Organization and Self-Assembly Away from Equilibrium: Toward Thermodynamic Design Principles

Studies of biological systems and materials, together with recent experimental and theoretical advances in colloidal and nanoscale materials, have shown how nonequilibrium forcing can be used to modulate organization in many novel ways. In this review, we focus on how an accounting of energy dissipation, using the tools of stochastic thermodynamics, can constrain and provide intuition for the correlations and configurations that emerge in a nonequilibrium process. We anticipate that the frameworks reviewed here can provide a starting point to address some of the unique phenomenology seen in biophysical systems and potentially replicate them in synthetic materials.

Fluctuation–dissipation analysis of nonequilibrium thermal transport at the hydrate dissociation interface

Thermal fluctuation–dissipation at the interface is justified in the nonequilibrium process of hydrate dissociation in terms of heat flux.

Фотоэлектромагнитный эффект, индуцированный терагерцовым излучением, в топологических изоляторах (Bi-=SUB=-1-x-=/SUB=-Sb-=SUB=-x-=/SUB=-)-=SUB=-2-=/SUB=-Te-=SUB=-3-=/SUB=-

The mobility of surface charge carriers is estimated based on an analysis of the photoelectromagnetic effect in three-dimensional (Bi_1 –_ x Sb_ x )_2Te_3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.55) topological insulators. A high degree of degeneracy of the carrier gas in combination with a low energy of the exciting terahertz quantum provide a nonequilibrium process associated exclusively with thermal heating of the carrier. Under these conditions, the photovoltage is determined by the mobility gradient of the surface and bulk carriers. The photovoltage and, consequently, the mobility gradient disappear completely with an increase in the bulk mobility up to 10^5 cm^2 V^–1 s^–1. Photovoltage is clearly observed in the samples with comparatively low bulk mobility under the same experimental conditions.

Study of Nonequilibrium Size and Concentration Effects on the Heat and Mass Diffusion of Indistinguishable Particles Using Steepest-Entropy-Ascent Quantum Thermodynamics

Conventional first-principle approaches for studying nonequilibrium processes depend on the mechanics of individual particles or quantum states and as a result require many details of the mechanical features of the system to arrive at a macroscopic property. In contrast, thermodynamics, which has been successful in the stable equilibrium realm, provides an approach for determining macroscopic properties without the mechanical details. Nonetheless, this phenomenological approach is not generally applicable to a nonequilibrium process except in the near-equilibrium realm and under the local equilibrium and continuum assumptions, both of which limit its ability to describe nonequilibrium phenomena. Furthermore, predicting the thermodynamic features of a nonequilibrium process (of entropy generation) across all scales is difficult. To address these drawbacks, steepest-entropy-ascent quantum thermodynamics (SEAQT) can be used. It provides a first-principle thermodynamic-ensemble based approach applicable to the entire nonequilibrium realm even that far-from-equilibrium and does so with a single kinematics and dynamics, which crosses all temporal and spatial scales. Based on prior developments by the authors, SEAQT is used here to study the heat and mass diffusion of indistinguishable particles. The study focuses on the thermodynamic features of far-from-equilibrium state evolution, which is separated from the specific mechanics of individual particle interactions. Results for nonequilibrium size (volume) and concentration effects on the evolutionary state trajectory are presented for the case of high temperature and low particle concentration, which, however, do not impact the generality of the theory and will in future studies be relaxed.