Cumulants and large deviations of the current through non-equilibrium steady states

Using a generalisation of detailed balance for systems maintained out of equilibrium by contact with 2 reservoirs at unequal temperatures or at unequal densities, one can recover the fluctuation theorem for the large deviation function of the current. For large diffusive systems, we show how the large deviation function of the current can be computed using a simple additivity principle. The validity of this additivity principle and the occurrence of phase transitions are discussed in the framework of the macroscopic fluctuation theory. To cite this article: T. Bodineau, B. Derrida, C. R. Physique 8 (2007).