Matrix ansatz for the fluctuations of the current in the ASEP with open boundaries

Abstract

The Asymmetric Simple Exclusion Process is one of the most extensively studied models in non-equilibrium statistical mechanics. The macroscopic particle current produced in its steady state is directly related to the breaking of detailed balance, and is therefore a physical quantity of particular interest. In this paper, we build a matrix product Ansatz which allows to access the exact statistics of the fluctuations of that current for finite sizes, as well as the probabilities of configurations conditioned on the mean current. We also show how this Ansatz can be used for the periodic ASEP, and how it translates in the language of the XXZ spin chain.