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arXiv:1003.0304

Nonlinear friction in quantum mechanics

Roumen Tsekov

Published Mar 1, 2010• 2 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The effect of nonlinear friction forces in quantum mechanics is studied via dissipative Madelung hydrodynamics. A new thermo-quantum diffusion equation is derived, which is solved for the particular case of quantum Brownian motion with a cubic friction. It is extended also by a chemical reaction term to describe quantum reaction-diffusion systems with nonlinear friction as well.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.1003.0304

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The effect of nonlinear friction forces in quantum mechanics is studied via dissipative Madelung hydrodynamics. A new thermo-quantum diffusion equation is derived, which is solved for the particular case of quantum Brownian motion with a cubic friction. It is extended also by a chemical reaction term to describe quantum reaction-diffusion systems with nonlinear friction as well.
Nonlinear friction forces are a problem in classical Brownian motion for a long time [1]. They are described either by Langevin or by Fokker-Planck equations [2-4]. However, the rigorous generalized Langevin equation is linear, which points out that nonlinear friction forces possess a macroscopic hydrodynamic origin [1]. For this reason, they are not present in the modern quantum theory of open systems [5]. The scope of the present paper is to investigate the nonlinear friction effect on quantum mechanics. The analysis is based on a dissipative Madelung quantum hydrodynamics. Thus, the nonlinear friction is a result of nonlinear non-equilibrium thermodynamics in contrast to the traditional mechanical nonlinear friction forces. A quantum particle in vacuum is described by the Schrodinger equation
Quantum Brownian motion in the strong friction limit is studied based on the exact path integral formulation of dissipative systems. In this limit the time-nonlocal reduced dynamics can be cast into an effective equation of motion, the quantum Smoluchowski equation. For strongly condensed phase environments it plays a similar role as master equations in the weak coupling range. Applications for chemical, mesoscopic, and soft matter systems are discussed and reveal the substantial role of quantum fluctuations.
This paper introduces the concept of Quantum Chemical Friction (QCF), a novel framework for understanding and quantifying friction-like phenomena within molecular systems. Traditionally, friction has been defined within the context of macroscopic mechanics and solid-state interactions. However, this work proposes a fundamentally new approach, leveraging the principles of quantum mechanics to describe and model frictional resistance arising from the dynamics of electrons within molecular orbitals. We posit that electron movement, specifically the interference and decoherence of wavefunctions within specific orbital layers, directly contributes to what we term Quantum Chemical Friction. This concept is presented as a new mechanism affecting reaction rates and transition states, and it fundamentally alters our understanding of chemical kinetics. The theoretical framework utilizes a modified Schrödinger equation to incorporate orbital layer-specific frictional coefficients, providing a quantitative approach to predicting and controlling frictional effects in chemical reactions. The primary goal is to redefine reaction rates based on this QCF principle, offering a more accurate and nuanced depiction of chemical processes.
Similarity of equations of motion for the classical and quantum trajectories is used to introduce a friction term dependent on the wavefunction phase into the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. The term describes irreversible energy loss by the quantum system. The force of friction is proportional to the velocity of a quantum trajectory. The resulting Schrödinger equation is nonlinear, conserves wavefunction normalization, and evolves an arbitrary wavefunction into the ground state of the system (of appropriate symmetry if applicable). Decrease in energy is proportional to the average kinetic energy of the quantum trajectory ensemble. Dynamics in the high friction regime is suitable for simple models of reactions proceeding with energy transfer from the system to the environment. Examples of dynamics are given for single and symmetric and asymmetric double well potentials.
We formally derive two nonlinear Ginzburg-Landau type models starting from the Wigner-Fokker-Planck system, which rules the evolution of a quantum electron gas interacting with a heat bath in thermodynamic equilibrium. These models mainly consist of a quantum, dissipative O(Planck 3) hydrodynamic/O(Planck 4) stochastic correction to the frictional (Caldeira-Leggett-)Schrödinger equation. The main ingredient lies in the use of the hydrodynamic/stochastic fluid model approach associated with the quantum Fokker-Planck equation and the identification of the associated pressure field. Then, Madelung transformations set the problem in the Schrödinger picture of dissipative quantum mechanics. We also describe the stationary dynamics associated with both systems.