Title: Theory and Design Principles for Non-equilibrium Thermodynamics beyond Stationary States
Abstract:
In realistic chemical and living systems, complex behavior emerges as they operate far from equilibrium. Understanding, manipulating, and even designing such complex behaviors is of great importance. In such efforts, one could either seek universal laws—such as the second law of thermodynamics, which applies to every system but offers limited specific insight—or delve into the details of a particular system, finding solutions applicable only to limited cases. In this talk, I will present our geometry-based non-equilibrium thermodynamic theories for non-stationary processes. In particular, I will showcase the application in designing optimal catalysts that can invert spontaneous chemical reaction under oscillations of environmental conditions. Moreover, this talk demonstrates how geometry can be used to bridge the gap between new universal laws and specifically useful details, offering a new theoretical framework that balances generality with practical applicability.