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The Landauer Principle in Physics, Biophysics, Engineering and Computer Science: From Foundations of Thermodynamics to Computer Engineering

A special issue of Entropy (ISSN 1099-4300). This special issue belongs to the section "Thermodynamics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 297

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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Landauer principle connects information and thermodynamics — it says that erasing information has an unavoidable physical cost in terms of energy.

The Landauer Principle establishes:

  • Fundamental limits of computing: It shows there’s a minimum amount of energy any computer must use when it erases information — no matter how perfect the technology is.
  • Energy efficiency: As computers get smaller and faster, understanding these limits becomes crucial for building ultra-efficient (and possibly quantum) computers.
  • Deep link between physics and information: It proves that information isn’t just an abstract object — it’s physical. Handling information always involves real, physical processes.
  • Entropy and the second law: The Landauer Principle ties into the second law of thermodynamics — when you erase information, you increase the disorder (entropy) of the environment by producing heat.

This Special Issue aims to present different approaches to the implementation of the Landauer principle in physics, biophysics and computer science. Submissions addressing engineering applications of the Landauer principle are especially welcome. Review papers are encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Edward Bormashenko
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Landauer principle
  • entropy
  • information
  • the second law of thermodynamics

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

12 pages, 2038 KiB  
Article
Landauer Principle and Einstein Synchronization of Clocks: Ramsey Approach
by Edward Bormashenko and Michael Nosonovsky
Entropy 2025, 27(7), 697; https://doi.org/10.3390/e27070697 - 29 Jun 2025
Viewed by 212
Abstract
We introduce a synchronization procedure for clocks based on the Einstein–Landauer framework. Clocks are modeled as discrete, macroscopic devices operating at a thermal equilibrium temperature T. Synchronization is achieved by transmitting photons from one clock to another; the absorption of a photon [...] Read more.
We introduce a synchronization procedure for clocks based on the Einstein–Landauer framework. Clocks are modeled as discrete, macroscopic devices operating at a thermal equilibrium temperature T. Synchronization is achieved by transmitting photons from one clock to another; the absorption of a photon by a clock reduces the uncertainty in its timekeeping. The minimum energy required for this reduction in uncertainty is determined by the Landauer bound. We distinguish between the time-bearing and non-time-bearing degrees of freedom of the clocks. A reduction in uncertainty under synchronization in the time-bearing degrees of freedom necessarily leads to heat dissipation in the non-time-bearing ones. The minimum energy dissipation in these non-time-bearing degrees of freedom is likewise given by the Landauer limit. The same is true for mechanical synchronization of clocks. We also consider lattices of clocks and analyze synchronization using a Ramsey graph approach. Notably, clocks operating at the same temperature may be synchronized using photons of different frequencies. Each clock is categorized as either synchronized or non-synchronized, resulting in a bi-colored complete graph of clocks. By Ramsey’s theorem, such a graph inevitably contains a triad (or loop) of clocks that are either all synchronized or all non-synchronized. The extension of the Ramsey approach to infinite lattices of clocks is reported. Full article
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