Abstract
We introduce a continuous time-reversal operation which connects the time-forward and time-reversed trajectories in the steady state of an irreversible Markovian dynamics via a continuous family of stochastic dynamics. This continuous time reversal allows us to derive a tighter version of the thermodynamic uncertainty relation (TUR) involving observables evaluated relative to their local mean value. Moreover, the family of dynamics realizing the continuous time reversal contains an equilibrium dynamics halfway between the time-forward and time-reversed dynamics. We show that this equilibrium dynamics, together with an appropriate choice of the observable, turns the inequality in the TUR into an equality. We demonstrate our findings for the example of a particle diffusing in a tilted periodic potential.
- Received 29 October 2020
- Revised 10 September 2021
- Accepted 12 October 2021
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.3.L042012
Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.
Published by the American Physical Society