Sensitivity analysis of cycle flux response in nonequilibrium dynamics

Area of Science:

• Non-equilibrium physics
• Stochastic processes
• Complex systems analysis

Background:

• Understanding non-equilibrium steady states is crucial in physics.
• The response of cycle flux to time-dependent perturbations remains poorly understood.
• Existing linear response theory is limited to near-equilibrium conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a theoretical method for analyzing cycle flux response beyond near-equilibrium conditions.
• To investigate the factors determining state and cycle flux responses.
• To explore the relationship between response sensitivity and information gain.

Main Methods:

• Developed a theoretical framework to analyze cycle flux response around non-equilibrium steady states.
• Identified system relaxation spectrum, signal frequency, and signal-transient state overlap as key determinants.
• Utilized quantum Maxwell demon and classical chemical reaction network models for illustration.

Main Results:

• Response properties are dictated by the system's relaxation spectrum and signal characteristics.
• Established a connection between response sensitivity and information gain in stochastic trajectories.
• Provided an information-theoretic bound for cycle flux response precision.

Conclusions:

• The developed theory offers a comprehensive approach to understanding dynamical responses in complex non-equilibrium systems.
• This work enables better control over non-equilibrium stochastic graph models.
• Facilitates inference of hidden time-dependent signals by measuring cycle flux response.