Delay-induced transport in a rocking ratchet under feedback control

Abstract

Based on the Fokker-Planck equation we investigate the transport of an overdamped colloidal particle in a static, asymmetric periodic potential supplemented by a time-dependent, delayed feedback force, $F_{\mathrm{fc}}$. For a given time $t$, $F_\mathrm{fc}$ depends on the status of the system at a previous time $t-τ_\mathrm{D}$, with $τ_\mathrm{D}$ being a delay time, specifically on the delayed mean particle displacement (relative to some "switching position"). For non-zero delay times $F_{\mathrm{fc}}(t)$ develops nearly regular oscillations generating a net current in the system. Depending on the switching position, this current is nearly as large or even larger than that in a conventional open-loop rocking ratchet. We also investigate thermodynamic properties of the delayed non-equilibrium system and we suggest an underlying Langevin equation which reproduces the Fokker-Planck results.