information engine and test its limits. Their work has greatly advanced our understanding of how these engines function, and a paper led by postdoctoral fellow Johan du Buisson and published recently in"We live in a world full of extra unused energy that potentially could be used," says Bechhoefer.
"Stripped down to its simplest essence, we can systematically understand how things like temperature and the size of the system changes the things we can take advantage of," Sivak says."What are the strategies that work best? How do they change with all those different properties?" All energy on Earth comes from the sun, and it eventually radiates out into space. That directional flow of energy manifests itself in many different ways, such as wind or ocean currents that can be harvested. Understanding the principles behind information engines can help us make better use of that energy.
Sivak, a theorist, and Bechhoefer, an experimentalist, bring complementary approaches to their work, and they have been able to attract trainees who want to work with both."We have different styles in terms of how we go about mentoring and leading a group," says Sivak."Our students and post-docs can benefit from both approaches.