Efficient control protocols for an active Ornstein-Uhlenbeck particle

Abstract

Designing a protocol to efficiently drive a stochastic system is an active field of research. Here we extend such control theory to an active Ornstein-Uhlenbeck particle (AOUP) in a bistable potential, driven by a harmonic trap. We find that protocols designed to minimize the excess work (up to linear-response) perform better than naive protocols with constant velocity for a wide range of protocol durations.