Finite-Time Thermodynamics of an Autonomous Information Machine

Abstract

While externally driven information engines are well understood, the thermodynamic constraints of their autonomous counterparts remain an open question. Here, we investigate the finite-time operation of an autonomous machine functioning as both an information eraser and a refrigerator, revealing that its irreversibility is bounded by the transient information geometry. Beyond steady-state boundaries, we map the landscape of optimal operation times across both functional modes, uncovering a unique synergistic regime where erasure power $P$ and efficiency $\eta$ increase simultaneously. Fundamentally, this performance is governed by a trade-off relation, $v(1-\eta)P/\eta \le D$, where $v$ is the operational speed and $D$ denotes an information-geometric distance. Our findings pave the way for optimizing fast autonomous information-energy conversion.