Quantum dynamics in a tiered non-Markovian environment
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Date
24/02/2015Metadata
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Abstract
We introduce a new analytical method for studying the open quantum systems problem of a discrete system weakly coupled to an environment of harmonic oscillators. Our approach is based on a phase space representation of the density matrix for a system coupled to a two-tiered environment. The dynamics of the system and its immediate environment are resolved in a non-Markovian way, and the environmental modes of the inner environment can themselves be damped by a wider 'universe'. Applying our approach to the canonical cases of the Rabi and spin-boson models we obtain new analytical expressions for an effective thermalization temperature and corrections to the environmental response functions as direct consequences of considering such a tiered environment. A comparison with exact numerical simulations confirms that our approximate expressions are remarkably accurate, while their analytic nature offers the prospect of deeper understanding of the physics which they describe. A unique advantage of our method is that it permits the simultaneous inclusion of a continuous bath as well as discrete environmental modes, leading to wide and versatile applicability.
Citation
Fruchtman , A , Lovett , B W , Benjamin , S C & Gauger , E M 2015 , ' Quantum dynamics in a tiered non-Markovian environment ' , New Journal of Physics , vol. 17 . https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/17/2/023063
Publication
New Journal of Physics
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
1367-2630Type
Journal article
Rights
© 2015 IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
Description
This work was supported by the Leverhulme Trust, EPSRC under platform grant EP/J015067/1, and the National Research Foundation and Ministry of Education, Singapore. BWL thanks the Royal Society for a University Research Fellowship. EMG acknowledges support from the RSE/Scottish Government.Collections
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