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Dissipation-coherence tradeoff for stochastic oscillations
1Chengdu Academy of Educational Sciences, Chengdu 610036, China.
Physical Review. E
|July 24, 2026
Summary
Researchers derived a new lower bound for entropy production in oscillating systems. This bound refines a previous conjecture by including a mode-uniformity factor, crucial for localized oscillatory modes in nonequilibrium systems.
Area of Science:
- Non-equilibrium thermodynamics
- Biophysical systems
- Mesoscopic physics
Background:
- Autonomous noisy oscillations in biochemical and mesoscopic systems necessitate non-equilibrium driving and dissipation.
- A conjecture by Oberreiter, Barato, and Seifert (OBS) proposed a universal lower bound for entropy produced per oscillation period, related to the coherence number (L) of the slowest oscillatory mode.
Purpose of the Study:
- To derive a rigorous, albeit weaker, lower bound on entropy production per oscillation period.
- To introduce and analyze a mode-uniformity factor that quantifies the distribution of the oscillatory eigenmode across states.
- To demonstrate the limitations of eigenvalue-only prefactors when dominant modes are localized.
Main Methods:
- Derivation of a refined entropy production lower bound incorporating a mode-uniformity factor.
- Analysis of the mode-uniformity factor's impact on the bound's validity.
- Development of a proof-of-principle method for estimating the factor from low-dimensional data.
- Derivation of an eigenvector-free corollary using stationary probability.
Main Results:
- A rigorous lower bound for entropy production is derived, preserving the OBS structure but including a mode-uniformity factor.
- The necessity of this factor is highlighted for cases where the dominant oscillatory mode is localized.
- A method for estimating the mode-uniformity factor is proposed, applicable under specific data conditions.
- An eigenvector-free corollary is established, relying solely on the smallest stationary probability.
Conclusions:
- The derived bound offers a more nuanced understanding of entropy production in oscillating systems, particularly when modes are not uniformly distributed.
- The mode-uniformity factor provides critical insight into the localization effects on entropy production bounds.
- The study validates the OBS conjecture's structure while offering a more generally applicable refinement.
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