Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 2, 2026
11:47
A 100 KW Class Applied-field Magnetoplasmadynamic Thruster
Published on: December 22, 2018
9.7K
Power generator driven by Maxwell's demon
Kensaku Chida1, Samarth Desai1, Katsuhiko Nishiguchi1
1NTT Basic Research Laboratories, NTT Corporation, 3-1 Morinosato Wakamiya, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0198, Japan.
Nature Communications
|May 17, 2017
Summary
Maxwell's demon can now generate electricity using individual electrons in transistors. Miniaturizing transistors enhances this power generation, paving the way for future energy technologies.
Area of Science:
- Thermodynamics
- Information Thermodynamics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Maxwell's demon, a thought experiment, theoretically reduces entropy and generates free energy.
- Information thermodynamics has validated Maxwell's demon, enabling experimental energy generation.
- The next challenge is converting this free energy into usable work.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate Maxwell's demon generating and outputting electric current and power.
- To investigate the role of transistors in controlling electron motion for energy generation.
- To explore the impact of system miniaturization on the demon's power output.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing two transistors as gates to control individual electron trajectories directionally.
- Real-time monitoring of electron motion within the system.
- Numerical calculations to assess power generation scaling with miniaturization.
Main Results:
- Successful generation and output of electric current and power by Maxwell's demon using electrons in transistors.
- Demonstrated directional electron movement controlled by transistor gates.
- Power generation increases with the miniaturization of the electron confinement space.
Conclusions:
- Maxwell's demon can be harnessed to produce electrical power from electron motion.
- Transistor technology is key to controlling electron flow for energy harvesting.
- Advancements in transistor miniaturization are expected to boost the power output of such systems.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:15Van de Graaff Generator
2.6K
Van de Graaff generators (or Van de Graaffs) are devices used to demonstrate high voltage due to static electricity that can also be used for research. Robert Van de Graaff first built one in 1931 (based on original suggestions by Lord Kelvin) for use in nuclear physics research.
Van de Graaff uses both smooth and pointed surfaces, conductors, and insulators to generate large static charges and, hence, large voltages. A substantial excess charge can be deposited on the sphere because it moves...
Van de Graaff uses both smooth and pointed surfaces, conductors, and insulators to generate large static charges and, hence, large voltages. A substantial excess charge can be deposited on the sphere because it moves...
2.6K
01:23Faraday Disk Dynamo
3.9K
A Faraday disk dynamo is a DC generator, producing an emf that is constant in time. It consists of a conducting disk that rotates with a constant angular velocity in the magnetic field, perpendicular to the disk's plane. The rotation of the disk causes a change in magnetic flux, which induces an emf, causing opposite charges to develop on the rim and in the center of the disk. The polarity of the induced emf can be determined by the direction of the magnetic field and the direction of the...
3.9K
01:19DC Generator
2.3K
An alternator converts mechanical energy into electrical energy that varies sinusoidally, resulting in AC current. Meanwhile, a DC generator converts mechanical energy into electrical energy, which are DC pulses with the same polarity. The construction of a DC generator is similar to that of an alternator, except that the pair of slip rings is replaced by a single split ring, also called a commutator. The commutator functions like a periodic rotary switch; it changes the contacts with the...
2.3K
01:25Electric Generator: Alternator
3.5K
Electric generators induce an emf by rotating a coil in a magnetic field. A simple alternator is an AC generator that creates electrical energy that varies sinusoidally with time. A simple alternator consists of a conducting loop that is placed inside a uniform magnetic field. The loop is connected to split rings connected to the external circuit with the help of brushes.
The magnetic flux passing through the coil varies sinusoidally as the loop rotates inside the magnetic field. This...
The magnetic flux passing through the coil varies sinusoidally as the loop rotates inside the magnetic field. This...
3.5K
01:24Back EMF
4.6K
Generators convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, whereas motors convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. A motor works by sending a current through a loop of wire located in a magnetic field. As a result, the magnetic field exerts a torque on the loop. This rotates a shaft, extracting mechanical work from the electrical current sent in initially. When the coil of a motor is turned, magnetic flux changes through the coil, and an emf (consistent with Faraday's law) is...
4.6K
01:21Generator Voltage Control
708
Generator voltage control is crucial for maintaining the stable operation of synchronous generators and wind turbines. In older models, a DC generator driven by the rotor delivers DC power to the rotor's field winding, and the power is transferred through slip rings and brushes. In the latest models, static or brushless exciters are used. Static exciters rectify AC power from the generator terminals and then transfer the DC power directly to the rotor. Brushless exciters, on the other hand, use...
708