Power and heat fluctuation theorems for electric circuits

Abstract

Using recent fluctuation theorems from nonequilibrium statistical mechanics, we extend the theory for voltage fluctuations in electric circuits to power and heat fluctuations. They could be of particular relevance for the functioning of small circuits. This is done for a parallel resistor and capacitor with a constant current source for which we use the analogy with a Brownian particle dragged through a fluid by a moving harmonic potential, where circuit-specific analogues are needed on top of the Brownian-Nyquist analogy. The results may also hold for other circuits as another example shows.