Stochastic Thermodynamics
Stochastic thermodynamics provides a robust framework for describing the energetics of small, non-equilibrium systems where thermal fluctuations play a dominant role. By focusing on individual trajectories rather than ensemble averages, this approach allows for the definition of thermodynamic quantities at the level of single realizations. This high level of resolution is essential for understanding the operational principles and constraints of microscopic engines and biological processes. Ultimately, it enables the characterization of universal fluctuation theorems that govern entropy production and dissipation in systems far from thermal equilibrium.
Projects
An overview of my research projects, including the systems I study and the analytical and computational approaches I use. Colored links will send you to the corresponding publications.
Biological copying
Biochemical processes that can copy or replicate information must dissipate free energy in order to reach a desired copying accuracy, e.g., translation or transcription in DNA/RNA. One of the prototypical biochemical motifs that can discriminate between right and wrong copies is Hopfield's kinetic proofreading model. I study precision-dissipation trade-offs in such discriminatory processes, as well as different variations on Hopfield's model, using an energy-relay system.
Information theory & Morphogenesis
All living systems acquire, store, and process information about their environment. My work examines the physical constraints, trade-offs and thermodynamic costs associated with information storage and readout in noisy cellular settings. In particular, it addresses how these limitations bound the precision of morphogenesis in driven systems and how groups of processes with similar characteristics can emerge and cooperate to encode information efficiently.
Mesoscopic heat engines
Interacting assemblies of energy-converting units provide a minimal, experimentally accessible platform connecting non-equilibrium statistical thermodynamics with mesoscopic devices, such as colloidal engines or networks of molecular machines. My work analyzes the finite-time thermodynamics of heat engines constructed from such (collective) assemblies, where Pareto trade-offs between power, efficiency, and power fluctuations govern the operational regimes, and phase-transition-like behavior can arise in the associated optimality conditions.
Pareto-optimal control
Far from thermodynamic equilibrium, precise control over system dynamics is essential for understanding nonequilibrium behavior. My work develops a framework for multi-objective thermodynamic control, in which competing costs are optimized simultaneously rather than in isolation. The resulting Pareto-optimal front characterises a family of trade-offs, revealing how competition between objectives reshapes control strategies and introduces distinct operational regimes.