Random walks on quasi one dimensional lattices: Large deviations and fluctuation theorems

Several stochastic processes modeling molecular motors on a linear track are given by random walks (not necessarily Markovian) on quasi 1d lattices and share a common regenerative structure. Analyzing this abstract common structure, we derive information on the large fluctuations of the stochastic process by proving large deviation principles for the first-passage times and for the position. We focus our attention on the Gallavotti–Cohen-type symmetry of the position rate function (fluctuation theorem), showing its equivalence with the independence of suitable random variables. In the special case of Markov random walks, we show that this symmetry is universal only inside a suitable class of quasi 1d lattices.