{
  "abstract": "We use evolutionary reinforcement learning to determine efficient time-dependent erasure protocols for an underdamped cantilever moving in a double-well potential, an experimental realization of a 1-bit memory. We investigate how the mean work $\\langle W \\rangle $ needed to erase a bit scales as a function of the protocol duration $τ$. We find two regimes, depending on how $τ$ compares to the relaxation time of the system $t_r$. For $τ\\gg t_r$, the quasistatic isothermal regime, we recover Landauer's bound plus an overhead that scales as $1/τ$, similar to the overdamped case. By contrast, for $τ<t_r$ erasure becomes adiabatic and $\\langle W \\rangle$ grows more slowly than in the isothermal case. This growth is bounded from below as $1/τ$, which we derive using a gedanken optimal protocol. Finally, comparison with overdamped erasure shows that learned protocols can outperform protocols that are optimal subject to equilibrium boundary conditions.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2609.11473",
  "author_total": 4,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Nicolas Barros"
    },
    {
      "name": "Stephen Whitelam"
    },
    {
      "name": "Sergio Ciliberto"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ludovic Bellon"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/93v6bktens1gg.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2609.11473",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "93v6bktens1gg",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.11473",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cond-mat.stat-mech"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3109|Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7212251372",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2609.11473",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-10",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/93v6bktens1gg.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:26Z",
      "native_id": "2609.11473",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.11473"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:cond-mat.stat-mech",
      "subfield": "statistical-nonlinear"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Work as a function of protocol duration for the efficient erasure of an underdamped memory: isothermal to adiabatic transition",
  "title_text": "Work as a function of protocol duration for the efficient erasure of an underdamped memory: isothermal to adiabatic transition",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:20:26Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/93v6bktens1gg",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}