Comment on "Non-Markovian harmonic oscillator across a magnetic field and time-dependent force fields".

In a recent paper Das et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 147, 164102 (2017)JCPSA60021-960610.1063/1.4999408] proposed the Fokker-Planck equation (FPE) for the Brownian harmonic oscillator in the presence of a magnetic field and the non-Markovian thermal bath, respectively. This system has been studied very recently by Hidalgo-Gonzalez and Jiménez-Aquino [Phys. Rev. E 100, 062102 (2019)PREHBM2470-004510.1103/PhysRevE.100.062102] and the Fokker-Planck equation was derived using the characteristic function. It includes a few extra terms in the FPE and the authors conclude that their method is accurate compared to the calculation by Das et al. Then we reexamine our calculation and which is present in this comment. The revised calculation shows that both methods give the same result.

Unified approach to stochastic thermodynamics: Application to a quantum heat engine.

In the present study we have developed an alternative formulation for the quantum stochastic thermodynamics based on the c-number Langevin equation for the system-reservoir model. This is analogous to the classical one. Here we have considered both Markovian and non-Markovian dynamics (NMD). Consideration of the NMD is an important issue at the current state of the stochastic thermodynamics. Applying the present formalism, we have carried out a comparative study on the heat absorbed and the change of entropy with time for a linear quantum system and its classical analog for both Markovian and NMD. Here the strength of the thermal noise and its correlation time for the respective cases are the leading quantities to explain any distinguishable feature which may appear with the equilibration kinetics. For another application, we have proposed a formulation with classical look for a quantum stochastic heat engine. Using it we have presented a comparative study on the efficiency and its value at maximum power for a quantum stochastic heat engine and its classical analog. The engines are Carnot like which are coupled with their respective Markovian thermal baths. Here also the noise strength as well as the diffusion constant are the leading quantities to explain any noticeable feature.

Autonomous stochastic resonance driven by colored noise.

A one-dimensional linear autonomous system coupled to a generic stationary nonequilibrium fluctuating bath can exhibit resonant response when its damped oscillation period matches some characteristic bath's relaxation time. This condition justifies invoking the stochastic resonance paradigm, even if it can be achieved more easily by tuning the system to the bath and not vice versa, as is usually the case. The simple nature of the mechanism numerically investigated here suggests a number of interesting applications for instance in the context of (1) energy harvesting from random ambient vibrations, (2) activated barrier crossing through a saddle point, or (3) an unstable limit cycle.

Fokker-Planck equation for the non-Markovian Brownian motion in the presence of a magnetic field.

In the present study, we have proposed the Fokker-Planck equation in a simple way for a Langevin equation of motion having ordinary derivative (OD), the Gaussian random force and a generalized frictional memory kernel. The equation may be associated with or without conservative force field from harmonic potential. We extend this method for a charged Brownian particle in the presence of a magnetic field. Thus, the present method is applicable for a Langevin equation of motion with OD, the Gaussian colored thermal noise and any kind of linear force field that may be conservative or not. It is also simple to apply this method for the colored Gaussian noise that is not related to the damping strength.

Microscopic theory of heat transfer between two fermionic thermal baths mediated by a spin system.

In this paper we have presented the heat exchange between the two fermionic thermal reservoirs which are connected by a fermionic system. We have calculated the heat flux using solution of the c-number Langevin equation for the system. Assuming small temperature difference between the baths we have defined the thermal conductivity for the process. It first increases as a nonlinear function of average temperature of the baths to a critical value then decreases to a very low value such that the heat flux almost becomes zero. There is a critical temperature for the fermionic case at which the thermal conductivity is maximum for the given coupling strength and the width of the frequency distribution of bath modes. The critical temperature grows if these quantities become larger. It is a sharp contrast to the Bosonic case where the thermal conductivity monotonically increases to the limiting value. The change of the conductivity with increase in width of the frequency distribution of the bath modes is significant at the low temperature regime for the fermionic case. It is highly contrasting to the Bosonic case where the signature of the enhancement is very prominent at high temperature limit. We have also observed that thermal conductivity monotonically increases as a function of damping strength to the limiting value at the asymptotic limit. There is a crossover between the high and the low temperature results in the variation of the thermal conductivity as a function of the damping strength for the fermionic case. Thus it is apparent here that even at relatively high temperature, the fermionic bath may be an effective one for the strong coupling between system and reservoir. Another interesting observation is that at the low temperature limit, the temperature dependence of the heat flux is the same as the Stefan-Boltzmann law. This is similar to the bosonic case.

Effect of interference between two colored noises on the stationary states of a Brownian particle.

In this paper we present properties of an external colored cross-correlated noise-driven Brownian system which is coupled to a thermal bath. Multiplicative cross-correlated noises can stabilize the transition state. Thus by monitoring the interference between the noises one can understand the mechanism of a chemical reaction. At the same time, we have investigated how the interference affects the barrier-crossing dynamics. In its presence breakdown of the Arrhenius result occurs. The breakdown becomes prominent if the multiplicative noises become additive in nature. We have also investigated how the power law behavior of the rate constant as a function of damping strength is affected by the properties of external colored noises. Furthermore, we have observed that multiplicative colored cross-correlated noises can induce the resonant activation phenomenon.

Resonance behavior of a charged particle in presence of a time dependent magnetic field.

In this article, we have explored the resonance behavior of a particle in the presence of a time dependent magnetic field (TDMF). The particle is bound in a harmonic potential well. Based on the Hamiltonian description of the system in terms of action and angle variables, we have derived the resonance condition for the applied TDMF along z-direction which is valid for arbitrary frequencies along x and y directions of the two dimensional harmonic oscillator. We have also derived resonance condition for the applied magnetic field which is lying in a plane. Finally, we have explored resonance condition for the isotropic magnetic field. To check the validity of the theoretical calculation, we have solved equations of motion numerically for the parameter sets which satisfy the derived resonance condition. The numerical experiment fully agrees with the theoretically derived resonance conditions.

Fluctuating magnetic field induced resonant activation.

In this paper, we have studied the properties of a Brownian particle at stationary state in the presence of a fluctuating magnetic field. Time dependence of the field makes the system thermodynamically open. As a signature of that the steady state distribution function becomes function of damping strength, intensity of fluctuations and constant parts of the applied magnetic field. It also depends on the correlation time of the fluctuating magnetic field. Our another observation is that the random magnetic field can induce the resonant activation phenomenon. Here correlation time is increased under the fixed variance of the fluctuating field. But if the correlation time (τ) increases under the fixed field strength then the mean first passage time rapidly grows at low τ and it almost converges at other limit. This is sharp contrast to the usual colored noise driven open system case where the mean first passage time diverges exponentially. We have also observed that a giant enhancement of barrier crossing rate occurs particularly at large strength of constant parts of the applied magnetic field even for very weak fluctuating magnetic field. Finally, break down of the Arrhenius result and disappearance of the Kramers' turn over phenomenon may occur in the presence of a fluctuating magnetic field.

Shannon entropic temperature and its lower and upper bounds for non-Markovian stochastic dynamics.

In this article we have studied Shannon entropic nonequilibrium temperature (NET) extensively for a system which is coupled to a thermal bath that may be Markovian or non-Markovian in nature. Using the phase-space distribution function, i.e., the solution of the generalized Fokker Planck equation, we have calculated the entropy production, NET, and their bounds. Other thermodynamic properties like internal energy of the system, heat, and work, etc. are also measured to study their relations with NET. The present study reveals that the heat flux is proportional to the difference between the temperature of the thermal bath and the nonequilibrium temperature of the system. It also reveals that heat capacity at nonequilibrium state is independent of both NET and time. Furthermore, we have demonstrated the time variations of the above-mentioned and related quantities to differentiate between the equilibration processes for the coupling of the system with the Markovian and the non-Markovian thermal baths, respectively. It implies that in contrast to the Markovian case, a certain time is required to develop maximum interaction between the system and the non-Markovian thermal bath (NMTB). It also implies that longer relaxation time is needed for a NMTB compared to a Markovian one. Quasidynamical behavior of the NMTB introduces an oscillation in the variation of properties with time. Finally, we have demonstrated how the nonequilibrium state is affected by the memory time of the thermal bath.

Resonant activation in a colored multiplicative thermal noise driven closed system.

In this paper, we have demonstrated that resonant activation (RA) is possible even in a thermodynamically closed system where the particle experiences a random force and a spatio-temporal frictional coefficient from the thermal bath. For this stochastic process, we have observed a hallmark of RA phenomena in terms of a turnover behavior of the barrier-crossing rate as a function of noise correlation time at a fixed noise variance. Variance can be fixed either by changing temperature or damping strength as a function of noise correlation time. Our another observation is that the barrier crossing rate passes through a maximum with increase in coupling strength of the multiplicative noise. If the damping strength is appreciably large, then the maximum may disappear. Finally, we compare simulation results with the analytical calculation. It shows that there is a good agreement between analytical and numerical results.

Nonequilibrium entropic temperature and its lower bound for quantum stochastic processes.

In this paper, we have studied the Shannon "entropic" nonequilibrium temperature (NET) of quantum Brownian systems. The Brownian particle is attached to either a bosonic or fermionic bath. Based on the Fokker-Planck description of the c-number quantum Langevin equation, we have calculated entropy production, NET, and their bounds. Entropy production (EP), the upper bound of entropy production (UBEP), and the deviation of the UBEP from EP monotonically decrease as functions of time to equilibrium value for both of the thermal baths. The deviation decreases with increase of temperature of the bosonic thermal bath, but it becomes larger as the temperature of the fermionic bath grows. We also observe that nonequilibrium temperature and its lower bound monotonically increase to equilibrium value with the progression of time. But their difference as a function of time shows an optimum behavior in most cases. Finally, we have observed that at long time, the entropic temperature (for a bosonic thermal bath) first increases nonlinearly as a function of thermodynamic temperature (TT) and, if the TT is appreciably large, then it grows linearly. But for the fermionic thermal bath, the entropic temperature decreases monotonically as a nonlinear function of thermodynamic temperature to zero value.

Tuning of barrier crossing time of a particle by time dependent magnetic field.

We have studied the effect of time dependent magnetic field on the barrier crossing dynamics of a charged particle. An interplay of the magnetic field induced electric field and the applied field reveals several interesting features. For slowly oscillating field the barrier crossing rate increases remarkably particularly at large amplitude of the field. For appreciably large frequency a generically distinct phenomenon appears by virtue of parametric resonance manifested in multiple peaks appearing in the variation of the mean first passage time as a function of the amplitude. The parametric resonance is more robust against the variation of amplitude of the oscillating field compared to the case of variation of frequency. The barrier crossing time of a particle can be tuned para-metrically by appropriate choice of amplitude and frequency of the oscillating magnetic field.

Magnetic field induced dynamical chaos.

In this article, we have studied the dynamics of a particle having charge in the presence of a magnetic field. The motion of the particle is confined in the x-y plane under a two dimensional nonlinear potential. We have shown that constant magnetic field induced dynamical chaos is possible even for a force which is derived from a simple potential. For a given strength of the magnetic field, initial position, and velocity of the particle, the dynamics may be regular, but it may become chaotic when the field is time dependent. Chaotic dynamics is very often if the field is time dependent. Origin of chaos has been explored using the Hamiltonian function of the dynamics in terms of action and angle variables. Applicability of the present study has been discussed with a few examples.

Periodic force induced stabilization or destabilization of the denatured state of a protein.

We have studied the effects of an external sinusoidal force in protein folding kinetics. The externally applied force field acts on the each amino acid residues of polypeptide chains. Our simulation results show that mean protein folding time first increases with driving frequency and then decreases passing through a maximum. With further increase of the driving frequency the mean folding time starts increasing as the noise-induced hoping event (from the denatured state to the native state) begins to experience many oscillations over the mean barrier crossing time period. Thus unlike one-dimensional barrier crossing problems, the external oscillating force field induces both stabilization or destabilization of the denatured state of a protein. We have also studied the parametric dependence of the folding dynamics on temperature, viscosity, non-Markovian character of bath in presence of the external field.

Barrier crossing dynamics of a charged particle in the presence of a magnetic field: a new turnover phenomenon.

In this paper we have investigated the effect of a magnetic field on the barrier crossing rate of a charged particle. At the low friction regime we have observed a new turnover phenomenon for the variation of rate as a function of field strength. Thus although the force due to the magnetic field is not dissipative in nature, it plays a role in the steady state barrier crossing rate similar to that of a dissipative force in the weak damping regime. For appreciable damping strength, the rate monotonically decreases with the increase of field strength. We have demonstrated an interesting resonance effect due to the variation of frequency of the harmonic oscillator associated with the y-component motion at low damping and magnetic field strength.

Colored non-gaussian noise driven open systems: generalization of Kramers' theory with a unified approach.

In this paper we have calculated escape rate from a meta stable state in the presence of both colored internal thermal and external nonthermal noises. For the internal noise we have considered usual gaussian distribution but the external noise may be gaussian or non-gaussian in characteristic. The calculated rate is valid for low noise strength of non-gaussian noise such that an effective gaussian approximation of non-gaussian noise wherein the higher order even cumulants of order "4" and higher are neglected. The rate expression we derived here reduces to the known results of the literature, as well as for purely external noise driven activated rate process. The latter exhibits how the rate changes if one switches from non-gaussian to gaussian character of the external noise.

Magnetic-field-induced breakdown of equivalence of multidimensional motion.

In this paper, we have studied Brownian motion in multidimension phase space in presence of a magnetic field. The nonequilibrium behavior of thermodynamically inspired quantities along the individual component of motion has been studied in detail. Based on the Fokker-Planck description of the stochastic process and entropy balance equation, we have calculated information entropy production and entropy flux at nonequilibrium state. The dependence of these quantities on time, magnetic field, and thermal bath is studied. In this context, we have observed that there exists extremum behavior in the dynamics and the applied magnetic field breaks the equivalence in motion of the components in the nonequilibrium state.

Quantum diffusion in a fermionic bath.

We propose a scheme for quantum brownian motion of a particle in a fermionic bath. Based on the spin coherent-state representation of the noise operators and a canonical thermal distribution of the associated c numbers, we derive a quantum analog of generalized Langevin equation for quantum-mechanical mean position of the particle subjected to an external force field. The approach allows us to map the quantum problem on a classical setting. The quantum dispersion around the mean can be estimated order by order by a set of quantum correction equations up to a desired degree of accuracy for a given nonlinear potential. We derive a quantum diffusion equation for free particle and show that quantization, in general, enhances the mean-square displacement. Increase in temperature leads to suppression of mean-square displacement. The method is based on canonical quantization procedure and may be used for understanding diffusive transport and thermally activated processes in a fermionic bath.

Kinetics of self-induced aggregation of Brownian particles: non-Markovian and non-Gaussian features.

In this paper we have explored a model for self-induced aggregation of Brownian particles incorporating non-Markovian and non-Gaussian character of the associated random noise processes. The time evolution of each individual is guided by an overdamped Langevin equation of motion with a nonlocal drift arising out of the imbalance in the local distribution of the other individuals. Our simulation results show that colored noise enhances the tendency of cluster formation. Another observation is that the critical noise variance decreases at first with increase in noise correlation time followed by an increase after exhibiting a minimum. Furthermore, in the long time limit the cluster number in the aggregation process exhibits depletion with time following a power law with an exponent which increases remarkably with non-Markovian character of the noise processes.

Noise correlation-induced splitting of Kramers' escape rate from a metastable state.

A correlation between two noise processes driving the thermally activated particles in a symmetric triple-well potential may cause a symmetry breaking and a difference in relative stability of the two side wells with respect to the middle one. This leads to an asymmetric localization of population and splitting of Kramers' rate of escape from the middle well, ensuring a preferential distribution of the products in the course of a parallel reaction.